Crispi women’s hunting boots. Do they meet the needs of women hunters out there? Boots are arguably the most important piece of gear to ensuring a great experience pursing the backwoods, and as a lady, finding the right women’s hunting boots isn’t easy. Whether it’s hunting, trekking, or backpacking, wearing the wrong boots will cause your adventure to be cut short and/or become unbearable. That’s why here at Backwoods Pursuit, we make reviewing boots a priority. They are that important.
If you love hiking in any type of steep or rough terrain, you know that the wrong boots can ruin your time outdoors pretty quickly. Crispi boots are a popular option as they are super durable, waterproof, breathable, and light weight. We wanted to see how the Crispi Women’s Summit II GTX boots hold up, how well they perform, and how comfortable they are. There’s no better place to truly test boots than in the field, so I laced them up and headed to the mountains.
This Crispi Summit II GTX boot review was born from our endless search for the perfect ultralight boot designed for women that offers durability and water proofness without the all-too-common downsides you usually get with lightweight boots. While there aren’t as many options out there on the market for women as for men, that is slowly changing. I have bad feet with no arch or ankle support, narrow heels, and am prone to terrible blisters. This further complicates my boot situation, so I am always on an endless pursuit to find just the right footwear.
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While these women’s Crispi Summit boots are some of the lighter uninsulated boot options designed for warmer season adventures, our real question was how they would hold up and how they would do in adverse weather given that those are the two most common downfalls of lightweight, early season hunting boots.
In our experience, lightweight boots seem to be more comfortable, give you more agility hiking in the mountains, and generally make you more efficient. With that being said they tend to be leaky, not very durable and often don’t provide much ankle support. Conversely, you can go with heavy, more waterproof full-leather boots, but you lose some of the comfort and agility while the extra weight will reduce your efficiency.
The Specs: Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX Review
As with most outerwear clothing, there seems to be a handful of dominant brands, and footwear is no different. In the boot space, there is a love/hate relationship with a lot of consumers and specific brands. People who find a boot that fits well, love that specific brand while others are not a fan at all.
My husband, and many others, have raved over Crispi boots and how they make excellent boots, so I was super excited to try a pair of their women’s boots, especially given my life-long search to find the perfect boots for my bad feet. I had personally never worn a pair of Crispi women’s hunting boots prior to testing these, so I was excited to form my own opinion.
Before I get into my experience with them let’s go over some of the specs the Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots tout.
- Non-Insulated
- Upper: Water-repellent Suede and high resistant breathable PUtek Spider fabric
- Gore-Tex® waterproof lining
- Vibram® Sole with Mega-Grip Compound
- EVA Midsole
- Polyurethane coated leather rand, triple-stitched with Kevlar®
- 8″ Height
- Weight (one boot, size 8.5): 1.5 lbs
- 3 Flex rating
The Testing: Crispi Women’s Hunting Boots
For this review, I tested this pair of boots in the Boise foothills and in the beautiful mountains of Idaho, August through October during hunting season. These Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots went on many hikes and hunts in different types of terrain and in all sorts of weather in the Idaho backcountry that we encountered.
BOOT REVIEWS ARE TOUGH
When it comes to the topic of boots, they are difficult to critique because they are so deeply personal to each individual. The fit of a boot for me can be vastly different for the next person. I tend to not be overly picky when it comes to shoes in the sense that I just need a pair of boots that won’t leave my feet aching and blistered after a day’s worth of hiking.
My body just wasn’t made for hiking in the mountains, but I know many people, like my husband who seems part goat, who are able to walk on shale, over large rocks, and up steep terrain like there’s no tomorrow and never get a blister. For those people, they can afford to be more picky because there are more options out there for them that could work. I have not been that fortunate.
My husband and brother-in-law tested out the Crispi Thor II GTX boots, and both said they were very comfortable right out of the box. In their opinion that is one of the first checkpoints when purchasing new boots. Their stance is that if they are at all uncomfortable when you first put them on, they are likely going to be a royal pain in the foot on the mountain. While this is often true, I personally had a different experience.
I have had success with Keen boots such as the Keen RidgeFlex hiking boots being comfortable right away with no break-in time needed, along with Oboz Women’s hiking boots. Granted, these are both completely different types of boots than the Crispi Summit GTX. While these hiker- style boots are extremely comfortable the first time you put them on, they really aren’t designed for great ankle support and typically aren’t that durable. If you really want a boot that lasts a long time, can take a lot of wear and tear on the outsole, as well support your feet and ankles for miles and miles, then Crispi boots are definitely worth a look.
I’d compare it to shopping for a new couch. If you find one you sink into right away that’s super cushy and comfortable, the couch cushions aren’t likely to hold up very long before you start to feel the springs. It’s good to start with something firm, as you know over time it’ll take some abuse and will break in, and you want it to last. The same can be said of a good pair of boots.
When it comes to boots, don’t make the mistake I did and assume they’ll be great right out of the box. They may or may not be, but it’s always wise to take the time to break boots in before heading into the backwoods for the first time with these babies. Normally, I would say this is common sense, but seeing as how I know others who have had great success comfortably wearing Crispi boots right out of the box, I didn’t think I needed to break them in.
I tend to get blisters on the back of my heels almost immediately with most boots, and these were no exception. I usually start off plastering Moleskin and Leukotape on the backs of my heels and Achilles before taking my first step, and even then I get blisters. These Crispi women’s boots were no exception, but that is due to a couple of factors. For one thing, I have narrow heels that always allow my boots to slip up and down, Secondly, these boots give amazing support and for that reason are fairly rigid, making feet super susceptible to blistering on the back of the heels because of their stiffness. For me, there were some definite pros and cons.
While I didn’t run into much wet weather here in Idaho, there were some rainy spells, a bit of snow, and some shallow creek-crossing I did in these boots, and they kept my feet dry. The more shallow tread depth is not ideal for snow, so I wouldn’t recommend these for hikes in snow- covered terrain. With the little bit of snow I did encounter, my feet stayed dry, but it was extremely challenging to walk as they were super slippery on the snow-covered landscape.
While testing out these Crispi Women’s hunting boots the temperatures briefly got down into the 20s, and although these boots aren’t insulated, if I wore my wool socks like the Hollow Alpaca Wool Socks, and kept moving, my feet stayed pretty warm.
Overall, I was very impressed with the way they held up, particularly for such a lightweight boot. They got more and more comfortable as I wore them, and pretty soon, especially on a super steep climb and pack out on shale, I was really glad to have the amazing support and tread that these Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX offer.
Material Quality: Crispi Women’s Hunting Boots
These Crispi Women’s hunting boots are made with a water repellent suede and breathable PUtek Spider fabric upper and a Vibram® outsole with a mega-grip compound. I was a bit concerned as to how a non-leather boot would hold up in the rocky and difficult terrain of Idaho, but to my pleasant surprise I did not have any issues with stitching or upper fabric tears throughout the whole season. We did not get as much wet weather during the season as we typically do, but the times we did have moisture such as boggy areas and crossing small creeks, they held up well keeping me dry.
The polyurethane coated leather rand works exceptionally well protecting the most abused part of the boot. After a full season of using these boots, there are no any signs of damage, cuts, or tears whatsoever. Being an ultra lightweight fabric boot, that is always a concern, but these performed flawlessly.
Out of the box experience: Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX Review
After lots of trial and error trying to find boots that are durable and give great support without giving me blisters within a few hours of hiking, I finally found a pair of boots that work. Granted, these boots were not immediately comfortable straight out of the box as some others I’ve tried, but those were an entirely differently type of boot. While the men in my life tested the Crispi Thor II GTX boots and said they were some of the more comfortable ones they’d tested right from the get-go, I couldn’t say the same for these Women’s hunting boots.
With my narrow heel, the first time I walked up an incline I could feel the backs of my heels rubbing uncomfortably and knew I had to turn around to change my boots for the day. I needed to break them in on level ground first before having a chance at them working for me in the mountains, up a steep climb. Once I did this, they were much better, and I was finally able to wear them and gain elevation comfortably.
Why Not Go With A Heavier Boot To Begin With?
For several years on my early season archery hunts, I just wore heavier, taller, boots. They worked fine, and I didn’t know any different. As I have gotten older and more conscientious of things like weight and comfort, I must say going to a very light weight boot is pretty awesome. You can simply feel the efficiency and agility you get in a lightweight boot. The hips and knees don’t hurt as quickly as they would lifting heavy boots over fallen logs and large rocks. You just feel lighter and more quick on your feet wearing these lighter weight Crispi boots. The difference is HUGE.
One thing that can’t be overstated is the significance of how light the Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots are and how it affects you in the field. My legs never felt weighed down or too heavy. Lightweight boots like these greatly increase your efficiency while hiking and allow you to navigate through difficult terrain with ease. While lightweight, the tread and soles are amazing and you can barely feel the sharp rocks under your feet like you typically do with a lighter weight boot.
Insoles and Break In Period: Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX Review
Factory insoles typically, well, stink. Add in that I have flat feet with little to no arch support, and I didn’t even try the insoles in these Crispi Women’s hunting boots. The active men in my circle who love to hike had experienced Crispi insoles early on, but pretty quickly realized they would need to be replaced, so knowing this along with personally having bad feet, I wore these boots with my own insoles and never even tried them with what they came with.
I use Sheepfeet Custom Orthotics which are amazing, and I take my other custom orthodics from my pediatrist and alternate them every other day so that my arches don’t hurt. Alternating insoles like this helped my feet feel amazing in these Crispi Women’s hunting boots. These are both significant upgrades to the factory insoles.
If you can take the leap for the Sheepfeet Custom Orthotics, your feet will likely be extremely happy. My entire family swears by these, and they don’t even have bad arches to begin with. They are definitely worth the investment and hold up really well- so far, for miles and miles, without breaking down. Sure, Sheepfeet are expensive, but they are custom-built to your foot and provide noticeably better support. Bottom line is if you spend a lot of time hiking in the mountains, your feet are worth the extra money if you can swing it to get custom insoles with whatever pair of boots you choose.
With a flex rating of 3, these women’s hunting boots are still pretty stiff, so you’ll definitely want to allow some time to break them in. I would recommend wearing them on a few hikes before taking them out for a long hunting/hiking trip to make sure you don’t have any hot spots and to give your feet some time to acclimate. That’s just a good idea no matter what new boots you are breaking in.
Stiffness and Support: Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX Review
Crispi has a stiffness guide that they call their “flex rating.” Boots are such a personal preference and my preferred stiffness may be very different from yours. Their flex rating is quite helpful in selecting which boots are going to work best for you, and they give you an outline to follow if you have a preference in stiffness.
These Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots have a stiffness/flex rating of 3 (out of 5) meaning they are middle of the road as far as stiffness goes. After using these women’s hunting boots, I would personally rate them more like a 4 in their flex. Obviously there are pros and cons to having stiffer or more flexible boots. Typically, stiffer boots will give you a little better durability and provide better ankle support. However, you typically lose some agility as well as some feel for the terrain in which you are navigating, and they tend to not be as comfortable.
I found, that while the soles of my feet and my ankles were happy at the end of the day, my legs, right above my ankles where the boot stops, were definitely sore because of the lack of flexibility. However, the more flex boots have, the more they seem to wear out quickly and break down any waterproof lining, and the more likely you are to roll an ankle. Again, it’s usually a give and take with these sorts of things when figuring out which type of boots are right for you.
While these Crispi women’s hunting boots are on the stiffer side, they are still extremely generous in allowing movement, and I did not feel like they were restricting in any way. They have a unique flexibility in them, but also offer tremendous support for being a lightweight, mid-height boot.
Because of their stiffness and my narrow heel, I would have liked to see some cushion on the inside of the boots where the heel rests. While the support these boots give are amazing, they even feel stiff on the inside when you run your finger along the back, and if you’re prone to blisters, they can really do a number on the backs of your heels. If Crispi added some cushion inside in the heel area, it wouldn’t compromise their support and durability but would make them more comfortable, and perhaps even lessen the break-in time for these boots. My heel and Achilles just felt like they need a pillow.
Lacing and Eyelets: Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots Review
The Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots start at the toe with the typical enclosed eyelet for the first five and then have an open-hook ankle lock. After the ankle lock, they have two open-hook eyelets.
Traction and Tread Depth: Crispi Women’s Hunting Boots
The Crispi boots Vibram® outsole on the Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots ultra, lightweight boots performed very well in the warmer weather elements. While the tread depth on these boots isn’t as shallow as the Thor II boots, these are still not designed for late season snow. The traction was excellent for earlier season adventures, and I never felt like I couldn’t get where I wanted to go due to tread depth.
Waterproof: Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots Review
Crispi Women’s hunting boots are advertised as waterproof. In my testing, I didn’t have a day that was especially wet as we experienced a very dry fall, so I didn’t get the chance to push them to the limit in their ability to keep me dry. I did use them during early deer/elk hunting season and walked through boggy areas, springs, small streams, and wallow areas without any issues and my feet stayed perfectly dry.
What I Liked: Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots Review
After putting these Crispi women’s hunting boots through the paces for this review, I came away with a deep appreciation for what they offer. The amount of support, durability and traction combined with how light weight they are is quite impressive. I’ve worn much heavier boots with a similar stiffness to help support my arches and ankles, but at the end of the day they kill my hips and legs.
I’ve tried much lighter weight boots that aren’t as tall and more comfortable at first, but left me with tweaked ankles and sore arches. These Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots seem to be the perfect combination of weight and stiffness (for me) with just the right amount of support. Some of my favorite things about these women’s hunting boots include:
- Ultra lightweight
- Very durable for lightweight boots
- Very comfortable
- Waterproof
- Quality tread and grip
- Good support for being an 8″ boot
- Great flexibility without giving up support
- Metal eyelets and ankle-lock system
What I Didn’t Like: Crispi Women’s Hunting Boots
There wasn’t too much to dislike about the Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots once I broke them in. They are a little more expensive than some other lightweight boots out there, but as I mentioned above, they seem to be a lightweight boot that will last a lot longer than some of the others. In the end, they may just come out to be less expensive since you don’t have to replace them as often.
My biggest complaint is the lack of cushion on the INSIDE of the boots. If these had a bit of padding in the back of heel like the Keen boots I’ve tried, these boots would be the best things on the market (in my humble opinion). When you rub your fingers on the inside of the boot, you can feel the stiffness and rigidity and it shouts “blisters” to me.
I would love to see some additional cushion on the inside with a stiff rigid outer so they are more comfortable with the same amazing support. This might add a bit more weight, but for me, not getting hot spots and blisters would be well worth an extra ounce or two. The things I didn’t care for as much were:
- Pricey for a lightweight boot
- Had to replace insoles
- Needs more internal heel cushioning to prevent hot spots/blisters
- Necessary break-in period (especially due to lack of cushioning on the inside)
Annual Care: Crispi Women’s Hunting boots
At the end of each season, I like to take a brush with some water to scrub the dirt and grime off my boots. Once they’ve dried out, the Crispi Waterproofing Spray is great for these Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots. Because they are not a leather boot, you don’t need to apply a leather treatment, so care is a bit simplified. However, I always like to give them a good cleaning after the season.
Conclusion: Crispi Women’s Hunting Boots
These Crispi women’s hunting boots are some of the best lightweight boots I’ve tested to date which don’t compromise incredible support. The weight difference from a standard 10” full leather boot is a huge factor and makes getting deep into the backcountry that much easier, yet they are still tall and stiff enough to provide stability for your ankles and arches.
They held up with impressive durability, gave me all the traction I needed, and were a perfect combination of breathability and warmth for early hunting season. Even in the early morning when it was a bit cooler, they worked perfectly in keeping my feet warm, but never made me sweat in the heat of the day.
You can tell they are made from exceptionally high quality material, and I plan to use them for many years to come. If you are looking for new, lightweight early season boots, I would recommend checking out these Crispi Women’s Summit 2 GTX boots. They won’t disappoint.
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