How The Gear Junkie Team Tested Rubber Hunting Boots

Our team decided to round up the best rubber hunting boots on the market and see how they stacked up against one another. New names are jumping into this category, with brands like SITKA and KUIU, traditionally clothing companies, entering the mix. That got us excited, as both those brands build some of the best hunting clothing we’ve used. With all of the new offerings, we wanted to stack the newcomers against our tried-and-true favorites.

The Expert Testers

Sometimes, I test every product in a buyer’s guide. Other times, I rely on my own thoughts and those of others. That’s the case with this guide.

Our testing team for this buyer’s guide stretched across the country to ensure we met the needs of every hunter. We had boots on the ground in Tennessee, Montana, Mississippi, and a few other mucky spots across the States.

I’m based in Nashville, TN where I get ample opportunity to wear rubber boots. Believe it or not, Nashville receives more rain annually than Seattle, and the bulk of it comes in the spring. The entire town turns into a mud pit.

I’ve been hunting for over 10 years, from turkey and elk in Utah to skittish whitetail in the hardwoods of Tennessee. Years ago, I had a terrible experience with rubber hunting boots, and I’ve been sure to test and keep only the best on my feet while chasing whitetail and turkey in the South.

Rachelle Schrute has tromped through every kind of snow Montana offers. She has navigated early snow, late snow, spring snow, slushy snow, and the muddy runoff that follows in some form of rubber boots for years. From making it through the wet slop to the riverbank, doubling down on rural chores, or trudging through brush to one of her tree stands, rubber boots have become her boot of choice in the field (outside of mountain hunting).

Her spring chase for mountain lions and bears brings unpredictable conditions. It’s often wet, sloppy, and cold, and can change by the hour. Rachelle has notoriously cold feet, and not in the metaphorical sense. If her boots don’t keep her toes warm, she will make it known. She expects sound insulation and solid performance. If a pair of rubber boots cannot handle the changing seasons in Montana, they will not last long in her kit.

We also had numerous other independent testers contribute to this guide.

Our Testing Grounds

The boots on this list were used in as diverse a set of conditions as possible, as rubber hunting boots are worn in a variety of environments. People wear them for balmy 75-degree spring turkey hunts when rain has turned the woods and fields into slick mud pits. They also see a lot of use in the fall and winter, when insulation and scent control are crucial while hanging 25 feet from a tree stand.

So, I, as well as the other team members, tested them in those environments. Some wore them while shed hunting and doing post-rut, offseason deer scouting in Tennessee and Mississippi. Others trudged through hollows and up steep bluff-lined hills while moving and pulling trail cams on favorite whitetail properties.

As a whole, the group of testers spanned across the springtime turkey woods of Montana, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. We chased gobblers from sunup to sundown, both “run and gun” hunting and sitting in a blind. The team members in Montana hiked deep into the mountains on public land.

Some of us also used them outside of hunting. For example, Sonja Anderson wore her’s while working on a ranch. In my case, rubber boots are some of my favorite boat shoes, especially during the springtime. I waded into shin-high water while launching drift boats on trout streams and bass boats on giant lakes. They were worn through torrential downpours while I stood on casting decks for hours on end.

The Testing Process

The team for this test has collectively been wearing rubber hunting boots for multiple decades. My team and I took to the woods in the winter of 2024-’25 with some of the latest rubber boots and used them through spring Turkey seasons. We did everything in them, from sitting in cold stands to hiking around while moving trail cameras in some of our favorite public land hidey-holes.

I submerged some of the tested boots up to the top in buckets, and Sonja Anderson did the same in water troughs to ensure they were completely waterproof. Both of us stayed in the water for extended periods of time to check for slow leaks that may go unnoticed during brief periods of submersion.

Sonja even used hers to chase steers around muddy corrals. If there’s a situation that you would use rubber boots in, I can just about guarantee that one of the crew members has tested these boots in that environment.

Buyers Guide: How to Choose the Best Rubber Hunting Boots

The best rubber hunting boots shouldn’t feel like you’re wearing a specialized boot. Often, rubber boots are noticeable while you’re wearing them. You have giant uppers that clap against your calves, sweaty feet, and most notably, feet that are blistered or sore from wearing something that is a massive deviation from your standard street shoe. It doesn’t have to be like that, though. Here are some things to consider before purchasing to ensure you don’t end up in one of those situations:

Why Are You Looking For Rubber Hunting Boots?

This is the first thing you need to consider. People look for rubber hunting boots for two reasons: use in water and mud, or warmth.

If it’s solely a water and mud issue you’re trying to solve, then boots like the Chêne Floodline will serve you just fine. You won’t get any insulation, which is great for early seasons when temps are warm, but you still get protected from water

Are you looking for warmth? Many whitetail hunters live in rubber boots, which are superior to other boot styles in terms of heat. They have a big open toebox, which maximizes blood flow. Many options also come with differing levels of insulation designed to keep your feet warm. The best boots we found for warmth were the Korkers Neo Arctic, which are nice and toasty while sitting still, but aren’t the best for covering ground.

Most people find themselves somewhere in between, looking for an option that does both. They want a boot for springtime turkey hunts and a boot that doubles as insulation while in the treestand. If that’s you, read on.

Insulation

There are two different units for measuring insulation in rubber hunting boots: grams and millimeters.

Grams describes the weight of the boot’s insulating material. A 1000-gram boot is much warmer than a 400-gram boot.

As a general rule, 1000+ grams of insulation is best for stationary hunting in temperatures below freezing. This would be a great level of warmth for late-season, midwest whitetail hunters.

A rubber hunting boot that has 200-400 grams of insulation will run much cooler and is ideal for springtime turkey hunting. If you plan on being mobile during your hunt, a lower insulation level will help keep your feet from sweating.

If you’re trying to get the best of both worlds, a boot with 600-800 (similar to 5mm of neoprene)-gram insulation can pull double duty. The RedHead Camo Utility Rubber boots fit this bill great.

Millimeters are used when describing neoprene boots. The higher the number, the warmer the boot will be. A boot 9mm and thicker is similar to a boot with 1000 grams of insulation, and a 3.5mm boot will be similar to a 200-400-gram boot.

Material

Rubber hunting boots are obviously rubber, but they’ll be insulated with either a synthetic thinsulate-type material or neoprene. Both have pros and cons.

Neoprene insulation is more economical than synthetic insulation. However, neoprene is not breathable, so it’s much easier to get sweaty, wet feet in it.

Synthetic insulation, like the Primaloft Gold insulation found in the SITKA Ventlite GTX boot, is warm, and SITKA lined the boot with Gore-Tex, making it breathable. Your feet can still get sweaty, but it’s much easier to keep sweat at bay. Unfortunately, those benefits are going to cost you, with that boot costing almost 400 dollars.

Fit

Fit is the biggest problem with rubber hunting boots. They don’t have laces or any real adjustability. You get what you get. Modern options like the KUIU HD Mud Boot solve the fit problem associated with rubber boots.

Often, people tell you to upsize when searching for your rubber boot. That’s because you’ll usually be wearing insulating socks underneath them, and a tight fit will cut off circulation to your feet, resulting in limited blood flow and cold toes. But some manufacturers already take this into account, and going up in size creates issues. The problem is that going too big will result in your heel slipping and hot spots with awful blisters. Hunters aren’t wearing cute boots as a fashion statement to the coffee shop. They have to, you know, hike in them.

The best boots we found balance those two things without altering their sizing. They give you ample room where needed, but don’t fit so tight that they’re uncomfortable or impossible to remove. You can hike in them without noticing that there’s a giant chunk of rubber strapped to your foot.

Many of the rubber hunting boots on the market do not come in half sizes. If you’re in between sizes, it is likely best to go up. However, don’t go up a full size.

If you hunt in cold conditions, any extra room you have will be better for thicker socks and better blood flow. If you go too small, you’ll have trouble getting your foot in or out of the boot and probably won’t have room to put on a warmer sock.

Price and Value

Rubber hunting boots may be a key part of your kit or something you only wear during a couple of rainy weeks in the spring. How often you plan on using them and the environment you plan on using them in should dictate how much money you fork over.

Budget

For those who don’t use rubber hunting boots much, a boot in the sub-$100 range will give you everything you need. You can get a set with insulation that is waterproof and will keep you trucking through the mud after spring gobblers.

With a budget option, you’ll be giving up any form of breathability, as almost all budget rubber boots are made with cheaper neoprene. I’ve also found that budget options don’t fit as well and can cause your feet to get pretty sore, although an aftermarket insole can make a cheap boot feel like some of the best.

Budget boots also won’t hold up over time as well as more expensive options, and you may find they’ll begin to leak water through seams when crossing creeks. The tread may also wear faster than the tread on more expensive boots.

Mid Tier

Boots in the $150 to $200 price range will get you significant improvements from budget options that most hunters would find worth the extra cost. In this range, you’ll be able to get boots with different levels and types of insulation. Many boots in this range will have some form of fleece lining.

Mid-tier boots also have helpful features to help take the boot off, which is notoriously difficult with rubber hunting boots. The Chene Floodline, for example, features a zipper, making it the easiest boot in the test to take off.

You’re going to get a much more comfortable boot that lasts for years of sustained use.

Premium

While some may scoff at paying $250+ for rubber boots, these premium options, like the SITKAVentlite GTX boot, will have features that make them some of the best rubber boots out there. They’ll have the warmest insulation, breathability, and ultra-comfort.

If you find yourself hunting in rubber boots more than anything, it’s well worth paying the higher price. Mountain hunters often pay upward of $500 for a solid boot, so if you do the bulk of your hunting in rubber boots, a premium option could still be viewed as a steal.

Frequently Asked Questions