Schnee boots have long been popular with a great reputation, but it was not until I personally had the chance to test them out that I came to appreciate the value of this style of all-leather boot. While leather boots had never been my first choice, it became abundantly clear that my “first choice” of boots was not going to cut it on this trip.
Backing up in time a bit, it was about 12 AM when I heard something snap. No sooner than I could open my eyes did I see the entire tent, propane lantern, and drying socks collapsing on us. This was on a weeklong elk hunt in 2020. COVID had just hit the US and all of us were itching to get outside and escape it. So, we paid no mind when we saw mother nature had plans to dump snow on us for six of our planned hunting days.
We saw plenty of elk, but aside from it being apparent we were woefully under-equipped for the weather and our shelter choice, there was one other area that stood out as needing an update for these conditions: boots.
I love my Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots. I do not mean I just kind of like them…I love them! They fit like an old pair of familiar tennis shoes, have covered plenty of miles, and nothing else has been able to hold a candle to them when looking for replacements or alternatives. But there is simply not other way to put it other than they suck when the weather goes south. Their ability to keep water out is about as good as one of those old mesh football jerseys from the 80s.
The guys I was hunting with highly suggested I find an all-leather boot that I could add water repellency to. Their case made sense to me and the proof spoke for itself as they stood there making the suggestion in a pair of 20-year old, all-leather, 400g LaCrosse boots. No sooner than when we hit cell service did my search begin.
Make sure to check out our other boot reviews and the Backwoods Pursuit YouTube Channel to help you decide what gear will help you stay out in the field longer!
I looked at many options and found leather offerings of various heights. One thing kept bothering me though; all of them seemed to have potential points of failure when using mesh on and around the tongue and seams of the boot.
There was, however, one manufacturer that seemed to recognize doing so increased the chance of water getting in. This same company wrapped the tongue and other points with materials that would not allow water to penetrate. That company was Schnee boots, and that boot was the Granite.
How It Was Tested – Schnee Boots Review
Since picking these Schnee boots after that September hunt, I have had the chance to put them through their paces on many hunts over the last few years. Most of these hunts have been in, as you might guess, snowy and wet conditions. I will outline some of these below, but their most impressive performance came on a late October mule deer hunt where I found myself trying to figure out how to cross a fairly wide creek that flowed with bone-chilling water.
I could not find a clear path of rocks, downed logs, or other dry features to cross over that 100-foot stretch of creek no matter how hard I tried. I was burning daylight and finally decide to just wade through it in my boots and gaiters. The water was shallower at that time of year compared to early spring runoff and I had no water come over the top and absolutely none leaked through. To say I was impressed would be an understatement.
Rewind to two years ago, I found myself and hunting partner on a late season cow elk hunt in temperatures that included a big minus sign before the first digit, where the day typically started at -9 or -10 F. The 600g of insulation seemed to help keep my feet warm, but what really impressed me once more was that the boots had no issues keeping snow and water out as we waded through knee-deep snow at the tops of many of those ridges in search of a group of elk to hunt.
Warmth and dryness is not super outside the norm for a boot designed for these conditions. Racking up just under 10 miles per day in comfort is. The same could be said of when a partner and I packed a buck out of a steep section of mountains in late October after a weather front had moved in. And again this year as we tried to navigate terrain for shot placement on a nice 3-point buck as the season drew to a close.
It is not uncommon for a boot to hold up fairly decent on one trip. Heck, my beloved Solomon Quest 4D GTX can keep water out for one day. But these Schnees have stood the greatest test: repeated use in crappy conditions over time.
Schnee Granite 600g Specs – Schnee Boots Review
Most folks start their search for new gear by scanning specs, so here are details of these Schnee Granite 600g boots:
| Schnee Granite Boots | |
|---|---|
| Weight (per pair, US size 10) | 4.8 lbs |
| Height | 10 inch |
| Waterproof | Yes – Sympatex™ Membrane |
| Insulated | Yes – 600g Primaloft Gold |
| Upper material | 2.8 mm Top Grain Yukon leather |
| Midsole | Double Density Molded EVA |
| Outsole | Custom Vibram Tsavo Outsole |
| Flex (Schnee 0-4 scale) | 3 Flex |
Product Details – Schnee Boots Review
Schnee boots are “engineered to withstand the serious abuse sheep hunters put their boots through. It’s not uncommon for a professional guide to cover thousands of miles and millions of vertical feet with their Granites…”
It is easy to read that and think “these boots sound too aggressive for something like an elk or mule deer hunt in the West…”. I would not disagree with you but I never felt that way while using them. I think they are the perfect boot for someone moving through steep terrain while hunting any species.
How I Cared For Them – Schnee Boots Review
Historically I had always used Sno-Seal on my leather boots. I came across a thread on Rokslide where Schnee’s adamantly recommended against that product on their boots, indicating it could affect the “breathability” of the boots and delaminate the rubber rand from the leather. We could argue all day about how breathable leather really is, but I did not want to deal with the protective rand pulling away from the rubber. I picked up a bottle of Nikwax Waterproofing agent for leather and have been incredibly pleased.
What I Liked – Schnee Boots Review
If I have to wear a tall, all-leather boot that has been built for the conditions, I would pick this one 100 times over again – especially after having tested others.
Ball Bearing Lacing System: Makes getting a taught grip on your boots easier others I have tested.
Durability: The durability of the Schnee Granite is second-to-none that I have tested. The cow elk hunt mentioned above had areas where I had to drag the boots against the abrasive rock and maneuver through tight sections to get in position for a shot. Though the leather scratched, it did not rip or even show excessive wear. That gave me the confidence these could go the long haul.
Vibram outsoles and factory inserts: The pair made hiking over the course of the day quite easy. The boots have a flex rating of three which is Schnee-speak for “fairly stiff”. In spite of this, I never found myself feeling like I was hiking around the mountain in my ski boots.
Width: I have a wide ol’ hobbit foot – think more along the lines of a swim flipper and less like an actual foot. The wide model was just wide enough to feel secure without any pinching.
What I Disliked – Schnee Boots Review
They are comfortable for a leather boot. They are still not a lightweight hiker, so do not expect something like that when ordering these. As such, the things I did not like about these boot were that they were:
- Bulky
- Heavy at almost 5 lbs per pair
These downsides are the things that plague all-leather boots, but the primary downside I could find with the Schnee Granite boots is that the extreme durability and comfort comes at the price of being excessively heavy, even relative to other leather boots.
As an example, other insulated boots our team has recently tested like the Crispi Guide GTX, which are also a 10-inch insulated all-leather boot (200g though) come in at just 4.2 lbs for the a US size 10 pair. Similarly, the Zamberlan Sawtooth (400g equivalent insulation), which are a taller 11-inch insulated boot, come in at just 4.16 lbs per pair for a US size 10. When contrasted with the 4.7 lbs per pair of the Schnee Granite 200g and the 4.8 lbs per pair for the Schnee Granite 600g boots, it is a factor to consider.
Given that one pound of boot is equivalent to approximately 5 pounds in your backpack, the extra 1/2 – 3/4 lb of the Schnee boots is similar to adding 2.5-3.75 lbs into your backpack vs something like the Crispi Guide GTX or the Zamberlan Sawtooth.
You might say “what is the big deal with a boot being a few extra ounces?”. Translated to the effect that extra weight has on your physical expenditure and endurance while hiking, that difference is roughly equivalent to the weight of a spotting scope in your pack. While some will happily pay this weight penalty for comfort and durability, that factor may deter others.
My Rankings: Schnee Granite Boot Review
Customer Service
I really cannot conclude this review without mentioning this aspect of the story. I ordered these Schnee boots in 2020. There was a series of events that lead to me having to interact with customer service for over a year until I finally received a boot that I kept. Some of this had to do with end of season inventory and some had to do with miscommunication on the side of Schnee’s. Whatever the case, they bent over backwards to make it right once I raised the level of awareness.
The manager sent me a pair of Granites in 200g until the 600g pair I ordered could come in. She sent me some additional socks, leather conditioner, and a slew of other merchandise in an effort to make it right. Not only that, but she discounted my original purchase. In the end, I wound up with two pairs of boots, a great conversation with their manager, and an attitude that would make me go back to Schnee boots and buy all over again even if I knew there would be inventory issues.
Obviously you never want to have an issues with a product or customer service, but things break, there are one-off issues with handcrafted products, and people make mistakes. What mattered most to me was the acknowledgement of the mistake and working to make it right. Schnee’s did that and more.
Conclusion – Schnee Boots Review
I spent six days in 2020 with wet feet. We did not have a stove in our tent, so drying my socks, insoles, and boots simply was not possible. This taught me two key lessons: (1) getting my feet wet, though less than ideal, was not the end of the world, and (2) how much I wanted to avoid this in the future if I could.
Spending the kind of money we do on all-leather boots can be equal to a couple car payments, so you want to be sure you are making the right choice out of the gate.
Although boots can be a very individualized thing, I would strongly encourage anyone interested or in the market to check out Schnee’s offerings. The Granite not only kept my feet dry but were easy to lace, easy to care for, and have been highly durable over the last several years – to the point that I would not hesitate to buy them and repeat the same conditions from that 2020 elk hunt described above….with a different tent, of course.
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