If you’re looking for the ultimate waterproof hunting boot, a new company’s offering might end your search before it even starts.

Dryshod, a new name in outdoor footwear, unveiled its Southland boot earlier this year, and I must say it is quite impressive. The high-calf hunting boot incorporates everything I’ve looked for in a boot, including superior fit and anti-sweat performance. It’s very early in my field-testing, but I will go out on a limb right now and say this is one of the most comfortable and performance-friendly boots I’ve worn.

First, a little bit about the company. Dryshod, based out of Austin, Texas, includes a management team that starts with former Muck Boot Company founder and owner, Jim Donohue. Jim created the first bootie-style boot in the basement of his home in Danbury, CT back in 1998. Rather than sell his boots through traditional footwear stores, Jim worked with a network of rural distributors to specialize in selling bootie-style neoprene and rubber products directly into the farm and ranch retail sectors nationwide. Initial product styles were a hit with rural customers and the line quickly expanded to styles for lawn and garden, hunting, pet care and specialty work boots. Distribution of the brand expanded into Canada, UK and EU markets before Jim sold MBC to a competitor in 2003.

With the new Dryshod brand and product line, Jim is returning to his roots by creating super-durable waterproof footwear products for rural markets and partnering with the key sales and distribution groups that established special prominence to bootie-style footwear over the past nineteen years. Total focus of the new Dryshod team will be to create world-class footwear that will keep your feet warm, dry and protected in the harshest wet and cold conditions.

Now, more about the Southland boot. Featuring a DS1 molded outsole with a double Achilles heel, instep reinforcement, and a nylon shank to enhance ankle stability, the Southland allows hunters to tackle the most rugged terrain. The boot is made with hand-laid rubber overlays (no PVC, PU, or TPR). In addition to its advanced performance and comfort, the Southland comes ready for the hunt dressed in VEIL® Whitetail camouflage to maximize concealment.

Each Dryshod boot incorporates premium features, and the Southland boot is no exception. The DENSOPRENE® foam insulated bootie delivers 100-percent waterproof performance while the HYDROKOTE® exterior treatment prevents the upper from becoming soggy and allows it to easily shed mud. Other features include a roll-down calf pipe, four-way stretch material, a large heel kick, and sturdy pull tabs for on/off convenience.

The Southland Men’s Hunting Boot in VEIL Whitetail has an MSRP of $169.95. Men’s sizes range from 7 to 16.