Schnees Hunting / Hiking Boots - Customer review for Sheep hunter GTX boots made for Schnees by Lowa.

Summary: The Lowa Hunter is a decent boot, though overpriced.
Pros: Comfortable and supportive, great traction on rocks.
Cons: waterproof lining leaks, overpriced, not very durable.


Purchasing hunting boots from Schnee's was a total disaster. They shipped the wrong product. When the Schnees hunting boots failed, they did not honor the warranty. I returned the boots, but was not issued a refund or replacement.

The Lowa Sheep hunter by Schnees sells for $423.50 after shipping. After placing an order online at schnees.com, they sent me Lowa Hunter GTX's instead, lacking the triple stitching and improved insulation that Schnees boasts about with their Sheep Hunter boots. After calling customer service I spent $19.00 to send the boots back and waited to receive the Sheep Hunters.

Schnees then charged my debit card another $423.50 before sending the correct boots.
I received the correct boots the day before I went into the field,

The boots were comfortable right off, requiring little break-in time. My first hunt of a fall season that would entail more than 100 days in the field, was a 10 day Dall Sheep hunt in the Alaska Range. The client harvested a ram on the fifth day of the hunt and by the time we made it back to base camp on 6th day, it was apparent my new hunting boots had some problems.
The rubber Rand began to delaminate where the boot flexes. (photo taken after 6 days of use)
Poor quality casting and finish was causing abrasions on the laces. (photo taken after 6 days of use)
The soft rubber out-soles that perform so well on sharp rocks were wearing very fast and losing the hard edges that provide traction on smooth surfaces. (photo taken after 6 days of use) Schnees hiking boots
Worst of all the right boot leaked at the base of the tongue and water entered the boot when walking through wet vegetation or during stream crossings.
I continued to wear the boots throughout the fall season, including hunting Kodiak.
In a few weeks time I noticed the lightweight stitching was wearing through where the laces crossed over the stitching. This was likely accelerated by the presence of glacial silt commonly found in Alaska's high country. Even where seams were triple stitched I noticed failures.(photos taken after 25 days of use)


I applied Aquaseal adhesive to repair the Rand and broken stitching. I also generously applied premium waterproofing treatments in an attempt to keep my right foot dry.




After the fall hunting season I contacted Schnees and explained the issues I was having with the boots. I was instructed to send the boots back for an evaluation. I did not hear from them for several weeks. I contacted customer service several times, then finally spoke with the customer service manager, Stacey Farmer, who told me they had received the returned boots, but their computer system did not indicate I was owed a refund or replacement. With shipping costs I had spent $468.29 on these boots and Schnees tells me it was "a wash". They wouldn't even send the worn boots back to me; I was ripped off . I experienced terrible customer service and do not recommend purchasing hunting or hiking boots from Schnee's.