Russell Moccasin Joe's PH II
Editor's Personal Pick — This is gear our editor carries afield.
Editor's pick: the custom-made-to-your-foot Wisconsin boot that ends the search.
Why we picked this
Russell Moccasin is a 130-year-old boot company in Berlin, Wisconsin. They build every boot custom — you measure your foot, send the measurements (or visit them in person, which is the better experience), and six months later they ship a boot that fits your foot exactly. Not "your size" — your foot. The Joe's PH II is their upland-specific boot, and putting it on for the first time is a clarifying experience: you realize that every other boot you've ever owned was a compromise. This is the boot the editorial team buys to retire other boots.
Quick specs
| Category | Boots |
| Brand | Russell Moccasin |
| Made in | Berlin, Wisconsin, USA |
| Construction | Moccasin construction — wraparound vamp, hand-sewn |
| Upper | Full-grain leather (Russell selects the hide) |
| Liner | None standard (wax for water resistance) |
| Insulation | None |
| Sole | Various — Vibram options |
| Lead time | 5-7 months from order |
| Price | starting around $700 ($$$$$) |
| Use case | The boot you buy once and never replace |
| Editor's verdict | The boot that ends the search. |
The full review
The first thing to understand about Russell Moccasin is that they don't make boots the way modern boot-makers make boots. They make boots the way boots were made in 1898 — by hand, one at a time, by people who do this for a career. The Joe's PH II takes 6-7 months to produce because Russell's leather selection, lasting, sewing, and finishing all happen in sequence on your specific boot.
The moccasin construction is the design's signature. Instead of stitching an upper to a separate sole, the upper wraps around your foot and is stitched at the throat — the same technique indigenous people in the Northeast woodlands used 500 years ago, refined for modern leather and Vibram outsoles. The result is a boot that conforms to your foot with almost no break-in (because Russell measured your foot before building the boot) and flexes naturally with your stride.
Russell does not include a GORE-TEX liner. They will tell you that wax is the right way to make a leather boot water-resistant — when wax saturates good leather, it sheds water for years and doesn't trap perspiration the way GORE-TEX inevitably does. They are right about this for moderate conditions; for genuine wet-season Sierra grouse hunting, you'll want supplemental Sno-Seal once a season.
The Joe's PH II is the upland-specific Russell. The PH stands for "PH" — a working hunter's last with extra ankle support and a slightly more aggressive sole than Russell's classic Cavalier. For NorCal terrain — chukar canyons, Modoc basalt, Sierra grouse, valley pheasant — the PH II is the right pick.
The order process is the part most hunters don't expect. You can mail-order with paper foot tracings, and Russell does this competently. But the experience that justifies the price is visiting Berlin, Wisconsin in person, getting your feet measured by Mike or one of the master fitters, and choosing your leather and your sole. Russell offers maybe twenty leather options and ten sole options. Spend the afternoon. The visit is part of the boot.
These boots will outlive you if you take care of them. Russell will rebuild them as many times as you need (full resole, new welt, new uppers if needed) and the rebuild typically costs less than a quarter of a new pair. We've seen 30-year-old Russells in active hunting service. The math on cost-per-mile is the most favorable in the entire boot category — but only if you're committed to the brand for life.
What we love
- Truly custom fit — measured to your foot, not your size.
- Wisconsin handmade — real heritage construction, real lifetime warranty.
- Moccasin construction — flex and feel that no welted boot matches.
- Rebuildable indefinitely — Russell will keep your boots going for decades.
- The visit to Berlin, WI — if you can do it in person, do.
What to know before you buy
- Lead time is 5-7 months — order in March for an October opener, or you wait a year.
- No GORE-TEX — wax-based water resistance is the design intent. Re-wax annually.
- The base price climbs with options — leather upgrades, sole choices, custom features add real cost.
- Order process favors in-person fitting — mail-order works but the visit is the right path.
- No retail dealers — direct from Russell only. No try-on at REI.
Where to buy
- Order direct from Russell Moccasin (brand-direct — only option)
CaliforniaUpland.com earns affiliate commissions from qualifying purchases at participating retailers. Russell Moccasin does not currently offer affiliate commissions, but we recommend them because the boot is genuinely the best in its category — and supporting Wisconsin handmade footwear is its own reward.
See also
- All Boots picks
- Russell Moccasin Cavalier — the classic Russell upland boot
- Schnee's Beartooth 0° — the American alternative without the wait
- Crispi Wyoming GTX — the European alternative if Russell's lead time exceeds patience