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Crispi Altitude Boots Review
Other than their weapon, the most important piece of gear a hunter has is their boots. Hunts can be made or broken by a pair of boots. The most important things to consider are fit, weather features, and ruggedness. Fit is pretty self-explanatory, but what I mean by weather features are things like breathability, insulation, synthetic vs leather, etc. It is important to match the weather features of your boot to the expected weather of the hunt. You don’t want to be wearing an insulated, all-leather boot on a hot August bow hunt – that sort of thing. The ruggedness of the boot includes things like stiffness, ankle support, rand, etc; these also should be matched to the hunt.
The Crispi Altitude is an exceptionally lightweight boot that performed very well on an early-season, high-country hunt.
Trial by Fire
In September of last year, I was contacted by Crispi USA about testing out a new prototype boot called the Altitude. It’s an uninsulated, synthetic-and-leather boot that has a moderate amount of flex. Based on previous conversations with the guys at Crispi USA, they knew this boot would be right up my alley. I picked up the Crispi Altitude two days before a big September adventure hunt and decided to take them on that hunt since the boots fit the profile of that hunt perfectly.
This was a DIY, llama-pack-in hunt where we base camped 16 miles and 5,000 vertical feet from the trailhead. I never even took a step in the boots until I left the trailhead on that trip. Just to be safe, I did pack my tried-and-true boots in on the llamas just to prevent any sort of potential new-boot-break-in catastrophe, but I never needed them!
Fit
The boots worked out perfectly on this hunt. They had ZERO break-in period and paired with my Sheep Feet insoles; they were instantly comfortable, fitting like a glove. The first thing I noticed was how perfectly I could dial in the fit with the lacing system. The heel pocket was deep and shaped well, preventing any heel lift, and the lacing system kept my foot locked back, which prevented my foot from sliding forward during steep descents.
Weather Features and Ruggedness
Beyond the fit, the boots breathed extremely well, which was very important, considering the long and hot hike in. The moderate flex of the boot made travel on the trail extremely comfortable. Once we got to camp at nearly 13,000 ft and started hunting, I did wish the boots had a bit more rigidity for steep ascents and crossing scree rock fields but, ultimately, I enjoyed the comfort and nimbleness of the boots more than I disliked the lack of stiffness. When crossing the scree fields, I did appreciate the triple-stitched polyurethane-coated leather rand, which helped protect the boots during this and other rocky hunts last fall. Overall, I was very pleased with the performance of the boot on this hunt.
Where They Shine
Once the cold and snow started to set in last fall, I opted for a stiffer, full-leather boot instead of this one, but, during a desert bow hunt this last January, I pulled these puppies back out. This hunt was even better suited for these boots than the high-country hunt; a couple of days on this nine-day hunt were nearly 80 degrees. I really, really appreciated the exceptional breathability of these boots on this hunt. The two other things that shined were the tough, PU-coated leather rand, which was very important with all the rock and cactus in the desert, and the nimbleness of the boot for stalking. The boots were quiet and agile enough that I did not need to take them off to execute stalks into bow range. I cannot say the same for my stiffer, all-leather boots.
Conclusion
We live in a really cool time when it comes to hunting footwear. There are so many different options to choose from. This allows you to get your boot perfectly dialed to your foot shape and your hunt. The selection is vastly better now, in my opinion, than it was even ten years ago. Crispi has been at the forefront, leading the hunting-footwear charge the last few years. Continually innovating, as they have with this boot, is one reason they are leading that charge.
With the exception of possibly making this boot just a touch stiffer, I wouldn’t change a thing. As it is, it’s a brilliant early-season bowhunting boot and my boot of choice for those types of hunts. The boot is exceptionally lightweight for the features it provides. The Crispi Altitude was released in Spring of 2022.
