Initial Impressions, Mocs, Russell Moccasin, Stitched Footwear

Russell Moccasin Backcountry Premier: The Best Moc Boot?

Price: $750+

Why Buy?

The Russell Moccasin Backcountry in the Premier Build is simply the best built moc boot you can buy, and offers amazing history.

Why Avoid?

The Russell Moccasin Backcountry is positioned at the top of the market, and priced to match.

Specs

ModelBackcountry Premier
Height7″
Size11.5 E
Weight812 g / 1 lb 12.6 oz
MaterialsChamois Leather / Foam Outsole
ConstructionMoc Construction
Country of OriginUnited States

History

There are a lot of brands we’ve reviewed on 100wears that have a history to them, but Russel Moccasin can go toe to toe with the best of them. The brand actually short changes themselves on their website. They only start counting from 1898 when Will Russell bought an existing shoe company and gave it the current name. In fact, the actual history goes back all the way to 1850.

Over that time, the shoes have been worn by everyone from Charles Lindbergh to presidents like Eisenhower and both HW and W. HW Bush must have let his staff in on the secret, as Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf had a pair. Even Harrison Ford, who famously was the one who gave the Alden Indy the name “Indy,” currently rocks a pair.

King Edward VIII’s first affair with an American wasn’t with Wallis Simpson, but with a pair of Russells he wore on a hunting trip. In other words, there are some pretty big names backing up this brand.

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However, over time, the brand’s popularity was more of a curse than anything else. Build times went from 10-12 weeks, to 6 months, and by 2021 I remember the wait list being several years! The company needed some modernization.

Enter Luke Kolbie, Joe Julian, and Joe Gonyo. This new team was able to modernize the website for easier ordering, easier sizing, and more. However, newer doesn’t always mean better. Have the changes taken away what made the brand so special for more than 100 years? Let’s dive in and find out.

Disclaimer:

This pair of Russell Moccasin Backcountry Premier Build were sent for the purpose of review; however, this is not a sponsored post. Everything said in this review is my true opinions and Russell Moccasin was not given the opportunity to edit or review the post before it went live.


Ordering

For those who just want a boot, the good news is that Russell Moccasin has a number of great options available for immediate order. The Backcountry in Timberjack leather that is so closely associated with the brand can be at your door in a few days.

However, for a boot like a Russell, I think there is value in getting exactly what you want. For those who agree with me, Russell offers what they call the “premier build” program. Through the premier build, you can change the leather and out sole of their classic models. There are even a few premier exclusive options. Interestingly, there is no up charge for the premier build itself. Though, if you opt for more expensive leathers you do need to cover the increased cost.

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Personally, I love their classic Backcountry style. However, I wanted something that emphasized why you might pick Russell in the first place – light weight and comfort. For that reason, I opted for a Bronze Chamois leather with a Vibram 2060. However, I was able to try a PH in Bison. It was pretty much the exact opposite from what I picked, but was also great.

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Once you’ve picked your options, you move onto their digital sizing program. Here you use a credit card to scan your feet and get the correct sizing. I was told that this improves sizing suggestion accuracy by around 50% over traditional methods. It unfortunately didn’t work for me, but the good news is that if you’re in the same boat you do get one remake for sizing issues.

They list 10-12 weeks for build time, but I should note mine came in 6 weeks.


Looks

Upper

When evaluating the cleanliness of the upper, I judge a boot based on how much you’re paying for it. And, despite the price point of the Russell Moccasin Backcountry Premier, the construction of the upper does not disappoint.

Both the stitching and the leather clicking are effectively immaculate. Perhaps most impressive, the hand stitching along the toe is extremely even, too. If I didn’t know that this type of stitching can’t be done by machine, I wouldn’t believe it was done by hand.

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Speaking of that stitch, Russell Moccasin was the first company to use the overlapping toe piece. Unlike most moccasin construction boots, here, the toe piece is folded over both sides of the vamp and sewn through – toe piece > vamp > toe piece. This style is now used by other brands, but Russell is the original.

The shaft is double stitched to the vamp of the boot using non-contrast stitching, as is the heel piece at the rear. As you move up the boot, the Backcountry Premier comes with 5 eyelets and 3 hooks. Up top, the finishing includes pinking, or the little pointy design.

Inside, the shaft is unlined, however the bottom of the boot is. There is a half-length insole, with the lining under your foot the rest of the way.

On the chamois leather specifically, this is a great example. Chamois, by design, tends to show marks and scrapes. On this pair though, other than some tooling marks around the toe cap that are unavoidable in this style of construction, they managed to ship this pair without damage.

Mid- and Outsole

While there is not as much to say about the Russell Moccasin Backcountry Premier down here, what can be said is similar to the top.

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The visible stitching on the leather midsole looks great. As even as you could possibly ask for. Russell actually shaves the corner of the leather ever so slightly to make sure it doesn’t catch, a nice touch. That leather midsole is stitched to the rubber midsole, which is colored to match whatever outsole you pick.

Speaking of the outsole, this pair came with the Vibram 2060 wedge. The 2060 is one of the softest and lightest soles that Vibram makes, and nobody will mistake it for anything but foam.

I should say, if your goal is that classic Russel look, the wedge sole does change it up a bit. However, for a more fashion forward look, I love it.

Summary

When it comes to styling your pair of Russell Moccasin Backcountry, the premier build makes things a lot easier. As I’ve mentioned on this site a few times, the majority of my time is spent right next to a major East Coast city. Nobody is going to think I’m on my way to hunt some birds, no matter what is on my feet.

Utilizing the small tweaks show how versatile the pattern for the Backcountry is. By swapping out the smooth leather to something with more of a matte finish and adding a wedge sole, these look just as at home at a little league game as on a hike.

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I should also point out, at least based on pictures, that Russell Moccasin seems to be improving their build quality over time. Just after the takeover there were some pairs that might be described as “rustic” in their stitching. However, none of the pairs I’ve seen have had any visible issues at all in several years.


Fit & Comfort

Fit

As mentioned above, when you order your pair of Russell Moccasin Backcountrys in the premier build, you go through a multi-step process to evaluate your foot shape and size. That gave me a size 10.5E, however after some back and forth with the company, we landed on an 11.5E.

This size fits me great with thinner socks (how I intend to wear these). While that is a shame it didn’t work on my end, the company mentioned that for shoes like this people typically mis-size around 40% of the time on their first pair. This app has dropped that all the way down to 10%.

If you prefer a more old-school fitting process, Russell has a youtube video describing how to make sure your pair fits here.

11.5E for me is what I typically wear in the pacific northwest boot brands like White’s and Viberg. However, you should know the fit on this pair is different from those. Where as those are designs that make your foot fit the shape they come in, the Russell Backcountrys take the shape of your foot. It will be a closer fit.

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Will Russell Custom Shop

If you have a particularly hard to fit foot, Russell offers something they call the “Will Russell Custom Shop.” Here they offer 4 different widths, different lasts, different leathers and out soles, etc. They also have multiple pairs to try on and really nail down the fit, and can make minor adjustments if none of those really work for you.

As you can imagine, this can only be done in person. Further, don’t expect an entirely custom-made pattern to be cheap. However, this is an excellent option for those who are looking to really dial in that fit.

Comfort

Overall, the comfort of my pair of Russell Moccasin Backcountrys in the premier build is very good. They are light weight, flexible, and will definitely take the shape of your foot. Add in the soft and spongy outsole, and these are going to do exactly what I’m looking for.

However, based on the type of comfort you’re looking for, you might find one of their other pairs a better fit.

These Backcountry boots use their standard double vamp construction. This is excellent for light duty work. However, if you want more support, I did get to try one of their molded sole models and was blown away by the arch support, something typically unheard of in moc construction style boots.

You can find the molded sole construction for the same price in the Joe’s PH model.

Neither is the “right” comfort, but there are differences depending on your own personal foot and use case.


Materials & Construction

Materials

We’ve covered just about all of the options I’ve picked for my personal pair of Russell Moccasin Backcountry boots, but I’ll still summarize here for easy reference.

First, the upper of this pair is made with Horween’s Chamois, a heavily oiled nubuck leather. Chamois is one of my favorite leathers to style. However, you should know, Chamois can soak up a lot of liquid. If you plan on wearing your boots in all sorts of weather or around oil, this might not be the best leather for you. You can find all the leathers offered here.

Behind that upper, an incredibly thick leather lining covers the lower half of the boot. And I do mean thick – by far the thickest I’ve seen in a pair of boots. An oak-tanned leather heel counter can be found between these pieces in the back.

Brass eyelets are threaded by the only thing on the boot that I believe could be improve: the laces. They are fine, but compared to every other detail of the boot being designed to be the best of the best, the laces are not quite up to the same level. Easy enough to change, though.

Under your foot, a leather-lined poron insole runs around half the length of the boot. This sits on top of the very thick lining leather, which also runs underfoot. A veg-tanned leather midsole is sewn to a rubber slip sole finishes off the kind-of internals.

Finally, the Vibram 2060 outsole. This is a great outsole for daily wear, offering sneaker-like squish underfoot and extremely easy resoles. Like the leather, however, there are drawbacks. The 2060 does not offer the best grip in poor weather, and can wear quickly. Russell recommends the Roccia on your first pair. You can find all of their outsoles here.

Construction

Who could miss the construction section on the Russell Moccasin Backcountry? It’s probably their biggest claim to fame.

This boot is made using their double vamp construction. In order to make a boot this way, first you need to build the inner vamp on the last, then create the boot using standard moccasin construction. Basically, you’re making two boots at once.

If you’re not aware how this works, moccasin construction is a bit unique. The primary piece of leather on the boot actually runs primarily under your foot, rather than over it. This leather, shaped like a U, is then hand-sewn to a toe piece (also called a “plug”). This style of construction can only be done by hand.

Finally, an outsole is sewn onto the boot using a blake machine. For some outsoles, including the 2060 on this pair, the upper is sewn to a midsole which is then sewn to a slip sole. The outsole is finally glued onto that slip sole. Sound complicated? Well, it can be.

The biggest benefit of moccasin construction is that it doesn’t require a lot of “stuff” in it. This allows the boot to move far more freely than something like a goodyear-welted boot. This lack of structure also allows the boot to take the shape of your foot in a way that isn’t possible with other construction styles.

As for drawbacks, this style of construction is much more expensive to make, and doesn’t offer the same level of support as something more built up. Moc construction can be less water proof, though Russell actually makes sure the seems of exterior leather are staggered from the seams of the lining. This should help keep your feet dry.


Ease of Care

How hard the Russell Moccasin Backcountry in the premier build will be to keep maintained will really depend on the options that you pick. For this particular pair, due to the chamois leather, you want to be careful conditioning these. Russell recommends using Pecard Leather Care, and I don’t have any disagreements here.

While they don’t specifically mention it, you definitely want to keep shoe trees in your pair when not in use. Some people avoid shoe trees on lighter weight moc construction footwear, the leather used on these is thick enough you’ll be fine as long as you pick the correct size shoe tree. While something from Woodlore will be well finished, any wooden shoe tree from Amazon is probably just fine.

When the outsole has worn out, Russell Moccasin has partnered with a local cobbler for certified work. That being said, if the only thing you’re doing is replacing a glued-on wedge outsole, any well reviewed local cobbler should be able to do a great job for an affordable price.

However, if you need to replace the leather or rubber mid soles, that is a tougher task and you might want to consider Appleton Cobbler.


Pricing

“Wow,” you might say, “this is a pretty glowing review – is there any catch?” The thing about using expensive materials, an expensive build method, and using expensive labor. The end result is not likely to be cheap.

The Russell Moccasin Backcountry Premier Build starts at $750. Add in the upgrades that I picked and the price goes up to $815. Russell Moccasin sits squarely at the premium end of the market.

That is a lot of money for anyone, so I will let everyone make their own decisions. However, for what it’s worth, when the brand was priced even slightly lower their wait list was 15 months.

If that price is beyond what you’re comfortable with, Russell does offer two ways to get a more affordable pair. They have both last-chance pairs as well as seconds available for a reasonable discount. Though, due to the nature of these pairs, sizing will be random and limited.


Are the Russell Moccasin Backcountry Worth It?

The Russell Moccasin Backcountry, especially with the premier build options, is an excellent boot. At the price charged you should expect extremely high quality, and accept nothing less. I’m happy to say that even with these expectations the brand delivers. From the stitching to the material choices, you can rest assured that you are getting the best possible moccasin construction boot available.

The premier build program also offers really great value. Though that isn’t hard to do, going into the premier build is zero cost. I personally think that, unless you need a pair very quickly or want the most classic design, going for the premier build is a no brainer.

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