Another, your advice on the best walking boots

H

harrybobble

Joined
Oct 5, 2006
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Your advice would be greatly appreciated on good quality walking boots. As I think they are up there in one of the most important items for survival to get you the hell out of there lol Price is not an object.

Thanks Guys
 
I definitely agree with you on the importance of good foot ware. The trouble is that it's really hard to give specific advice on boots because everyone's feet are different. You'll pretty much have to get to a store with a nice selection of good brands and try a bunch on 'till you find what's right for you.

That having been said, I had a pair of Northlake boots given to me a number of years ago and they've proven to be the best boots I've ever owned. They're just about worn out unfortunately, and they're not widely available. I recently bought a pair of Merrell trail shoes that I'm liking a lot and I may try a pair of their boots as a lighter weight alternative to the Northlakes. I tried on a pair of Vasque boots that felt great too.

When you go to try on boots make sure you wear socks of a similar thickness to what you'll usually be wearing on your hikes, and try to walk up and down some slopes if you can to see how your feet move in the boots. You might see if you can dig up some old threads on boots with the search function. I know there have been at least a couple of good posts with more and better advice than mine.
 
I have had a few pairs of Merrell hiking shoes and have really like that as they are very comfortable, have stiff soles, and offer a good amount of support for just a shoe. I would assume their high quality would carry over into their boots.

My only complaint about them is that they don't breathe that well. My feet always end up sweating if I wear them too long.

Sorry I cant give you advice on actual boot brands, as mine are just some no name brand that I can't think of at the moment.
 
I used to have a pair of surplus boots out of yellow hide, they had an inscription "cheka" or "checa" on side. Still looking for those, cant find the manufacturer.

It was all leather, leather lining inside, but no cheap military surplus, definitelly better made than that.

Have any of you guys per chance seen those?


Jaro
 
I've got a pair of Irish Setter "Aero Trackers", I'm so impressed with how comfortable these are that I'm going to buy another 3-4 pairs (maybe more if I can afford it) for the future.

I have a very hard time finding comfortable footwear, so it just occurred to me that they might not be as perfect for "normal" feet.
 
Walking or hiking? Theres a big difference. Over mostly flat mild weathered terrain id recommend something in the range of a upland bird hunting boot. A lot of it depends on the terrain you frequent. Wear proper footwear for the terrain.
 
sorry yeah, hiking boots. The types of terrain will be woodlands and mountain paths. Pretty much always rains here also, so good grip for this kind of condition. I think I am looking towards a boot rather than a shoe.

Thanks guys
 
andrew7978 said:
I have had a few pairs of Merrell hiking shoes and have really like that as they are very comfortable, have stiff soles, and offer a good amount of support for just a shoe. I would assume their high quality would carry over into their boots.

My only complaint about them is that they don't breathe that well. My feet always end up sweating if I wear them too long.
Sorry I cant give you advice on actual boot brands, as mine are just some no name brand that I can't think of at the moment.
Click to expand...

I concur...the Merrels are one of the most comfortable boots I've ever worn - I love them BUT my feet get soaking wet in them. In the winter my feet freeze as a result. I can only wear them in warmer weather when having wet feet doesn't result in cold/frozen feet! Even with coolmax socks my feet get wet and cold.
 
Any Gore-Tex product will 'cook' your feet but may work for some folks in certain climates.

Whatever you decide on - try them on. Some stores, e.g. REI will let you walk around and they have some incline apparatus, etc. to see how they feel. If you plan on carrying a pack, load one up there too and walk around for a while in store.

The best advice is to try on a number of options in your price range. Look for closeouts, too. More $ doesn't necessarily mean better quality (goes without saying I guess).

Raichle (super trekker) are some of the most comfortable boots I've ever used (hiking/backpacking). ymmv
 
x3 on the merrels
I have one set, they fit well and have lasted for a good while, but they are hotter and breathe less than any other boot I own.
 
I purchased a pair of Wolverine boots, They are Stalking boots like for Turkey hunting or Bow hunting, They have scent lok & are only 200g thinsulate. They are super lite & wear like a basketball sneaker ! The only problem I had was when I lace them up I skip the hooks on the ankle because they dig into your ankle when you walk but if you skip the hooks on the ankles, the lace up snug & fit AWSOME ! I think they are called 8point hunters from their whitetail series ?!? Rocky also makes an AWSOME Stalking boot !
 
If price really is not an object, I would get a pair of Vibergs...probably cost you around $500, but that's the end of the line on bush boots! You can't get anything better.

You see them a lot in logging camps where guys will be walking on rough terrain with no paths, carrying tools and gear all the time. Very, very nice boots. I have always had foot pain and used to get a lot of fancy insoles to put in my boots...in the Vibergs I just walk on the leather, eight to twelve hours a day, very comfortable.

Not cheap but worth it!
 
Any boot from Danner! My friend and I went on a 2 week backpacking trip in the U.P. of Michigan and our feet felt great! I cannot give them anything but praise!
Excellent construction and they fit like a glove.
 
I have 2 pair of the merrel's, they both fit great, one pair are gortex and the other are the stretch kind with the bungy cord laces. I really like them alot. My first pair I bought for mountain biking and light day hiking. The gortex worked ok but not well enough to spend the extra on the second pair. I think that is partly due to them being a shoe because I have 10" matterhorn combat boots and I can stand in 8" of water and my feet stay dry. The matterhorns also have a moisture wicking lining that keep your feet dry. They are a little on the heavy side but then again mine have the safety toe which adds weight. Either way they are all high quality shoes and boots and you couldn't wrong with any of them. Like others have said, you should definately try them on. My first pair of merrel's were a 9 but my stretches are an 8.5. Just my 2cents
 
I've worn only Vasque for the past 15 yrs or so. They fit my feet well and are of good quality and reasonable price. I have also worn Danner and found them to be durable and comfortable.
 
My favorite footwear of all time has to be my 15 year old Raichle's:

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If you get a decent pair of boots to begin with, don't underestimate what a good cobbler can do. These boots have been resoled at least 5 times, had the midsole reworked and some blown out stitching replaced (that time again !). They can also be re-lasted to change the fit a little, resoled with different hardnesses of rubber, etc. Care and feeding of the leather is paramount as well, right from day one.
 
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