Muck Boots Alpha Pursuit Review

Muck Boots has released its first traditional hunting boot, but is the Alpha Pursuit on point?

Often overlooked, good footwear is key to hunting—or shooting, for that matter—performance. Let your hoofs go to hell in the backcountry or a competition and you’re pondering your corns, not your wind holds.

This gets us to the point of the review, Muck Boot’s Alpha Pursuit boots. Famous for its all-weather footwear that stands up equally well to cow patties, rain, snow, and plain old swampy ground, the company’s new boots are a bit of a departure. No worries, Alpha Pursuit still keeps your piggies dry as talcum powder like all Muck Boots, but it does so in a much more rugged and, in my opinion, convenient fashion. And from my time with the footwear, the boots are some of the more innovative boots released in recent years.

What Is The Alpha Pursuit?

Alpha Pursuit Specs
Upper: 3mm neoprene
Exterior: Muckskin overlays
Insert: Molded PU Memory foam
Midsole: BioLite foam
Heel: Rubber
Outsole: Rubber
Estimated Boot Height: 8 in.
Estimated Heel Height: 2.25 in.
Available Sizes: 7-5 US Mens
Camo Pattern: Realtree APX
MSRP: $185

These are lace-up hunting boots, with a traditional hunting boot cut. For Muck, this is an enormous leap, given everything it’s produced up to the Alpha Pursuit has fit roughly the same mold. For those not in the know that’s a slip-on Neoprene boot with a rubber toe and heel. The variation in the company’s catalog—outside of some bells and whistles—came in the height of the model, running from ankle-high up to the knee.

Don’t get me wrong, these are awesome options—which I own—but only for the right circumstances. That’s marshland, swamp or snow—but not places with jagged topography or landscapes requiring a cinched-up fit on your footwear. Think elk hunt terrain or a desert-based NRL match. Pokey, cutty things and the spongy, waterproof material known as Neoprene don’t mix.

Alpha Pursuit’s main material is Neoprene—Muck will never go away from that. So, what the heck gives with these boots?

Alpha Pursuit Muckskin Advantage

Muck’s novel approach to protecting the boots’ quartering, heel and toe box is what’s called Muckskin. This is an abrasion-resistant rubber coating extending over the lower part of the Alpha Pursuit, giving the tog a tough exterior. It’s sturdy, yet flexible and ensures the boot doesn’t snag or rip on brambles, yuccas or exposed rock.

The material also plays a secondary role, providing support for the sides of the foot as well as maintaining the boots’ shape. As a bonus, the Muckskin practically adds no weight to the footwear, keeping an already light boot down at its fighting weight.

Alpha Pursuit Odds And Ends

While the upper material and its protective coating are in the spotlight for the Alpha Pursuit, there is more to the boot. Some of the noteworthy features include a thick rubber heel counter, rubber outsole with an aggressive waffle, hard plate under the arch support and a fiberglass toe shank.

Inside, Muck outfits the boot with what it calls a memory foam insert that’s perforated to allow for better airflow around the foot—a must in a neoprene boot. Interestingly—given the boots’ main material—Muck runs a layer of waterproofing lining underneath the neoprene. They don’t want you to get your feet wet.

Additionally, there isn’t any insulation, but this isn’t surprising. Neoprene retains heat well and given it seems Muck is aiming at an all-seasons option, extra insulation would have relegated it purely to winter.

The other intriguing aspect of the boot is the Alpha Pursuit’s notched heel. Just as it sounds, this is a cutout at the top rear of the upper allowing more flex in the wearer’s leg, particularly at the Achilles tendon.

Testing The Alpha Pursuit

For me, the proof is in the pudding when testing boots—it’s how they perform in the field. That’s how I put the Alpha Pursuit through its paces, using the boots from late summer through winter in a variety of hunts and training courses. This took the boots from West Texas caprock canyons to the Colorado high country and the Centennial State’s sagebrush prairie.

After nearly three months on the hoof, I’ve walked away from the boots highly impressed.

What I liked most was how light the boots were, making them nearly a second thought when on my feet. Anyone who’s done any amount of hunting—or hiking, for that matter—understands this isn’t always the case. Many traditional boots, though rugged, can feel like toting a ball and chain by the end of the day. For the most part, Alpha Pursuits were akin to wearing an athletic shoe and were easy on the foot from daybreak to sunset.

As for their resilience to weather, they performed as advertised. While I didn’t take them out in a downpour, I trekked them through both swampy and snowy conditions—as well as gave them a puddle test. Through it all, they proved impervious to water but there are some wrinkles to the boot’s ability to stay dry.

These aren’t traditional Mucks and only keep moisture at bay where there’s neoprene. To this end, the Achilles cuts and the upper eyelets are weak points in the system and could mean a wet foot if you misjudge the depth of a stream.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Alpha Pursuit was comfortable in warmer climates and didn’t make my feet swelter. The first adventure I took them on was in Texas, in early September with plenty of summer left. Even tightly laced, the boots breathed enough to blow off my perspiration and keep my feet relatively dry and comfortable.

Finally, on fairly rugged landscapes the boot kept my footing solid. I’ll give credit to the boots’ firm soles that bite into rock, dirt, snow and ice and didn’t let go. The tread is deep but with a respectable amount of flexibility, giving the toe the ability to dig in, even on treacherous ground.

What I Didn’t Like

While perfect for midline to semi-rugged terrain, I held taking the boots out for mule deer season. Many times, these hunts take me on some questionable routes involving relatively tough and rocky accents. Given the boots provide only the scantest ankle support—and I mostly solo hunt—I didn’t want to roll the dice with them in these circumstances.

Conclusion

Overall, for a light hunting boot—or something for an active shooting competition—the Alpha Pursuit is among the best I’ve laced up. The boots are certainly the most comfortable I’ve tested and used in a while, but don’t compromise a bit withstanding the elements and geography. I used and plan to continue using them, particularly on hunts that take me far afield.

I’m glad Muck has gone this direction. The company’s boots have always impressed me, but for the most part have a certain window of operation. With the Alpha Pursuit in its catalog, Muck had greatly expanded that window.

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