Review: Kenetrek Bridger High Boots

Kenetrek’s lineup of hunting boots hasn’t changed much in years. After all, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. As a result, the brand’s classic, leather boots have gained a loyal following in Montana and beyond. Now, the local footwear company is branching out with a new, lighter-weight option: the Bridger High.

The boot is still mostly leather—a thinner, lighter variety—but it also has a synthetic tongue to help with breathability, and some synthetic materials in the upper for support. The entire boot has a waterproof membrane to handle hiking through snow or other wet conditions.

I picked up the boots this winter, and spent about a month breaking them in on hikes around town before taking them on a six-day antler hunting trip this spring. Overall, I was impressed with their comfort and support. Kenetrek’s high-quality insoles provide a good footbed, while the reinforced uppers were plenty rigid for side-hilling through cliffs and scree with a heavy pack. The outsoles are also tough and durable, and hardly showed any signs of wear after a week of heavy, off-trail hiking and brush-busting.

As far as break-in, blisters were never an issue, however I was wearing Gorilla tape on my heels every day as a preventative measure. Over the course of the week, though, I did begin to notice hot spots on the front of my ankles where the eyelets were digging in. I was able to mitigate the pressure with a variety of different lacing patterns, but was never able to eliminate it entirely. A bit more padding around the upper rivets would help make this great boot even better, but the minimalistic design is part of the appeal: light, fast, and simple.

Overall, the multi-season functionality and general comfort of the Bridger High boots make them well worth considering. I plan to continue wearing the boots for shed- and bear-hunting adventures, and on a handful of peak-bagging excursions this summer. Consider me a newly-converted Kenetrek loyalist.

Available at kentrek.com; $335.