Rubber hunting boots suck for walking. Fortunately, some like the LaCrosse Alphaburly pro suck less.

　　I hunt actively, to the point that its probably detrimental to my success. Rubber boots arent exactly the best for that style of hunting. Yet sometimes a good set like the LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro is a necessity.

　　A prime example is my last deer season in Tennessee. I had been having a rough go of it on a property I have access to, so I decided it was time to come up with a new game plan: sneaking into public land hidey-holes only accessible by a small river. I tossed my bow into a raft and putted upstream with a 2.5-horsepower motor to get to tiny waterfront public parcels.

　　After reaching my destination, I was hopping in and out of the river while tying the boat off and ferrying my bow, pack, and tree stand onto dry land. The banks of the river were steep and covered in slick muck, thanks to recent rain. Everything was a muddy mess, and numerous times I was almost knee-deep in the river. It was the perfect job for the Alphaburly Pros.

　　Despite my dislike for rubber hunting boots, I wear them quite often due to the conditions I hunt in. I have a long history with these particular boots and am on my second pair. The last set I owned lasted me 5 or 6 years — I honestly cant remember. Here are my thoughts after years of use, including strengths, weaknesses, and what ultimately led to the first pairs demise.

　　In short: The LaCrosse Alphaburly Pros lessen my loathing for rubber boots. I mean, I did get a second pair. That alone should tell you enough. They arent the cheapest rubber hunting boots out there, but theyre also not the most expensive. The Alphaburly Pros are high quality, but arent so overly engineered that they demand ridiculous prices. If youre like me and need a set of rubber boots that are comfortable enough to hike in, youll be pleased with them. They do the job, and they do it well.

　　Looking for the perfect pair of boots for your next hunt? Check out our Best Hunting Boots for Men Buyers Guide.

　　LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro $235 at AmazonCheck Price at BlackOvis

　　7.9 How we rate products Specifications Height: 18 Weight: 4.8 lbs. (pair) Insulation: Non-insulated, up to 1,600 grams available Upper Material: Neoprene and natural rubber Pros Provides excellent ankle support Outsole has fantastic traction Durable outsole Gusseted upper fits wide range of calf sizes and layers Rubber extends high up the boot for durability Cons Price Strap is too long and can be noisy Difficult to remove Morgan Nowels LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro: Specs

　　The interior of the Alphaburly Pro has an embossed liner, increasing breathability; (photo/Morgan Nowels) Whether you hunt in hot conditions or cold conditions, LaCrosse has you covered. You can get uninsulated Alphaburlys or with 400g, 800g, 1,000g, or 1,600g insulation. Both sets Ive owned are the uninsulated version.

　　There are mens and womens versions, with sizes ranging from 6 to 15 in the mens line and 5 to 11 in the womens line. You can get them in solid colors or multiple camouflage patterns.

　　They have an embossed liner on the inside thats comfortable and helps with air circulation. The boots have a gusseted upper with a strap to adjust the fit around your calf. They are constructed with neoprene and a rubber overlay. The rubber overlay covers most of the boot, with only one small portion of neoprene exposed on the top.

　　I like that, as it allows the boot to be extra durable. Rubber boots with excessive amounts of neoprene exposed tend to get ripped apart in heavy cover. Thorns start catching it, and waterproofness becomes compromised. More rubber equals more durability.

　　Athletic Fit Fit is my biggest gripe with rubber hunting boots. There are no laces or adjustability, so you get what you get. And with most rubber boots, you get clunky, blister-inducing junk. But these boots stand out, with a much better fit than other rubber hunting boots Ive used.

　　Sizing The Alphaburly Pros run a touch larger than standard boots. However, theyre not so much larger that you should purchase a set in a smaller size. The reason? While wearing a thin sock, theres a bit more room than in other boots, but when things get cold, I throw on much larger socks. With a larger, insulated sock, they fit perfectly.

　　Whats more, LaCrosse doesnt offer the boots in half sizes, which is common with rubber boots. Going down a full size may make them fit better in a thin sock, but youd quickly find yourself with an ultratight fit when wearing thicker socks in colder weather. The little bit of extra room allows you to wear different socks for different conditions.

　　Feel

　　The Alphaburly Pros offer great support with an open toe box and a tighter fit around the middle part of your foot and ankle; (photo/Morgan Nowels) Compared to most rubber boots, the LaCrosse Alphaburly Pros have a more streamlined, athletic feel. The toe box is very open, allowing for increased blood flow to your toes, which is important when temperatures start to drop.

　　The boots tighten around the middle part of my foot — not tight there, just snugger. Ive found this is what makes the boots so comfortable. Theyre open in the toe, but the middle portion keeps my foot from sliding around and moving when hiking. Rather than feeling like Im wearing clunky rubber boots, this portion makes the boots feel more like a standard shoe.

　　My heel is secure in them. Multiple rubber overlays around the back of the boot provide a stiff portion for your heel to sit in. There is an almost imperceptible amount of heel slip when walking. Heel slip is common in rubber boots, and the Alphaburly Pros have some of the smallest amounts of heel slip Ive experienced.

　　Overall, the foot portion has more layers of rubber, providing a stiffer and more supportive feel. When you move into the upper, there are fewer layers, providing much more flexibility in your leg while walking.

　　Burly Outsole on the LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro

　　(Photo/Morgan Nowels) The outsole is where the Alphaburly Pro gets its name. Its burly and is designed for ultimate traction.

　　Over the years, Ive found that to be true. The muddy banks on that whitetail hunt? No problem. Hiking up slippery scree slopes in Middle Tennessee? Traction galore. Even when I wore them in the snowy mountains of the Northwest, I never felt like I was on ice skates. The traction provided by the outsoles is impressive.

　　Hiking in rubber boots isnt ideal, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. Maybe youre going to be trekking deep into swamps chasing giant bucks, or have a long walk to the treestand, but want the scent control of rubber boots. In those situations, most rubber boots will leave you hurting.

　　Solid Hiking Performance Hiking is the Alpha Burly Pros biggest strength. The longest Ive hiked in them is 6.4 miles, which, in my opinion, is a haul for rubber boots. It involved stream crossings, mud, and hiking up and down mountains.

　　On that hike, the multilayer construction around the lower portion of the boot provided impressive ankle support. Obviously not as much support as a traditional boot, but better support than most rubber boots. While there is wiggle room for your ankle on the inside, the thick lower construction prevents the boot and your ankle from rolling over when side-hilling.

　　They provided excellent traction on that hike, and at the end, my feet didnt feel sore. However, I did get one small blister on my heel. All in all, Ill take it for a rubber boot on a 70-degree day. Theyre the best rubber boots Ive hiked in. If you plan on doing something like that, I would bring a change of socks, as things will get sweaty.

　　Temperature Range

　　During early archery seasons, I fold the uppers down to cool off my feet; (photo/Morgan Nowels) Rubber boots can be unbearably hot during warm seasons. Where I live, things are very wet and muddy year-round, and I prefer the scent control qualities of rubber boots while chasing whitetails. For me, rubber boots have to be comfortable in the heat.

　　The uninsulated Alphaburly Pros will get warm during early-season hunts. However, I dont find them to be significantly hotter than my early-season GORE-TEX mountain boots. Theyre both hot, and really, the only shoes that wouldnt be are tennis shoes.

　　When things get toasty outside, I loosen up the gusseted strap around the calf and fold the uppers down. That allows my legs to breathe and widens the opening around my lower calf. That, in conjunction with the embossed liner, provides a nice breezy feel thats nice when my feet start to sweat.

　　On the other end of the spectrum, LaCrosse advertises the uninsulated boots for use down to 0 degrees. I disagree with that rating. The boots get exceptionally cold when snow is involved, no matter what socks I wear. I could be in snowy, cold conditions for about an hour before my feet turned into icicles.

　　In my experience, these boots will be comfortable down to the mid-30s, provided a thick sock is worn and there is no snow or ice on them. If you plan on using them in snowy conditions, spring for an insulated version.

　　Weaknesses of the LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro

　　The plastic end piece on the boot strap can loudly clap against the boot; (photo/Morgan Nowels) Overall, three things stand out to me that could be better with the Alphaburly Pro, and they are in no way deal breakers. The first is, in my opinion, the least important, but its also the most common complaint youll find on other online reviews. The camouflage finish wears off. Its especially noticeable around the toe and other high-wear areas.

　　It is purely cosmetic and does not impact the boots performance. I get that it bothers some people, but lets be real. A few scuffs on your boots camo pattern arent going to make a lick of difference when it comes to concealment. And if youre worried about your gear looking pretty, maybe pick up golf instead of hunting. Scuffs make you look legit, brah.

　　Another minor annoyance is the strap system for the gusseted upper. The strap is long, which is great for adjustability, and you can retain it in a small clip. However, theres a small plastic piece at the end of the strap. Ive found the strap can fall out of the clip, which causes the plastic at the end of the strap to clap annoyingly against the boot. I may cut the plastic piece off of my new set and melt down the end of the strap.

　　Lastly, the boots can be challenging to remove. Out of the box, its not noticeable. However, over time, my last pair began to shrink, especially around the ankle. That made taking them off an ordeal. But, thats part of having an athletic fit. If they slipped off easily, then my foot would slide in them, creating excessive hot spots and blisters.

　　The Demise of My First Alphaburly Pros I clearly love the Alphaburly, but after years of use, what caused my first set to end up in the dumpster? It was a few things, none of which I attribute to poor quality.

　　Every product has a life, and the boots just reached the end of theirs. Unfortunately, they took their final journey to the trash before I wrote this review, so I dont have pictures.

　　The first thing that failed was the strap system on the top. Two small, square rubber pieces are attached to the neoprene portion of the upper. Those pieces hold the strap system in place on the boot. After years, they ripped off, rendering the strap system unusable, but the boots remained functional overall.

　　They went through a period of non-use in their final year, and when I broke them back out, they had shrunk even more, making removal nearly impossible. Every time I took them off, it felt like my Achilles tendon was ripping in half. Insert plenty of swear words.

　　The final nail in the coffin was the sole of the boot separating from the upper. While the tread still had plenty of life, the separation created gaps that allowed water to seep through on stream crossings. That is a no-go with rubber boots.

　　They had a good run, but it was time. In all, I consider 5 or 6 years of heavy use out of $210 boots a win.

　　Final Thoughts With better care, my first set of LaCrosse Alphaburly Pros probably could have lasted longer. I admittedly left them exposed to the sun on the back porch for a couple of weeks a few times, which is likely what caused the shrinking of the ankle and the strap system failure.

　　I never kept them clean or performed any form of maintenance. With neglect, almost anything will deteriorate over a long period of time. But, thats how a lot of people are probably going to use them, so thats the life cycle and points of failure you should expect.

　　For rubber boots, the Alphaburly Pros are quite comfortable to hike in. They have an athletic fit and are built to provide traction in nasty situations.

　　Dedicated hunters who frequently use rubber boots will appreciate the build quality and performance in the field. I liked them so much that I ended up with a second pair. Heck, I may cave for another insulated pair for my late-season, snowy whitetail hunts.

　　With many rubber boots hitting the market at higher price points, the $210 Alphaburly Pros have somehow, ridiculously, landed in a mid-price point, but I think they offer all the performance youll ever need. Yeah, I dislike rubber hunting boots, but these lessen the hate. They get my stamp of approval.

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