Hiking boot preference?

REI does have a good return policy. I always felt it was about defects or similar observations with boots. I wonder if they get their money back when they return them to the manufacturer? I doubt it.... unless there is a defect. If more people used their return policy for fickle reasons, I think they would likely discontinue it.

Shoes in factories are built on a last or in other words formed around a last. Most are pretty standard in dimension as I understand it.
 
I see a lot of hiking boots/ shoes between myself and my co-workers. A couple of things I've noticed as some general thoughts regarding the various brands... Very general.

Keens, wear hard, last long, but they have a very hard sole, and that can cause traction problems on rocks, wet surfaces.

Merrels, very soft soles, great traction, but no where near the overall durability.

Solomons, Generally very good quality, but they don't break in. If they start out with pinch points, they keep them. Durability can be a miss as well, I know a few guys that had them come apart within weeks, but that can happen with any shoe. I know others who have gotten a couple years of daily use.

Fit is important, socks more so. That combo is a make or break in most cases. I find the toes in my Merrels a touch narrow, but they do alright.

I personally have been wearing Doc Martin Combs nylon. Odd choice, but as close as I could get to a jungle boot without spending a mint. solid sole, breaths pretty well, and they have held up quite well. I also have a pair of merrel moabs without gore-tex. It comes right down to your useage, I'd rather a boot that dries quick, you may prefer keeping them dry to begin with.

I have co-workers who do half their walking in elastic side blundstones if the track is level, or crocks if the going is wet and sandy. The main thing is to keep in mind that if you push hard on a different pair of shoes, even if they are broke in, your muscles may not like it much, stuff like heel angle and arch can make a huge difference over a couple of days in shoes that your feet have been out of for a while.... just did that. Feet were fine, calves killed me for two days.
 
I prefer leather boots myself.
less smelly, lasting forever.
Have a pair of high Lowa baffin pro's and a low pair of Lowa Strato 4.
Both have had the soles worn out and replaced, but the top is stil good to go, that tells something.
 
gadgetgeek said:
..... The main thing is to keep in mind that if you push hard on a different pair of shoes, even if they are broke in, your muscles may not like it much, stuff like heel angle and arch can make a huge difference over a couple of days in shoes that your feet have been out of for a while.... just did that. Feet were fine, calves killed me for two days.
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Very true, that. I find the same holds even with ordinary street shoes, let alone hiking boots.

And getting a good fit between foot and socks and shoe (or boot) is best considered as a "system" to be tweaked for comfort and perfomance. And we all have differently shaped feet and walking gaits, so it's really hard to recommend a specific "system" that will work for everyone. Best learned by personal trial and error.

Luckily, most of us will adapt to whatever system we choose, unless it's a hopeless misfit.
 
I have used Vasque Sundowners for the past 20 years (same pair) and they still have lots of miles left on them. Great boots and after a little break in, fit like a glove. Their Cordura boots of similar style are nice as well and a little lighter weight.
 
murderedsongbird said:
What's everyone's preference on specs for boots? Weight? Gore Tex? Leather? Just curious because I'm in the market for some new ones. I usually wear Red Wings as everyday boots so I'm used to heavier weight, but have never used anything heavy for longer hiking trips.
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Thanks for starting this thread. I've recently gotten interested in hiking & learning map/compass navigation. Looks like REI is a decent place to start for both interests.
 
All leather zamberlains or other leather Italian boots are my go to.......they have been making boots for centuries

Just picked up all leather italian Gris Sports with sympetec lining, half price just before xmas costco.....
the guy at display wore the same ones for 6 months tree planting and was wearing the same pair.
I was impressed with the wear and durability
Full leather inside, no synthetic and full gusseted, 3 lace high above ankle
 
My feet and ankles are quite unusual... so I just try tons of boots for the right "fit", especially around the top of the ankle/shins. MOST boots tend to pinch me uncomfortably (no idea why) but my current pair of Asolos, are the best boots I've had. A little heavy with the rand and sole but very comfortable.

I prefer non-Goretex and leather ... but the lightweight boots really are attractive.

Yes Lowa Renegades are extremely popular... well priced, well reviewed and well made. Hard to go wrong if they fit your feet.
 
Im oldschool,so I like the classic Norwegian welt boots like the Merrells, Danners, etc. I went with the Alicos over the Danners because Sierra Trading Post was practically giving them away. The MSRP on a boot like that is typically anywhere from$230-$400, but the Alicos typically go from like $150-200 at Sierra and I think that I got mine for like $125 with the repeat customer double coupon plus the regular discount. They require some serious break=in,but the trick that I figured out is to notice thump to the top hooks while you are breaking them in.
 
I have come down from my all time heaviest of 450 to 357, but for a couple years I fluctuated between 395 and 410. I have sworn by Merrell and Keen for support, and Merrell wide widths and Keen have been the most comfortable. Doing my best to stay away from processed foods with lots of food that will make my feet and legs swell, I have gotten better performance out of my boots. I couldn't tell you what the makes are, but I have a pair of Merrell snow boots I've worn off and on this winter, a pair of Keen boots that some knucklehead walked through a pile of coyote crap (I need to keep my eyes on the trail more often, it was in leaves if that's any excuse), a pair of Merrell Phaser Peak mids that I've used in all four seasons and Keen hiking shoes.

Out of them all, the Keens are the best, even though I'm much smaller (but still a lot left to lose), I have been navigating over rocks etc, with great traction. The longest I have done recently is 3 to 3 1/2 miles, continuous. As a fat guy, I alternate between the Merrells and Keens constantly. The hiking shoes are primarily used in the neighborhood streets or gravel/stone trails. The boots are used in my father's marsh/woods or woods trails etc. Again, to comfort, I have probably blown out the Phaser mids, but they are much more comfortable now, on par with the Keens. The Merrell snow boots were extremely comfortable Monday, but Wednesday they were somewhat tight, my feet had swollen from too much sitting on my rear on a snow day, on Tuesday.
 
I'm looking at the new Merrell Work series also. Keen puts out a steel toe workboot as well.
 
The Keens are the Logan Mid.

I believe the Merrell snow boots were the Glacier Shells. I had a coupon, store credit and they were already on deep clearance. I think I ended up paying 30 bucks for them at DSW. Only use them in snow, they've held up pretty well.

Fat people have to alternate shoes you know ;)...
 
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I was looking and pricing hiking boots for a trip this summer. Didn't want to spend too much but didn't want to waste money on junk either. Ended up buying 3 pairs of Hi-Tec Altitude V I. Bought one pair and was impressed so bought another and then saw a pair for half price so snagged those as well. Got boots for a few years now. Been wearing one pair for about a month now no issues. Steel shank is nice on the ladder. Prices fluctuate a bit on Amazon but they had the best reviews and price. I ordered a pair of the previous version but sent the back. Leather didn't look as good and the insoles were not removable. These are not my main boots but good bang for the buck

My main boots are Vibergs. I'll be saving them for the trails. Just had them resoled last year. Good boots
 
LOWA.

Have tried many other brands of boots, amongst others lately Meindl boots - the quality is just not on the same level as LOWA.

Im on the non-GoreRex team as well.

I had a pair of non-GT Lowas for many years. With proper leather care, they didnt take on water.

Only reason they finally got ditched, was because - after many years of use - the sole delaminated.

Considering the age of the boots and the heavy use, this was well within parametres.

LOWAs rock.
 
After years of using a lightweight tactical boot my wife finally talked me into a pair of hiking boots this time last year. At first I missed the extra 2" of ankle support but the Salomon quest 4D 2 gtx quickly won me over. They're as comfortable at the start as they are at the finish and they are a great backpacking boot and handle a heavy load very well. They almost lost me when I accidentally stepped into a puddle that submerged my foot and they took 2 days indoors to dry!! I then found that if I used gaiters with them they did exceptionally well and I haven't managed to get them wet on the inside again. I have been using them year round snowshoeing or with spikes and since the addition of the gaiters no issues with a quick submerge or being buried in snow or slush all day.
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and the microspikes fit so nice on them
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I'm another fan of real hiking boots. Did a number of day hikes last year in trail runners, which were overall fine but I prefer the extra support and traction of a boot. Very familiar with the arguments for UL hiking shoes, but I figure I got enough "internal" weight that a few ounces doesn't matter if it keeps the dogs happier over the miles.

Currently I have two pairs of hikers which have both done very well on the trail; actually both are Danners. The first one is an import model, the 453. Its a good and comfy boot with nice toe room but the heel gave me blisters in strange spots when new and the tongue doesn't rest flush as tends to collect trail debris. That, plus the tread lacks depth so I worry about lifespan (though offers great traction so far). They are a sport-like fit and are made of many pieces of leather sewn together (so you really rely on the gore-tex in wet conditions).

The other paid of hikers are newer and have only seen some light everyday use before they were accidentally used to hike a 10mi section one day (didn't realize how long that trail was!). They are Danner Combat Hikers (just like the Crater Rim) and I love them. They claim to be on a wider, roomier last (the 610) but I needed to go up a full size over my other pair of Danners. Break is was extremely minimal and I never had any issues with blistering. So far, though very new, they have been 100% waterproof; this has been tested thoroughly on a few sloppy hikes recently. I've noticed that a lot of reviews claim they are heavy, and when handling them you can tell thats the case... but on the trail I have not noticed their weight at all.



I also have a few different "combat boots" which see occasional trail use. My "ICB" (infantry combat boot) from Wellco live in my truck bed for emergency use or when the trail looks to be in terrible shape. Nice boot, fairly light, fairly comfy but toe box is ridiculously narrow while the heel is somewhat loose. But they are waterproof and the Vibram Sierra sole grips everything from snow and ice to mud exceptionally well. The other is the ICWB (intermediate cold wet boot) from Belleville. They have only seen limited use since I don't generally need an insulated 10inch boot on the trail. The few times I've had them out they were comfy, though. I also have a pair of Bates 21500 which is their version of the ICB; these are pretty nice boots but sizing runs opposite of the Wellcos and they are quite loose so don't get trail use.
 
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22-rimfire said:
REI does have a good return policy. I always felt it was about defects or similar observations with boots. I wonder if they get their money back when they return them to the manufacturer? I doubt it.... unless there is a defect. If more people used their return policy for fickle reasons, I think they would likely discontinue it.
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That is their same return policy for almost all their products, boots or otherwise. I bought an Osprey 22L pack from them, took it to Afghanistan, returned the pack on my return because it just wasn't the right pack. Later bought a different 24L model. REI's return policy is the very reason so many members have been members for a very long time, often decades. I doubt they'll be changing their return policy.
 
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