Rocky Hunting boots

[reynolds357]

Anyone had problems with Rocky hunting boots smelling bad? The new pair I bought smells like a sewer when they get wet. I have worn Rocky for years and never had a problem. I called customer service and they were about as un-helpful as could be. Just wondering if anyone else had that problem.

 

[mete]

Some of the materials they put in boots [and other things] are terrible ! Usually smells gradually dissipate .6 months, 12 months , maybe. I'd return them. If everybody did that maybe they;d change their ways . These chemicals are rarely tested on people and may cause allergies and other problems.

 

[Doyle]

Rocky shifted their production to China some years back. They are not near the same quality they used to be.

 

[Oldnweathered]

I have been buying rockys for ever, 400G for all year and 1000G for tree stand and ice fishing. My boots stink the older they get. My old lady makes me keep my boots in the garage. My feet sweat I have hyperhidrosis of the feet, self diagnosed. But they never smelled like a sewer. Did you have a shindig that someone drank to much and thought your boots were the can.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Haven't bought Rocky's in quite a few years. But back then they were a pretty decent boots. At the very least they didn't stink like a left open cover on septic tank when wet.

These days Red Wing or LL-Bean if something catches my fancy which doesn't happen very often anymore considering all boot prices these days. Have been pleased with Bean's gum rubber field boots. Simple repair job when there gum rubber shoe part wears out. Sending back to Bean and having that part of the boot replaced for a fee is a whole lot cheaper than buying new boots. I like that about LL Bean. They take care of their customers and offer services not seen in other mail order stores. I hope LL-Bean stay in business for another 100 years.

 

[Willie Lowman]

A public service announcement

Rocky boots used to be made about 15 miles down the road from me.

Now they are made in China.

They used to be sewn by the people of Nelsonville Ohio.

They cost just as much as they did when they were American made boots.

But now they are sewn by children in a sweat shop in China.

Don't buy Rocky boots.

 

[Buckeyeshooter]

I have not had them smell that bad but I have had three pairs 2 as a gift and all three pairs had major issues. All hunting boots. One the rubber bottom ripped away from the leather upper. I was told by customer service that I must have caught them on something and were not warrantied for that damage I had them for 354 days since I got them for xmas . the other pair was a pair of 800 gram insulated hunting boots and the soles desintegrated into mush to the point I left black treadmarks and pieces of sole on any hard surface. These also were for hunting only and was told by customer service that must have walked in acid or something and that caused the damage. Since I don't hunt in a toxic waste dump I have no idea where I would have stepped into anything that would dissolve the rubber and foam. They looked like they were self dissolving. They were just over 1 yr since I received them in October and by November they were self destructing. The last pair were some rubber boots that cracked down the back seam. They used to be a good boot company when items were made in the USA but now they suck and they dont stand behind their product. I think they train them to imagine ideas for saying its the owners fault. Its OK I will never buy another pair and since buy the cabella boots. I had issues with those both in the first year and five years later and each time they replaced the boot. Great customer service!

 

[reynolds357]

The boots started smelling bad the first time I got them wet. Rocky customer service told me that it must just be me, nothing was wrong with their boots. I told them, "that's fine, from now on I will buy Chippewa USA made boots instead of your Chinese made junk." The more I wear them, the worse they smell. I hate to throw $140 pair of boots away, but guess that's what I will end up doing. Rocky wont do anything about them and the store that sold them wont either.

 

[1tfl]

Take an old socks and fill them with fresh baking powder.
You may have to you couple layers of socks depending on how pores they are.
Put it in the boot for couple days and it should absorb all smell.

 

[shortwave]

Like Willie Lowman, Rockies are not made that far from my house either.

Wore them for years and also enjoyed going to Nelsonville and shopping in their store for other items as well.

The last pair of Rocky Boots I bought was about a year after they shipped production out of the US.
Had the same issue's Buckeyeshooter experienced with the soles deteriorating after about a couple months of occasional wear . And only wore them in the woods as well. Took them back to Nelsonville and was told the same as Buckeyeshooter was told. That I had to have stepped in something caustic to the rubber.

My thoughts then are the same as now, many years later...bull hockey.

I've not stepped back in the Nelsonville store since.

Thanks to the kids buying boots for me at every holiday , I still had three NIB pairs of the older, made in USA, Rocky boots to sustain me but will be in the market for new boots this fall.

Again, they won't be Rockies.

 

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

I wonder if Rocky's are made in the same building as Nike and across the street from Apple I pads.

 

[buck460XVR]

Rocky boots fit my feet well and most all I have ever had wore well and lasted well. Got a new pair 2 months ago(Outback Waterproof) and the tag says made in the Dominican Republic......not China.

That said, many of the modern waterproof boots do not breath as well as they claim. I've found that if a boot gets soaking wet, or if worn in warm weather where you foot sweats and it gets moist inside, that simply letting it dry over night does not dry them enough and they will begin to smell. Once they begin to smell, it is a loosing battle, especially if the boots are insulated. This is also true with many of my boots that aren't Rockys. I've found the best thing to do is to dry wet boots with a boot dryer thoroughly as soon as possible and to dry boots dampened with sweat either by alternating them every other day or by regularly drying them on a boot dryer. I've found with the way my feet sweat, that I cannot wear all rubber or rubber bottom boots like Guide boots without drying them completely at the end of the day with the boot dryer....other wise the wife makes me keep 'em out in the garage because of the smell.

What model of Rocky boots are the ones folks are having problems with?

 

[ZeroJunk]

I had a pair of Rocky boots and the soles came apart. They sent me new soles and they were destroyed in one week elk hunting in rocky terrain. Rocky would not replace them again. I took them to a shoe store and had Vibram Lug soles put on and wore them a couple more years. But, it left a sour enough taste in my mouth that I don't want any more. They are basically bottom feeders and cater to the very low end.

 

[jimbob86]

have been buying rockys for ever, 400G for all year and 1000G for tree stand and ice fishing. My boots stink the older they get. My old lady makes me keep my boots in the garage. My feet sweat I have hyperhidrosis of the feet, self diagnosed. But they never smelled like a sewer. Did you have a shindig that someone drank to much and thought your boots were the can.

Maybe if you did not wear insulated boots when it is warm,your feet might not sweat so much ......

If it's above freezing, 400 grams is too much for me, unless I am sitting and doing nothing.

I have a pair of 400gr Rocky's I bought in the mid 90's ..... the soles are almost worn smooth, and they are not waterproof anymore ...... but they don't stink.

I wish I could still get another pair of boots that performed like they have ...... and I paid less than $50 for them at the time.

 

[mete]

Some of the stink may be the foam compounds .Some will work well then suddenly they smell !! It's the foam breaking down ! Polyurethane has been known for many years to do that .Anyone dealing with old cars ? The foam seats turn into a yellow dust !

 

[shortwave]

For the 'smelly' boots, try baking soda then putting them in a plastic bag and putting them in the freezer for 4-5hrs. The cold will kill a lot of the 'smelly' bacteria.
Get them out, let them thaw and thoroughly dry before wearing them.

 

[jmr40]

Maybe if you did not wear insulated boots when it is warm,your feet might not sweat so much ......

Good advice.

I've given up entirely on any boot actually designed and marketed to hunters. Most companies no longer work on designing a quality boot. They seem to spend all their effort in trying to decide which camo design to use. I've found that for just a little more money I can buy a quality pair of hiking boots and get something 10X better.

Stopped wearing insulated boots about 10 years ago too. I have invested in quality wool socks such as Darn Tough http://www.rei.com/product/825037/darn-tough-light-hiker-micro-crew-socks-mens and and my feet stay much warmer.

So far I've hunted in temps as low as zero with no issues. I guess if I lived in Canada or Minnesota I might have to invest in some insulated rubber boots, but they are not needed in most places. Once your feet sweat and get wet, no amount of insulation helps.

The real secret to keeping your feet warm is to keep your body's core and head warm. If those parts are warm then your body sends extra blood to your feet in order to regulate body temps. If your body is cold, your body limits blood supply to hands and feet in order to maintain a core temp. No amount of boot insulation will help if your body's core is cold.

 

[lefteye]

Many years ago I had a pair of Rocky leather hunting boots with some type of black synthetic sole that looked like rubber. After a couple of years the soles disintegrated in small pieces as I walked through a farm field. It was like walking on a pile of loose gravel - each step felt like I was slipping and ready to fall. I couldn't wear those boots again. I didn't attempt to contact Rocky. I had other good quality leather boots and have worn Danner boots for many years. My Danner boots have been a little expensive but the quality is excellent.

 

[dogrunner]

I have owned my last set of Rocky's. Both sets were from Cabela's....first pair lasted around 5 or 6 years. Soles began to fracture and big chunks fell out on both boots. Cabela's, to their credit allowed me a generous credit on a new set.........figuring what the heck, it was a fluke on the first I purchased a very slightly different model of the same type.........again, 5 to 6 years into the things they failed in a dramatic fashion very similar to the first.

Last Nov., sitting on my stand in a very steep hollow in W.Va I noticed my feet getting cold.......snow on the ground fairly deep......when I whacked the stuff off I found that the ENTIRE upper section of the boot was cracked and the only thing holding that boot together was the insulation itself! Hell, yeah, my feet were getting cold...I had half a boot full of snow in about 14 degrees F!

I managed to get back to the farmhouse with some semblance of boot left and discovered that the other boot was just as bad......it tho, somehow didn't quite separate.

Borrowed a set of Lacrosse's to finish the hunt with & when I got home called Cabela's....they offered the same deal but after I thought about it I just chucked the damned boots and decided to buy my next set in person at a local distributor.

To hell with Rocky's products!

 

[bamaranger]

duty boot

For a few years, my agency used Rockies as a uniform program, issue if you will, duty boot. They had a lightweight, goretex hiker that was one of the most comfortable boots I've ever used.

The soles weren't much in the rocks, and heavy hiking would eat them up, but for general duty boot, they were great, and sure enough waterproof.

Then the "fit" changed, heel slip became and issue, and their was overall dissatisfaction. Undoubtedly that all coincides with the shift overseas.

NOt had a pair from Rocky since.