The Northside Crossite 200s are a winner for hunters on a budget.
For dedicated outdoorsmen and women, a quality pair of hunting boots is a must. A good pair of boots keeps your feet warm during cold weather and helps make those long walks back to your blind or treestand a lot more enjoyable. It just so happened I was in the market for a new pair this year when the opportunity came along to test the Northside Crossite 200s.
These camo print boots are built with a waterproof construction that was perfect for the area I hunt and for the cold conditions typical for hunting season in the Midwest.
I ended up wearing these popular boots throughout the Michigan firearms deer season and came away thoroughly impressed by how nice they were and how they handled all the punishment I dealt to them.
Northside Crossite 200s
Travis Smola
These boots are something of a cross between waterproof hiking boots and a tactical boot. The part of Michigan I hunt is filled with low woodlands. Mud and standing water are constants throughout much of the year. So, good waterproofing is a must. The rubber outsoles of these boots kept my feet dry throughout the season and the lugs of the boots had excellent anti-slip capabilities, even on some of the slimy muck I often hunt.
I really got the chance to test the sealed construction of these boots about six days into the season after finally taking a shot on a buck. Unfortunately for me, the buck decided to run into the nastiest part of the property. This area is filled with standing water that is deceptively deep when your feet sink into the muck. It's not a job I would trust to just any hiking boot. The water was regularly up over the laces and near my ankles, but my feet never got wet on that tracking job. Consider me impressed.
Of course, keeping out water is just one equation of these boots. You also want them to be warm. As a disclaimer, know that I did request one size larger than normal to compensate for thick socks I like to wear for hunting season. That seemed to be perfect for the 40 to 50-degree temperatures we experienced this season. These boots are insulated with 200 grams of Thinsulate from 3M. They're rated to -25 degrees and although things never got that cold, I should mention my feet never once got cold this season, even as temperatures dipped down to 30 degrees the last few days of the season.
The boots also managed to be breathable when temperatures were topping 50 degrees and I was doing a good deal of hiking back to my spot. This season was probably the most comfortable my feet have been during hunting season in a long while.
Comfort of the Crossites
Travis Smola
Many hiker or adventure boots being made today are putting extra emphasis on comfort while walking the Crossites are no exception. Northside built these boots with a washable, removable insole. They also have a EVA midsole with a steel shank. These things are compression molded. They put these types of midsoles in things like running or tennis shoes and it translates well to a hunting boot.
I spent a decent amount of time hunting public land this season. The state game areas I frequented were scraped through by a glacier hundreds of thousands of years ago. The areas are full of deep gullies filled with rocks. It's prime whitetail habitat, but it can also be rough on your feet without good footwear. However, combine that midsole with the quality rubber sole on the bottom of the boots and these things handled all the rough terrain I threw at them. I can see myself using these boots again after the seasons end and I start looking for shed antlers. They should handle the slush and mud from melting snow well.
Final thoughts and the bottom line.
Travis Smola
I should briefly mention the outside of these boots are made from a 6000-denier nylon that is printed with a "tan camo" pattern called Daybreak Brand Camo. It looks like a cross between a few different popular patterns out there. It should pair nicely with either Realtree or Mossy Oak, which is what I wear.
Overall, I came away impressed by these boots and I am already looking forward to wearing them again next season. For hunters on a budget who are looking for a new set of footwear this season, I can heartily recommend them. They come at an excellent pricing point of around $50, but should last you many seasons to come.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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