Luke Cuenco 12.26.25
As we swap out our tennis shoes and flip flops for some more serious footwear this winter, I thought it’d be great to give everyone a closer look at one of my favorite brands of boots, and specifically one of their best all-around boots out there – the Irish Setter Wingshooter. The Wingshooter is Irish Setter’s classic high-quality boot line that sort of blends in what you’d expect from a nicer pair of boots, with some of the tougher features you’d see on their hunting boot lineup. Today, we’ll be taking a look at a brand new pair of 9″ Wingshooters that I’ve ordered in size EE, or wide. This, among many other features, like an entirely waterproof design, is part of what makes the Irish Setter Wingshooter one of the best boots in the business for everyday wear.
Boot Coverage on AllOutdoor
AO Review: Irish Setter 9” Wingshooter – The Ultimate Everyday Driver
The Irish Setter 9″ Wingshooter boots feature a durable full-grain waterproof leather upper paired with a Goodyear welt construction for long-lasting wear and easy resoling. They come equipped with UltraDry waterproof technology, including a moisture-wicking nylon lining and gusseted tongue to keep your feet dry when things get wet or if your feet tend to run a little hot. Comfort is accomplished via a removable polyurethane footbed, padded ankle collar, and an EVA midsole for shock absorption – all similar features to my pair of Irish Setter Pinnacle hunting boots. The outsole is a rugged rubber “prairie” sole that offers excellent traction and resistance to oil, heat, and electrical hazards. Available in a wide range of sizes and widths, including an extra-wide EE option, these boots cater to a broad spectrum of foot shapes. Weighing roughly 57 ounces per boot, they’re surprisingly light without feeling weightless, and I think this is one fact that gives them wearability as your daily footwear.
Unlike some other leather boot brands on the market, Irish Setters only need a tiny bit of break-in to be comfortable to wear. In the case of my Pinnacle boots, they required no break-in, and I wound up going on a 14-mile hike through an abandoned turnpike with those almost right after I bought them. The Wingshooters are fairly similar, with the longer 9″ variant taking just a bit longer to wear in to get that nice supple yet supportive feeling you get from high ankle boots. The laces similarly wear in just like the full-grain leather.
The Irish Setter Wingshooter boots typically range between $180 and $240, including the waterproof and insulated versions in virtually any of their standard colors. The other styles include 7-inch and 9-inch heights, with options for soft toe, steel toe, or composite safety toe variants. The boots are available in multiple widths, including the extra-wide EE option, which I am a huge fan of. This makes the boots much easier to order for yourself, but also for ordering for others, as Irish Setter is one of the few companies to offer EE sizing as standard. Just based on the overall construction quality, materials selection, and look and feel, I think they are a solid choice at a mid-range price point. But how do they hold up to the outdoors and the wet streets of the Pacific Northwest?
Outside and In the Rain
Part of what makes the Wingshooters a great option for an everyday shoe, especially here in the Pacific Northwest, is their waterproof feature. The 9″ boots feature a pretty aggressive tread that’s perfect for gravel, grass, dirt, and water, but will wear away if your primary job is walking on pavement. Part of what makes the Wingshooters comfortable is their rubber prairie sole, which is durable in its own right but offers a better balance of traction and comfort over the work-focused Wingshooter ST, which features a composite toe in addition to a more durable Rubber EVA outsole. However, the humble 70-year-old hunting boot design still holds up to most of the typical “abuse” I put them through, which consists mostly of range trips and running errands in and around town.
When it comes to the waterproof design, Wingshooters are some of the best. The boots are truly waterproof, with the 9″ versions featuring the most coverage up to about the mid ankle. This is extremely helpful if you need to step into a puddle to cross a street, or you happen to find yourself out in the rain in a hunting stand, and you want a pair of footwear that’s going to keep your little piggies nice and dry for the trip back with your trophy. The boots will likely get muddy, wet, dusty, or splashed with who knows what, but if you just put in a little bit of effort to maintain them, these boots will give you a lot of miles.
Speaking of maintenance, to keep your Irish Setter Wingshooters in good condition, you should adopt some basic leather maintenance practices. This means cleaning off dirt and debris with a soft brush or cloth after heavy use, especially if you’ve been outdoors in muddy or wet conditions. Leather conditioner should be applied periodically to maintain the suppleness and water resistance of the full-grain leather upper—this keeps the leather from drying out and cracking over time. The boots right out of the box will absorb some water, but should still be waterproof, especially after a few treatments of leather conditioner and buffing. It’s also wise to avoid excessive heat drying if the boots get wet; instead, let them air dry naturally at room temperature instead of using a heated boot dryer, to allow the leather to come to room humidity and temperature naturally. Finally, for all of my leather boots, I like to 0periodically apply a waterproofing spray or wax designed for leather boots will help retain their moisture barrier, ensuring that the UltraDry technology continues to perform as intended.
Final Thoughts
The Irish Setter 9″ Wingshooter boots offer some of the best in terms of blending durability, comfort, and classic style, which makes them ideal as a reliable everyday boot and will even turn heads when worn out on the town (if they’re clean). They keep feet dry and supported, while the lightweight design and wide sizing options make them a comfortable fit for a broad range of foot shapes and especially for wide feet like myself, who like to wear boots instead of tennis shoes or loafers every day. So whether you’re navigating wet city streets, working outdoors in the mud, snow, and rain, or just looking for a gift for someone who needs a good pair of boots, the Wingshooters strike a perfect balance of performance and versatility for the price you pay for them. That’s what makes them some of the best waterproof boots in the boot market.
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