Zelus Insoles – Breathing Life into my Hunting Boots Leave a reply
By Rob Endsley
I’ve spent countless time shopping for a new mid-elevation hunting boot and have yet to come up with a more comfortable boot than my Danner Pronghorns. My feet are accustomed to them and I’ve logged hundred’s of miles in these boots with very few blisters. Instead of spending money on a new set of treads I opted to breath a little life into my Danners by swapping out the old insoles with advanced Olympus insoles from Zelus.
Zelus insoles offer impact reduction, superb arch support, and a cushioned yet springy feel from the Smart Cell technology that acts as the foundation of these insoles.
The nice thing about these insoles is that I could trim them to fit into my boots without the risk of bursting an air bladder or damaging the integrity of the insole. With a little trimming around the edges with some scissors they fit perfectly into my Pronghorns.
I tested Zelus insoles over the course of three grueling mule deer hunts this fall in Washington, Nevada, and Montana. All three hunts involved extremely steep terrain, countless miles of hiking, and heavy packouts. I never really kept track but I’m guessing the mileage total of all three hunts at around 50 to 75 miles.
The insoles didn’t suffer any compression issues and they felt much the same on my last day of hunting as they did the first day I used them. On one brutal packout I hauled 120 pounds of meat and equipment for four and a half miles over steep, broken terrain and didn’t even get the hint of a blister. The photo below is what the Smart Cells look like on my Olympus insoles after all this abuse. They look exactly the same as the day I slid them into my boots.
Hunting is my passion and I’ll do just about anything to get a few more years of mountain time out of my legs. I could definitely feel the difference these Zelus insoles made this fall and I’m looking forward to more advancements from this great company based right here in the Pacific Northwest.
Here’s a discount code that will get you 25% off your Zelus insoles for this holiday season!
Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle