Scarponi, ghette e stivali
Walked-up hunting on terrain from the plains to the mountains through the hills. The choice for the more technical guys is almost obligatory, and includes comfortable and light ankle boots, rugged but capable of facilitating the walk. In more or less "clean" terrain, these are enough. Where the scrub gets worse, good gaiters are needed to better protect the shins and prevent twigs and thorns from entering the footwear, making the day's hunting hell. With mud and humidity, the positive result is still guaranteed, especially if you alternate between woods and rocks. If, on the other hand, you find yourself in the hills and plains, on softer terrain and water in large quantities, high boots become imperative. Natural rubber boots of excellent quality. In accordance with the physical principle that every advantage has its equal and opposite disadvantage, however, each of these choices may have some limits – especially if during the marches there is a serious variability of situations .
The ankle boot? No matter how well made, it has a low height, and this prevents its use in challenging fords, since water will enter – it's mathematical. Boot plus gaiters? Ditto as above, in case of high water.
High boots? They keep the water out, but they are less stable, and on rocky terrain and sharp rocks they break easily, not to mention that they are in any case much less protective in terms of thermal insulation – even those with neoprene lining.
So what? I mean: what if you need to hunt in extreme lands, with extreme cold and humidity and extreme variability in terms of environments to be faced? I'm talking about situations where you need stability, ruggedness, protection from terrain roughness and water resistance, as well as protection from the cold in any case.
Well, to finally give a comprehensive answer to all these questions, Crispi has created the Highland PRO.
Video: Crispi Highland Pro boots
What the Crispi Highland Pro is
The first thing that strikes you, especially in the Black version – the one we tested – is the “odd", aggressive, aesthetically appealing look with its perfect mix of colors and materials. Nice? No, very nice! But let's get down to details...
Holding them in your hands, you immediately understand that this is a real hunting boot, to which a high-performance gaiter has been added. But that's not all.
The boot itself is made of Cordura and Nubuck, with triple stitching, and Vibram sole and midsole identical to those that characterize other models such as the Valdres. What changes and makes the difference here, is the millimetric closure system of the boot, which replaces normal laces, with BOA that can be adjusted using the practical wheel. Lift the wheel, widen the boot, put it on, press the wheel, and then adjust it by tightening everything as desired.
The fit is excellent, comparable to all Crispi boots of the latest generation.
What makes the difference is the gaiter. To say it better, the exoskeleton in various fabrics thermo-sealed to the boot.
It can be opened and closed with a TIZIP watertight zipper, which together with the materials makes it fully waterproof.
But there's more. A large part of its composition is in fact made of thorn-protective technical fabric, which makes it very robust and able to replace any gaiter with a major advantage: it is attached to the footwear, and does not require dangerous and uncomfortable instep straps!
To make everything super practical, at the top there are two adjustable Velcro fasteners, adjustable for any calf size and circumference of.
So the sequence is this: open the zipper, open the boot, close the boot, close the zipper, adjust the calf fasteners, and you're ready for any adventure!
Crispi Highland Pro intended use
In terms of walked-up hunting, they are the perfect tool for hunting woodcock in cold climates and in various terrains, especially if very humid, but at the same time varied, where puddles and fords add to rocks and rugged forests. They are also perfect for flat and very wet places, such as those of Estonia and Lapland. Likewise, they lend themselves very well to hunting snipe in rice fields and in mixed grasslands, especially on very cold days.
Likewise, they "risk" being the supreme tools for dog handlers on wild boar hunts.
From the point of view of hide hunting, however, especially if we resort to thermal socks, they qualify as the ideal companions for wild boar hunting (also thanks to their hi-viz inserts). Here, they replace high boots in full, but with unparalleled levels of comfort and protection.
Where are they absolutely not recommended instead? Obviously, in all summer hunts and equally so in autumn hunts, especially if the latter are characterized, as in recent seasons, by abnormal heat and prolonged drought.
We were very satisfied, now the floor goes to you ...
To learn more please visit the Crispi website.
