My Irish setter boot experience

Bought a pair of Irish Setter Rutmaster rubber boots last Nov 2011. Wore them for the 1 week M/L hunt & a few times for bow & they fit great & were warm & waterproof last year.

Put them on yesterday to hang a few stands & stepped in a ditch with ancle deep water. Yep you guessed it the left boot now leaks like crazy.

These are not cheap boots @ around $180.00 I would have liked to get at least 2 seasons out of them.

I called Franks great outdoors in Michigan where I bought them & so far they have been very helpful. They asked me to bring them in or ship them back & they will send them back to Irish Setter for me & ask for a full replacement.

The warranty looks to be a 1 year deal so we will see if they stand behind the product. I have worn Irish Setter for over 20 years & never had any issues like this before.

I will keep you guys up to date on what happens here. I see this as an ooprtunity for them to retain a customer & do the right thing & send me a new pair. But we will see....

BRCBH

I have the same pair of boots. I bought them last fall. I also have two other pairs of Irish Setters that I've had for years without issue. I hope all works out for you. I'll be keeping a close eye on my Rutmasters. You got me a little worried!

I've been wearing the same pair of Irish Setter boots for 20 yrs. with no issues. I don't know if they are still made in N.A. But I've been happy!!:thumbup:

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Originally Posted by jim

I've been wearing the same pair of Irish Setter boots for 20 yrs. with no issues. I don't know if they are still made in N.A. But I've been happy!!:thumbup:

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Made in China now. :eek:

Good luck with your boots....I bought a pair of knee-high lace-ups a few years ago.....You may have been lucky you bought them in the U.S..I bought mine in Canada and got screwed.....If you're in Canada they won't even take them back....(I spoke to the head of the warrenty dept.)....I wouldn't waste my money again.....I have a set of size 13 minnow buckets if anyone needs them?

I have the Irish Setter Swamp Ghosts and they are amazing! I put them through hell on my Newfoundland Moose hunting 2 years ago and I use them for upland, waterfowl, deer, etc.

You have to remember...boots are not bullet proof, they can get pierced or torn if caught up on something tough enough. Yes sometimes it's the manufactures fault with cheap stitching and material used and sometimes not. If there is warranty on them I'd send them back. The only thing that sucks is you will have to pay shipping unless you can drive them to the warranty office. Is there one in Canada?

Good luck! Hopefully you get your boots repaired or a new pair.

Paul

love my irish setter lace up leather boots. for rubber boots i use nokian

It's all I wear, I picked up a pair of Rutmasters when they 1st came out and also own 2 pair of the King Toe knee high boots. Knock on wood I haven't had a single problem with 2 or them, the other pair of King Toes are brand new not worn. The Rutmasters have been through alot and seem to be holding up great.

Where are they leaking? I have about 6 pairs of Irish Setter boots including the rutmaster insulated and non-insulated. I discovered that my non-insulated rutmasters have also developed a slight leak and they too are only 1 year old. The leak (oddly enough) is also in the left boot and it's at the back near the black ribbed that would be where your achillies tendon is. I wonder if the seam has separated from taking them on and off. They can be a bit of a bugger to get off.

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Originally Posted by LondonDave

Where are they leaking? I have about 6 pairs of Irish Setter boots including the rutmaster insulated and non-insulated. I discovered that my non-insulated rutmasters have also developed a slight leak and they too are only 1 year old. The leak (oddly enough) is also in the left boot and it's at the back near the black ribbed that would be where your achillies tendon is. I wonder if the seam has separated from taking them on and off. They can be a bit of a bugger to get off.

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Mine leak in the exact same spot near the ribbed section on the back of the boot. Well it's been almost a month now with no response from Irish Setter. I am a patient man but this is showing me that the customer service level is very low & no where near what it should be.

I am going to start contacting them by all means possible. Figures it's deer season & I am stuck wearing my old crappy boots waiting for these jokers to evaluate if it was me that damaged the boots or if it was the chinese factory that droped the ball. In this case I know it was not me & I am getting screwed!!

If any of you are considering a boot purchase in the near future you have just been educated on this brand!

My first pair leaked after 4 months.... then again we logged 47 miles free range doggin deer around Loring, brutal walks. IS replaced the boots and upgraded to the $300 ones for free. I have been carefuller (<---- is that a word?) with these ones.

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Originally Posted by bellerivercrossbowhunter

Mine leak in the exact same spot near the ribbed section on the back of the boot. Well it's been almost a month now with no response from Irish Setter. I am a patient man but this is showing me that the customer service level is very low & no where near what it should be.

I am going to start contacting them by all means possible. Figures it's deer season & I am stuck wearing my old crappy boots waiting for these jokers to evaluate if it was me that damaged the boots or if it was the chinese factory that droped the ball. In this case I know it was not me & I am getting screwed!!

If any of you are considering a boot purchase in the near future you have just been educated on this brand!

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I was wearing mine the other day while out walking the dogs after it rained. Just walking in tall wet grass and I could feel the wet coming through from that spot. I never thought to contact Irish Setter but maybe I should. Can't hurt to try I guess. If you get a response let me know.

Dave

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Originally Posted by bellerivercrossbowhunter

Made in China now. :eek:

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And total garb. Got two pair in new cond for anyone who wants. Go grab some rocky mudsox and have done

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Originally Posted by DHainer

My first pair leaked after 4 months.... then again we logged 47 miles free range doggin deer around Loring, brutal walks. IS replaced the boots and upgraded to the $300 ones for free. I have been carefuller (<---- is that a word?) with these ones.

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Did you go back to where you bought them or did you contact Irish Setter directly? I just sent Irish Setter an e-mail to the customer service address on their website.

Dave

I've always found that what I do with my boots in the off season impacts how they perform in the hunting season. I've put boots away (forgotten about them actually) caked in mud, and the leather dries out and performance is lost. If I clean them with a mild soap (saddle soap etc) and apply a coat of dubbin to them they last forever and offer good performance.

I also had the same leak happen on my rutmasters last november along with other areas near the toe of the boots where the materials actually tore. I really have no idea how those ones started because the boots hadn't seen much action before the november gun hunt. I ended up contacting Irish Setter about this because the store they were originally bought at would not take them back or replace them and what I was told by Irish Setter was ship them back out of my own pocket and they would try to fix them but would not give me a replacement pair or guarantee that they would be fixed. So instead I decided to Goop the hell out of them and they seem to keep my feet dry now.

The Rutmasters were my second pair of Irish Setters and I was surprised on how fast these things failed seeing as my first pair which were a lace up style boot lasted me almost 6 years and I used them for ice fishing, snowmobiling and hunting. I just bought a pair of the 1000 gram Grizzly Trackers, I feel like giving Irish Setter another chance to impress me but I'll probably never get another pair of their rubbers until they do something about how they put them together. There is way too many weak areas if you ask me.

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Originally Posted by Thinking

I've always found that what I do with my boots in the off season impacts how they perform in the hunting season. I've put boots away (forgotten about them actually) caked in mud, and the leather dries out and performance is lost. If I clean them with a mild soap (saddle soap etc) and apply a coat of dubbin to them they last forever and offer good performance.

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Or you could where Rockys and do notta

Well thanks for the heads up, I am heading to Gander mountain to pick up boots this Tuesday... I was initially going to look into Irish Setter boots, looks like ill be re thinking them now.

UPDATE

A new pair is on the way finally. The only reason I am getting a new pair is beacuse of where I bought them ,Franks Great Outdors in Michigan. I have called them 3 times & just got off the phone with Franks. They called IS boot company & put the pressure on them to cough up the refund for a new pair.

KUDOS to Franks Great Outdoors they have won me over as a Customer every time I hunt the Midland Mi area I will stop in & buy!!

I don't expect the new pair to last but hope I get this season out of them & will never buy another pair of IS boots again after hearing other members here have the same issue with Leaky seems!!!!!

I tried a pair of Muck wetland boots on the other day & was very impressed with them. I held off on dropping another $150.00 to see if my warranty would go through...

Try the Danner line of boots #1. Irish Setters and Rocky's are not what thay used to be There water proofing system is not that good any more.

I sent Irish Setter a message the other day and got a response back the same day. Here is the message I sent them and the response...

Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 7:12 AM
To: Customer Service, Red Wing Shoe Co.
Subject: Problem with Irish Setter Rutmaster boots

Hello,

I have a pair of non-insulated Rutmaster boots that are less than a year old. Approximately 1 month ago I stepped into water that was just over ankle deep. I noticed that the left boot was leaking at the lower part of the ribbed area on the back of the boot in the ankle area. The other day I was out walking after it rained. I was walking through tall wet grass and again could feel that the boot was leaking in the same area.

I currently own 6 pairs of Irish Setter boots and have owned Irish Setter boots for many years. I love the fit and finish and recommend them whenever possible. This is the first pair that I've had any sort of issue with. I'm wondering if there is any sort of warranty on these boots or if perhaps there was a production defect? I belong to an internet hunting forum where several other members have reported having the same problem with the same boots in the same area.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance



Dave,
Thank you for writing to us. We are sorry to hear that your Irish Setter Rutmaster boots have not performed as expected. At Irish Setter we guarantee our products to be free from defects in material and construction. Warranty adjustments are best addressed at your local retailer where the boots were purchased.

There is a one year waterproof warranty on the boots and the rest of the material and workmanship warranty is all based on normal wear. Credit may be pro-rated based on the general condition and length of wear.

Irish Setter footwear is designed for hunting and hiking. If the footwear has been abused, cut, punctured, severely scraped or used for unintended purposes, the guarantee is not in force.

If you can't get back to the store where your boots were purchased at and see what they can do, you'll need to send them back to us yourself for us to look at and inspect.

Please send them to this address:
Red Wing Shoe Company
135 Cannon River Avenue
Red Wing, MN 55066
Attention: Irish Setter Returns

Put a note or card in with your boots explaining the problem, along with your name, your return address, and telephone number.

Sincerely,
Irish Setter Consumer Relations

314 Main StIIRed Wing, MN 55066
Follow us onFacebook&Twitter

Such a crappy response. I run a distribution company and we would never get away with that! Most of the time we don't even ask for the defective item back just sent out a replacement. If it is a case we have not seen before I will email UPS labels to the customer at our expense to get the item back, and send them out a new item.

You should not have to send a defective item back at your expense!

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Originally Posted by LondonDave

I sent Irish Setter a message the other day and got a response back the same day. Here is the message I sent them and the response...

Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 7:12 AM
To: Customer Service, Red Wing Shoe Co.
Subject: Problem with Irish Setter Rutmaster boots

Hello,

I have a pair of non-insulated Rutmaster boots that are less than a year old. Approximately 1 month ago I stepped into water that was just over ankle deep. I noticed that the left boot was leaking at the lower part of the ribbed area on the back of the boot in the ankle area. The other day I was out walking after it rained. I was walking through tall wet grass and again could feel that the boot was leaking in the same area.

I currently own 6 pairs of Irish Setter boots and have owned Irish Setter boots for many years. I love the fit and finish and recommend them whenever possible. This is the first pair that I've had any sort of issue with. I'm wondering if there is any sort of warranty on these boots or if perhaps there was a production defect? I belong to an internet hunting forum where several other members have reported having the same problem with the same boots in the same area.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance



Dave,
Thank you for writing to us. We are sorry to hear that your Irish Setter Rutmaster boots have not performed as expected. At Irish Setter we guarantee our products to be free from defects in material and construction. Warranty adjustments are best addressed at your local retailer where the boots were purchased.

There is a one year waterproof warranty on the boots and the rest of the material and workmanship warranty is all based on normal wear. Credit may be pro-rated based on the general condition and length of wear.

Irish Setter footwear is designed for hunting and hiking. If the footwear has been abused, cut, punctured, severely scraped or used for unintended purposes, the guarantee is not in force.

If you can't get back to the store where your boots were purchased at and see what they can do, you'll need to send them back to us yourself for us to look at and inspect.

Please send them to this address:
Red Wing Shoe Company
135 Cannon River Avenue
Red Wing, MN 55066
Attention: Irish Setter Returns

Put a note or card in with your boots explaining the problem, along with your name, your return address, and telephone number.

Sincerely,
Irish Setter Consumer Relations

314 Main StIIRed Wing, MN 55066
Follow us onFacebook&Twitter

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Exactly the same response they sent to me. Cost me 30 bucks to send mine back to the US. We need to spread the word about this kind of Customer Service. I will look elsewhere in the future even if it costs me more $$>>>

You convinced me not to buy them. Will check BPS maybe Red Head boots?

Irish Setter's Exoflex heel system may make walking comfortable, but it's the weak point in the boot. Bought my first pair of Rutmasters two years ago. They lasted about 10 hours, then started leaking at the Exoflex on the heel. The rubber rim separates from the ribbed section. Jeremy at LeBaron's was great. No questions asked - they gave me a new pair. These ones lasted two weeks, then the identical leak started. They also delaminated at the side by the toe. It's a shame, as they are a really nice boot to walk in, but the heel flex area is NFG. I'll Shoo-Goo the pis out of the flex pad, and I'm sure it will fix the leak. My fav. boot was always the green Nokia Retki, with a Bama sock. Almost cried when they sold the company to Wildmark, then it went to China. Boot is junk now. Rubber oxidizes and cracks within months. Have had terrible luck with Acton and LaCrosse boots also - lousy rubber that cracks within months.

Dave

Jeremy is great! He's my go to guy at markham le B's.

I was looking into a pair of bush boots and I was told the only IS ones recommended were the uninsulated elk trackers.

I stick to the $39.00 kamiks and If I get two years out of them I am happy........

I am looking for boots and really happy I've found this thread

the search continues, thanks everyone for posting their experience, good or bad

Irish Setter boots suck! So does their customer service.
You can see the nibs still on the soles, they fell apart in a matter of months & Irish Setters customer service gave me the run around & basically did nothing.:mad:

THEY SUCK! DON"T EVER BUY A PAIR OF: Irish Setter Boots

[ATTACH]Attachment 12779[/ATTACH]

I had the same problem some others had with the Rutmasters. First the strap ripped off...a little Shoe Goo fixed it. Then the left boot split at the back of the ankle. I emailed I S but got no response after 3 business days. So I replied to my original email but also got
No response. I called them and was told 1 year warranty need to take them back to the store cause they don't deal direct with Canadian customers. Called Lebarons and they say I need a receipt...wtf keeps every receipt?

The boots are over a year old...but have only been put on less than 30 times. I was hoping I S would stand behind their product but they did nothing for me.

I really love the boots but the durability sucks.

On a positive note....I was able to fix them (again) by using more Shoe Goo. Just squeeze the goo right into the split seam and rub the boot to spread it. I am going over all seams at the back of the boots to help prevent any further damages.

Thumbs down for Irish Setter customer service and lack of standing behind their product.

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Originally Posted by standup

And total garb. Got two pair in new cond for anyone who wants. Go grab some rocky mudsox and have done

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Had the Rocky's, and my bud's had them, the sole falls off, starting at the toe. I figured that screwed them out of a lot just from 3 guys. So what did i buy this year? Irishsetter from China. Just can not win.:madman:

Damn near bought a pair of Rutmasters about a month ago, they did'nt have my size in stock. Kinda happy they did'nt now after reading this. Thanx muchly.

outback

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Originally Posted by LondonDave

Did you go back to where you bought them or did you contact Irish Setter directly? I just sent Irish Setter an e-mail to the customer service address on their website.

Dave

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I went back to where i bought them, G&K Archery in Wallaceburg.... they handled it and IS sent a new pair to me through them.

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Originally Posted by DHainer

I went back to where i bought them, G&K Archery in Wallaceburg.... they handled it and IS sent a new pair to me through them.

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Good on G&K for looking after you. I don't think I'm going to bother sending mine back. Not worth the hassle. I'll just keep them for mucking around the farm and get another pair strictly for hunting.

hmm, I wish I read this yesterday, I literally just bought a pair of Rutmasters from Sail last night. I think I am going to return them and exchange them for something else.

Agreed, I will never buy another pair of setters! Both pairs I've owned leaked and the heal cup on the one pair was sharp plastic and dug into my ankle. Just bough a pair of Danner Pronghorns - they seem like better boots...but we'll see...the new ones don't get great reviews

Last update!

just got my replacement Rut Masters delivered to my home.

I got dinged for customs on the return. Just my luck.

So it cost me a total of $65.00 to ship them back & pay for the customs portion of the return.

Not happy about spending money on a warranty item but this is what I get for buying Irish Setter boots.

BRCBH

mine developed a wear crack last week , went to my local dealer yesterday afternoon showed him walked out with a new pair no questions asked no tears shed both parties are happy , also probably helped i have been shopping at my local shop for 13 years plus

Sorry to bump am old topic, but are there an recent experiences with the rutmaster boots? I'm heading out this morning for boots and were considering these but I may reconsider after reading this thread.

Edit: picked up a pair of lacrosse alphaburly's for 100 bucks at gagnon sports instead.

Had the same problem, returned my boots to the store 3 times and the third time they wouldn't do anything for me. Will never buy another pair

I think the rutmasters are prone to fail by design because of the exoflex area. I have 4 pairs of them and 1 leaks but every time I wear any of the other ones I expect them to spring a lean anytime.

I am so happy i found this thread...i almost bought on of these yesterday...thanks guys..