A mid-height boot that provides undeniable comfort and warmth and a Gore-Tex waterproof liner that keeps feet dry, the Meindl Comfort Fit Hunter 400 is a leather hunting boot that should raise your eyebrows.
by Jace Bauserman
I wasn’t always a boot guy. At one point, the brand or type of boot on my feet was less critical than the underwear I chose. I went cheap, and I didn’t care.
Then I started going walkabout in the backcountry. My feet blistered so bad they bled, and I got frostbite twice, thanks to some nasty October weather and sub-par boots.
Now, one of the most important decisions I make each fall is what type and brand of boot I put on my feet. Bad boots WILL ruin a hunt. On most hunts, your feet are your best assets. Covering ground is typically critical, and if your feet are uncomfortable, cold, or wet, your hunt will be far less fun than it could’ve been.
Enter The Meindl Comfort Fit Hunter 400
I’m always looking for the next excellent evolution in boot development. I own WAY TOO MANY pairs of hunting boots, but my collection keeps growing.
Recently, on a hunt to the Dark Continent, my good friend and BH contributor, Scott Haugen, told me I needed to try a pair of Meindl’s. I agreed. I’d heard so much good about the German-made boot brand but had yet to wrap a pair around my feet.
I ordered Meindl’s Comfort Fit Hunter 400 with a mountain lion hunt on the horizon.
Why The Meindl Comfort Fit Hunter 400?
Meindl offers a slug of boots. However, my eyes kept drifting to the Comfort Fit Hunter 400. The boots feature a 9.25-inch height with nubuck uppers to provide extra support and flexibility. Another feature I was drawn to was the 400-gram Primaloft Gold insulation and 100 percent waterproof GORE-TEX liner.
The boots feature a Comfort Fit last insole, the midsole is Polyurethane, and the outsole is a Vibram Multigrip 6.0. I’ve had excellent luck with Vibram outsoles. Plus, Meindl brands the boots as “all-season.” While I’m not a fan of 400-gram insulation during August and most of early September, I demand it once the Aspen leaves start to turn.
Mountain lion hunting means lots and lots of walking across rugged terrain. You may find yourself trudging across a snow-covered mesa one minute and then side-hilling through mud and slop on a south-facing hillside while you try to help the dogs get back on the lion’s track. Mountain lion hunts are often had during the dead of winter, but if you pick a boot with too much insulation, your feet will feel like they are in a sauna. They will get wet, soggy, and uncomfortable. I’v found 400-grams of insulation perfect if the fall/wintertime hunt calls for more walking that sitting and waiting.
The Meindl Comfort Fit Hunter 400…TESTED!
I’ve read marketing jargon that caused me to buy boots. Weeks later, I was discarding those boots. When you try a new boot brand, the ink on the manufacturer’s website can sound perfect, but until your feet hit the insoles and you put some miles on them, it’s challenging to know what you’re getting.
I broke my boot code and ordered these boots straight from Meindl. Usually, I go to Cabela’s, Scheels, etc., and try on boots. I can’t walk miles in them, but I can look the build over and learn how they feel on my feet.
In the case of the Comfort Fit Hunter 400, my gamble paid off in spades. I love the boot’s stiff but not too stiff nature; the lacing system is excellent, and when my foot hit the Comfort Fit insole, I smiled.
After pulling my pant legs over the uppers, I took the boots on a one-mile spin. The Vibram Multigrip 6.0 outsole provided excellent traction on the muddy farm roads but wasn’t over-aggressive when I walking on the dry blacktop.
This is cliche, and I don’t care: The boots made me feel like I was walking on a cloud. They are ridiculously comfortable. My heel stayed down without feeling tight and pinched, and my toes didn’t bunch in the toe box. Chalk this up to the boot’s build: Meindl added more room in the toe box, and the cork footbeds conform to your feet to ensure maximum comfort and support.
I had zero plans to go mountian lion the following day, but Colorado weather is unpredictable. Two inches of overnight snow put me and my good buddy and superior houndsman Jay Waring out at first light.
The day was a typical lion hunting day: lots of boot miles in terrible terrain. The Meindl Comfort Fit Hunter 400s got exposed to jagged canyon rocks, snow, mud, water, soft, shale-covered south-facing slopes, and much more. They dominated the terrain, meaning I could dominate it, stay up with trailing dogs, and put a SEVR-tipped Easton through a gorgeous tom mountain lion.
The lug design kept me safe and mobile when making extreme ascents and descents, my feet stayed warm and ultra-comfortable, and at day’s end, no moisture got into the boots.
Another feature that tickled my fancy when researching the Comfort Fit Hunter 400s, is that the boots are resolable. I’ve had a lot of great boots over the years I wore the soles down on. Unfortunately, the boots weren’t resolable, and I had to throw them out. A resolable boot is a great option. Plus, the boots are available in an uninsulated model, which I will purchase and add to my early-season hunt arsenal.
Meindl does recommend ordering a half-size down from your standard U.S. boot size. I didn’t do this and found the fit perfect for my size 11 feet. However, this is something to keep in mind.
Final Thoughts On The Meindl Comfort Fit Hunter 400
Is this the last pair of boots I will ever own? No. I geek out too much on boots for that to happen. Will I try others? Absolutely. However, I can confidently say that these boots are one of the most comfortable, positive-traction-providing boots I’ve ever worn. You have to feel the comfort to appreciate it. And though I always recommend breaking boots in, and still do, my hand got forced on this hunt. These boots didn’t pinch my feet in awkward spots, feel too stiff, or create blisters or hot spots. They felt like a custom pair of boots built for my feet.
