Mickeys vs. the field

[tomturkey]

I have a Colemans catalog laying right here by the computer.

Blacks $69.00
Whites $89.00

Do not see any used one listed.

[wax_worm]

I use Kamik Cody Pac Boots. Got them on a discount website. They are a little pricey for full retail but definitely worth the money. Feet stay warm without fail. PLUS THEY ARE AMERICAN OR CANADIAN MADE! I go a size larger on all my pac boots, you can add wool socks or take away depending on the temp.
Remember to take a rubber mat as an insulator between your boot and ice/snow.

So you paid more for your boots than mickeys and you need a rubber mat to insulate between the ice and your boots?  Mickeys have two layers of rubber with insulating felt in between.  No need to carry a rubber mat with you.

[wallydiven]

So you paid more for your boots than mickeys and you need a rubber mat to insulate between the ice and your boots?  Mickeys have two layers of rubber with insulating felt in between.  No need to carry a rubber mat with you.

But mickeys are twice the weight. Trecking through 2' of snow I'd prefer a lighter pair of kicks.

[bldfrt]

I wear black mickeys. They kept my feet warm and weren't too heavy to walk all day last winter even in deep snow. It was my first year with them though maybe it was new boot excitement that carried me through. Had some cheap pack boots that still cost more than my mickeys before had to use warmers in them sometimes and sometimes real deep slush would get me. I'm pro Mickey now for whatever that's worth

[Jigmup]

But mickeys are twice the weight. Trecking through 2' of snow I'd prefer a lighter pair of kicks.

Weight is why I went with Baffins. Even though the boots are not warm, if you do as much walking on the ice as I do, lugging 8lbs worth of boots kinda sucks. Or, maybe its my age that sucks!

[wax_worm]

But mickeys are twice the weight. Trecking through 2' of snow I'd prefer a lighter pair of kicks.

Yeah they are heavier, but I will trade the extra weight for constant warmth, and dryness even standing in water up to the laces for hours.  I know guys that spend a couple hundred on lighter pac boots and then their feet are cold, or they get wet in the slop.  It is not often we have 2 ft of snow on our lakes around here.  Sooner or later they will get too heavy for my aging arse and I will have to go with something else.  Hopefully by then they have something warm and dry that last a while and doesn't cost 250.00 a pair.

[DannyBoy74]

No offense Waxworm, because I have read many of your posts and you have a tremendous amount of fishing knowledge. However, I don't understand why you can't pack a flat rubber mat( car floor mat) in the bottom of your portable shack for extra protection, regardless of what type of boot you wear. As far as paying more for boots. Yes I will pay way more for American boots because I believe in supporting American workers and jobs and I am certain there are numerous ladies and gentleman on this site that believe in this as well. Thanks, Danny Boy   

[Den58]

I guess I will put my 2 cents in last year I bought new boots from Sorel intrepid boots good up to -100 degrees best boot I ever boot I ever had. Went to Eagle River in Feb. we were in6 inches of slush never got wet or cold, very light and easy to walk in

[wax_worm]

No offense Waxworm, because I have read many of your posts and you have a tremendous amount of fishing knowledge. However, I don't understand why you can't pack a flat rubber mat( car floor mat) in the bottom of your portable shack for extra protection, regardless of what type of boot you wear. As far as paying more for boots. Yes I will pay way more for American boots because I believe in supporting American workers and jobs and I am certain there are numerous ladies and gentleman on this site that believe in this as well. Thanks, Danny Boy

I guess I was just questioning the need since my feet have never got cold in bunny boots, I have never had a need for a mat.  I do know I would not be happy if a 200$ pair of boots caused my feet to get cold from the bottom from standing on snow or ice.  It sounds like you found a cheap way to counter that flaw and if the mat helps...great.   I try to lighten the load as I get older, not add to it and rarely shanty fish, so adding a mat to the things I have to haul from hole to hole because my boots were under performing, would not make me happy.

The 30 year old mickey and bunny boots I wear were made in America.  Those same boots are still available for purchase.   I wish mickeys were lighter, as that would be my only complaint, but they are not.  If there is a 'perfect' boot out there that meets all these criteria (warm all day, dry all day even when standing in water, lightweight, lasts for 10 years or more, and is cost effective) I would love to know what it is.  Currently Bunny or Mickeys meet all that criteria except being lightweight.

[DannyBoy74]

My feet do not get cold in my Kamiks. I always wear pac boots a size bigger for circulation and for more wool socks if need be. I use a mat sometimes, depends on how mobile I need to be to find those wonderful fish. I thought about buying some Mickeys, but I wanted to promote a company in operation today. I can definately appreciate the old school technology that Mickeys still prove tried and true today. FYI I paid $65 on my boots in the middle of the summer. I wouldnt pay full price for hardly anything if I can help it. I will keep reading your posts as long as you post them Waxworm. Take care, Danny Boy 

[Fish_Tko]

I did some poking around and found the only other fully waterproof boot on the market other than Mickeys(I think).

Baffin makes the Titan -100 PLN. They are $129.00. I would like to see how they compare. They are a fully rubber outer, weigh less, are rated for farther below zero, and are not $200.00/pair.

[Stinkybaits]

Muck boot artic pros are fully water proof.

[Hoosier]

Muck boot artic pros are fully water proof.

And I found some for 132.00 with discounts

[Stinkybaits]

WoW! Steel on that great price.

[Fishslayer81]

WoW! Steel on that great price.

Go back to bed insomniac! 

[Jigmup]

I did some poking around and found the only other fully waterproof boot on the market other than Mickeys(I think).

Baffin makes the Titan -100 PLN. They are $129.00. I would like to see how they compare. They are a fully rubber outer, weigh less, are rated for farther below zero, and are not $200.00/pair.

Baffin...a Canadian Company who outscources the manufacturing of their extreme cold weather boots to China.

Trust me stay away unless you can find a pair that was manufactured in Canada. My son has a pair made in Canada and they are phenomenal!  Mine....not so much!

[h2.0shaver]

I also cant say anything bad about the mickeys other than feeling like I am dragging cinder blocks.
Im getting closer to trying the muck artic boots as well

[Alex Delarge]

I used the white bata mickeys for years, feet stayed warm and dry. Paid $20 for them in 1991. I didn't use them last year, dry rot is starting to set in. Have to wear long john's or tuck pants into the boot or the gusset will rub your shin raw at the end of the day. Great boot for ice fishing but heavy and awkward.
Bought sorel conquest about 10 years ago, ~$100, mostly for deer hunting but I used them for ice fishing also. As long as I kept moving my feet were not too cold. They recently cracked and the stitching is coming apart. No liner = all day to dry unless you have boot warmers.
Picked up baffin hunter model couple years ago, $50 rubber boots with liner. When it is 20+ deg these are OK for ice fishing. I liked them so much I almost purchased the titan model for fishing but they look huge and I'm afraid my bibs won't fit over the boot. I like the idea of a liner you can remove to dry them off at the end of the day, my feet sweat, so I just ordered the baffin apex. Also gonna try some polypropylene sock liners this season.

[abishop]

Stay away from the 100 percent cotton socks. These will make all feet sweat and the result is cold feet. You may be surprised on how buying a 15-20 dollar pair of good quality wool sock blends will change the boot. Just my 2 cents. I bought a pair from Cabelas last year paid 129 and they have 2000 grams of thinsulate. May have to bench my Mickeys.

[Stinkybaits]

Hmmm I always wear cotton socks never had an issue.

[wallin]

Al, I have found the redhead $10 socks at Bass Pro to really help keep the old feet warm.

I also bought the Baffin boots and were very dissapointed, gave them away.
Everyones feet are different guys thats why theres so many different kinds of shoes and boots-its just like fishing sites lol.
I bought Rockies a few years back, light weight and I can stay on that ice as well as the next guy, in the water as well.
But my feet sweat so these boots are ideal and I'm buying a new pair as these are wore out. I have bought every kind of boot there is and have had some most couldn't afford but I found what works for me. I've also had 3 knee surgeries and pretty sure my knees need to be replaced but I'm comfy with my Rockies. You just have to find what works for you.

[stout93]

My $.02...which I'm sure will p.o. a few guys. 

Just got a pair of black Mickeys. Put them on and they felt a little tight, so wore them around the house for an hour and they loosened up a bit. But, let me tell you, these were the most UNCOMFORTABLE pair of boots I have ever worn.  It felt like a pair of dress shoes (comfort wise), reminded me of a cheap pair of hiking boots I had as a kid, and did I mention heavy. I cant imagine walking through the snow/ice in these for any kind of distance. I rarely hear or see the word comfort when reading reviews of Mickeys and now I see why. I dont care how warm they are, they're not good for me. Got a pair of Baffins the next day and as they say, these felt like you were walking on pillows.  I find it curious why Mickeys get such positive reviews.. Sometimes I wonder if the Mickey supporters have tried anything else??

[rico]

stout, it doesn't bother me at all.  I can't speak for everyone here, but when I was growing up there just wasn't the selection of winter footwear there is now.  I came from a military Father, and his brothers were military as well.  So I grew up seeing mickey's.  They swore by them. 

I got away from them quite a few years back and went to a pair of Sorel's.  I have since switched back.  I have both the black and white. 

I can see where they can be viewed as "cumbersome".  They are not for everyone.

[trophytaker1]

Always buy mickies extra big and wide so they fit a little loose. One pair of white cotton socks and your feet never get cold.If they fit to tight most likey your feet will get cold.

[darkeyez]

I think everyone will agree on them being heavy. I find them to be very comfortable, and have ample room in them.
I wear a size 11 4E New Balance sneaker and a 10R mickey fits well even with a heavy sock. I also have high arches, and they provide plenty of arch support. I have also worn them while hunting and never had any problems, just have to slow down a bit!
I have three pairs of them and see nothing wrong with them, other than being heavy.
Here's one that finds them comfortable! 

[Cool Cat]

Guess I'll put in my 2 cents worth here from my own experiences.  Two things you do NOT want to get cold because it just makes for a bad uncomfortable day.  Your toes and fingers.  These days I'm looking for gloves and boots with Thinsolate.  Sorry if my spelling is off a bit.  This material seems to be the best "manmade" material on the market for warmth.  I've found gloves with Thinsolate in them and love them.  As for boots, the best boots I've ever owned were Rockies with 800 grams of Thinsolate.  I bought them back in the early 90's and hunted pheasant in South Dakota.  They were comfortable to walk in and my feet didn't seem to get too warm.  But the real test came that winter when I went ice fishing.  They were a size and half bigger than I normally wear so I could put so several pairs of socks on.  First guys, layering is so very important.  That doesn't meant several layers of socks that fit so tight you can't move your toes and it cuts off the circulation. Circulation is critical and from what my orthopedic surgeon, the feet have the least amount of circulation compared to the rest of the body.  Believe me, I know about the circulation because I shattered my right heel in August of this year and still having problems.  But not going there.  Just take my word for it, the feet have it worse than any other of the extremities.  What I've found to help with keeping the feet warm are socks in the mens department in Cabela's and Gander Mountain called mens hosiery.  Yeah, that's what they're called.  They're also known as liner sockes.  They're usually like an athletic tube sock and go up the calf.  A pair of those and some wool socks and that's a good start.  They're very thin and you can easily put on a thicker pair of wool socks.  Now for wool socks, I'm looking for at least 70% blended wool in my hunting socks.  Rayon and other similar materials just don't give you the proper insulation.  The more wool blended the better because when/if wool gets wet, it still holds its insualating properties.  I've even found 100% wool socks but you have to be very careful washing them.  Don't wash them in warm water or dry them in the dryer with any heat on them, they will shrink and you might as well give them to a todler because you won't get them over your toes.
For ice fishing I own a pair of Rocky Arctics with 1200 grams of Thinsolate.  They're big and a bit heavy but I'm not humping over the hills with these boots.  Most of my walking is a short distance out on the ice.  Most of the time we're only walking out a couple of hundred yards to where we're drilling and dropping lines.  Unless you're up at Bass Lake LOL.  Anyone that's fished there know you have to walk WAY out there to get into any water with depth.  Usually I'm driving my Polaris out there by then as long as the ice is 10 inches or more.  But the boots I'm wearing I know will still keep my feet warm with all that Thinsolate.  I guess you could say the main ingredient is  the Thinsolate.  Most of the other brands of boots have this material added into their boots and if you're ice fishing, I'd think a minimum would be 800 grams.  With the bigger thicker Arctic boots, I've even just put on a pair of cotton athletic socks and my feet are fine.  But if it's going to be a day like the North Pole, I'm putting on the liner socks with the wool socks.  I know all about Mickeys because in the Marine Corps we did 30 days of Arctic training in Norway.  We were there from the last of January through all of February 250 miles inside the Arctic Circle.  I know cold because at night the temps would dip down to 80 below and during the day might climb up to 20 below.  We wore the Mickeys and I guess they were better than nothing and they did keep our feet fairly warm.  But for the money, I'll stick with my Rocky Arctics.