When choosing a hunting boot, there’s one that stands at the top of the pack, the LaCrosse Alphaburly Pro.
But just how good is it? Well, we also wanted to find out. So we put it to the test, a rigorous test at that. We tried it on river banks, in river beds, in bog, in marsh, in forest, and on mountains, you name it, we tried it.
Let’s see how it fared out.
Design
The first thing we want to discuss is the design of the boot; after all, a poorly designed boot fails at implementation. With technology ever advancing, boot makers have to keep up, or they get left behind by their competitors.
LaCrosse was always ahead of the game when it came to design, and you can clearly see this with the Alphaburly Pro.
Aside from the pleasant aesthetic look of the boot, there are some very important functional designs in use here.
First, you will be able to choose from a range of camo patterns depending on what type of terrain you will be mostly hunting with these boots.
Another clever design by LaCrosse was making the boots scent free.
The tread pattern on the Alphaburly Pro is one of the best I’ve seen on any rubber boot. It is an aggressive pattern designed to expel mud.
It didn’t collect any dirt or stones and kept me from hitting the deck on many occasions where other boots would fail.
The boots come with a well-designed adjustable strap, which I find useful if I’m wearing heavy duck hunting clothing, but otherwise, I find it a bit awkward and would rather see more stretch in the boot top instead.
Build
From the moment I first put my hands on these boots, I could tell the build was of premium quality.
The initial feel of the boot was that they are sturdy yet supple enough to be sporty.
LaCrosse is proud of the fact that they only use premium grade natural rubber, and rightly so. One of the benefits of natural rubber is that it suppresses scent, which helped develop the boot into a scent-free boot.
The neoprene liner keeps the inside temperature of the boot from climbing too high or getting too cold. I honestly don’t know how they managed to pull it off, but my feet stayed at the perfect temperature no matter the weather or the effort required for the terrain.
I found these boots to be extremely breathable.
We tested the uninsulated version here. If you opt for the insulated Alphaburly Pros, you will get a layer of Thinsulate between the rubber and the neoprene.
Comfort
I found these boots to be extremely comfortable, never once having to take them off to let my feet breathe.
I think I put over 200 miles on these boots and not one blister or instance of overheating.
What I like most about these boots is the flexibility they provide yet remaining supportive.
I often find rubber boots to be too stiff or a hindrance when trying to maneuver difficult terrain stealthily. That’s not the case with the Alphaburly Pro.
The boot envelops your feet and allows you to bend and twist how you need to, yet support every step. It allows me to stealthily walk through the stickiest mud without pulling the boot off; rather it holds that embracing hug on your foot.
The Test
As I mentioned above, there have been many miles put on these boots over a variety of different terrain. I think it’s fair to see the Alphaburly Pros performed well overall, doing exceptionally well in some areas and not so well in others.
Upland
Upland hunters wear rubber boots more than most, so I thought this would be a good place to start. I cover a lot of ground upland hunting, and it’s mostly in warmer weather, so I need a boot that won’t leave my feet sweating by mid-morning, and the Alphaburly Pro is that boot.
I never once overheated, and if I’m honest, I feel by wearing these boots, I cover more ground.
Woods
Similar to upland, when wearing these boots in the woods, I had plenty of breathability.
The boots could take a battering from sticks and branches and come out no worse for wear.
I was able to pick each step carefully and stealthily. The flexibility of the boot allowed me to pause mid-step without putting any stress on my feet.
Swamp
I love duck hunting and spend more time in the marsh and swamps than I probably should. Early season duck hunting is just too warm for waders; these boots work if you want to sit on the marsh edge or do a bit of jump shooting.
No matter how hard the marsh tried, it wasn’t getting these boots off my feet. I was able to comfortably crouch in these boots with no pressure spots being created.
Rivers
I spent a considerable amount of time walking rivers in these boots, mostly fishing, and they are all I wear at the river now, providing I’m not wading; I use my Simms Flyweight wading boots for that.
But beating the bank for some bass or northern pike, these are my go-to boots.
One thing I will mention is don’t go near-flat face rocks with these boots; they are like an ice rink, and many times I nearly ended up in the river.
This is one thing the grip can’t handle, but that’s to be expected from any rubber boot.
Mountains
It’s not often you think of a rubber boot for mountain work, but yet I tried them anyway. And I was pleasantly surprised with how well they performed.
They obviously didn’t have the support or maneuverability of a hiking boot, but they weren’t far behind.
They were able to handle the rough terrain relatively easily. Steep inclines weren’t an issue, and they provided solid grip.
I didn’t want to get too high in the mountain after how they performed on the rocks at the river. But if you are staying in lower elevations, the Alphaburly Pro is a solid boot.
Thoughts
I was hesitant about these boots, to begin with. I was thinking how advanced could a rubber boot be; LaCrosse quickly changed my thought process with the Alphaburly Pro.
I could easily don these boots instead of hiking boots in many situations and not feel any less support or comfort.
The boots are obviously geared more towards muddy, wet, swampy areas. I think the design of the grip shows this.
I would prefer a different boot in rocky areas, but for anything else, I’m quite happy with the Alphaburly Pros.
I’d like to mention that this is an honest review, and these boots were bought with my own money with no incentive from LaCrosse.
The greatest thing of all is that after all the boots have been through, they still look brand new.