Boots

[Too Tall]

After 40 years (??) I finally walked out of my Red Wing Pecos waterproof boots. Got them resoled just because they are old friends but really they are done.
This is what I found to replace and boy howdy are they wonderful. Ariat Powerline Waterproof Composite Toe Work Boot. Tree climbers think they are great and you'd think these would be awful to walk around? They are great for standing, even better for heavy work and 100% waterproof. Neat to see something of such high quality avail. in larger sizes.

[robin3mj]

I wear LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoes a lot. However, they stopped making taller boots in narrow, so my 10" boots were a bit sloppy fitting and perhaps as a result, the leather heel cover peeled off inside both boots. And one sole got a puncture, so I sent them to LL Bean, and $40 later they replaced the bottoms with narrows (they will do this within the same size) and fixed the leather heal cover inside (part of the process of resoling.) Service always includes new laces and new insoles. The boots need a dose of shoe grease but otherwise back to work.

Nice. I alternate between those and Blundstones. I put shearling insoles in the Beans for winter and it’s like a little hug for your feet.

[j44ke]

Nice. I alternate between those and Blundstones. I put shearling insoles in the Beans for winter and it’s like a little hug for your feet.

I have a love-hate going on with my Blundstones. I am sort of between sizes and then even a correctly sized Blundstone would be a bit wide for my skinny feet. I can roll the boot on my foot when stumbling around on uneven ground and that does a number on my ankles. But for country utility they are great. I keep them near the door for going out to get more firewood, check the mailbox, or chase the deer herd back into the woods.

In winter I end up living in hiking boots with or without gaiters depending the snow. Currently that's a well-broken pair of Lowa hiking boots that fit very well. I've started work on a pair of Zamberlans as their replacements, but so far don't find the Zamblerlans to be very sure footed. Soles are slippy on just about any sort of moist rock surface, which is surprising, and their center of gravity feels too high for good stability even with the stock insoles. Maybe some of that will go away with time. They are stiff boots, a bit like an old style leather boot without being foot bruisers, but my wife who is very picky about boot comfort loves hers and will buy nothing else. So on her recommendation I am willing to give them a try.

[moondog-sparky]

these beauties showed up yesterday! Alden Cigar Indy's - took more than a few years of patience to land these. looking forward to many wears during the TX "cold" season...
(sorry - struggling to attach pic)

[skouri1]

I know there's a whole boots thread, but they are quite diverse.
i have recently discovered that hiking in winter is awesome and a great way to get outside in cold temps when cycling is, as we all know if we're being honest, no longer fun.

I would like a good hiking boots as I have some old EMS ones that have the cushion of poured concrete and hurt my feet. theyre also super heavy.

As of now I have been hiking probably 4-9 miles , but would be game to try 12-20 mile hikes in catskills. For the occasional stream or rock scrambling, i think a high (rather than low/mid) boot is ideal. Also some waterproof ness.

A lot of these "best hiking boot" tests are recommending the salomon quest GTX or something or other. scanning through Amazon, seems like durability of recent models is not up to previous. not sure if there are knock offs being sold on amazon, which would not remotely surprise me.

They mention Merrell as well as a budget option. I don't really want something that wears like a running shoe or has to be tossed after 2-3 years (ideally).

What else should I look at? Something decently robust would be nice. I would like 105 quality, I think. no need for dura ace.

[Peter Polack]

I can't recommend any specific brand, but perhaps some features.

I hike year 'round in CT, once a week, so I have some experience.

First, your complaint about your current boots, "they're also super heavy". Yeah well; you want a workout, don't you?! I've taken to adding ankle weights for additional effort.

Get a boot with a steel shank. Plastic shanks break down and eventually you can feel every rock under foot, and there is a lack of support.

If you have weak ankles, for a "high" boot I'd just get a work boot rather than a hiking boot since they're taller, or a military boot which usually fits more snug around the ankles. There are some good youtube videos which make suggestions for military boots. Otherwise, I would expect a standard over the ankle hiking boot (6"?) should be fine. It's what I use and I do have flimsy ankles.

If you're going to hike in some snow or want the taller boots for that light ground cover, just use some gaiters, Kahtoola Microspikes for winter icy traction.

GoreTex for waterproofness with some breathability (drier feet are warmer), then treat them with Aqua Seal.

I have a pair of Vasque something or others; all leather, Aqua Seal treated, steel shank. Enough room for a sock liner and a thicker sock over it if I want.

[robin3mj]

I’ll go in the opposite direction and say if you’re not lugging a pack on overnight trips then you should view hiking boots similarly to running shoes and treat them as somewhat consumable.

We go on low key hikes roughly every other week and Five Ten approach shoes are more than fine for me. They also did the trick on a fairly recent two day trip to Joshua Tree and once or twice a year out to Shenandoah. I have some burlier Scarpa boots but mainly use those when strapping on my XC ski/shoes.

[Tim Porter]

Check out Schnee's in Bozeman, MT. Maybe not their pac boots, which are great for that LLBean style of boot, but their line of Italian hiking and hunting boots. I have both their pac boots and the other more conventional boots, which are along the lines that Matt describes above. They're comfortable like running shoes but rugged as heck, and you can get various heights, and also various weights of insulation, or no insulation. I bought mine for hunting in New Mexico. HTH, Tim

[Moke]

For light hiking I just use trail running shoes. Whites Boots make a Centennial that I use for a little rougher stuff. Whites Smoke Jumpers are great heavy stuff hikers (weigh around 5 lb each ) I also have a pair of Limmer boots that i love for winter hiking. Horses for courses, I like and use them all for different styles of use. Schnees does make a good product of Packer style boots.

[vertical_doug]

If you are really only day hiking, and not carrying a heavy back, then just get any number of the lighter weight walking boots.

Asolo Falcon GTX Walking boot , salewa boot, Scarpa Mistral GTX...

If you really want to slop in some water, then get a light gaiter. It just helps keeping the water and pebbles out of the boot.

I'm like Robin and Moke, if I am only carrying a light pack, I prefer an approach shoe. I like my Boreals, but these are hard to find in the US. I've also used FiveTen, Salomon, and Asolo. I think most stuff is pretty good these days.

For winter stuff, I had Salomon Super Mountain 9 Guides.
These are great boots but sadly discontinued.

[claritycycler]

For light hiking/walking I like Keens, wide toe box, sizes up to 17, waterproof available, next to zero break in time. I treat them as consumables, mostly $150-200 range, usually last me 2+ years of general use and walking/light hiking but I don't wear them every day. A good utuber is Anvil Rose, his many boot reviews are excellent and he cuts the reviewed boots in half lengthwise to assess their construction.

[jimcav]

I was issued danner gortex boots for a 2-week exercise in Alaska in 2000, desert tan color. Too warm for anything but winter hiking, which honestly I've done infrequently since, but they are still great. At the time, danner was a storied name, no idea if that is still true, but they are tough and durable.

[skouri1]

wow, a lot to check out, thanks everyone.
I have hiked in nike zooms and old running shoes.
When you have to cross a body of water or scramble up some rocks, neither worked well.
If I could find something that works well for backpacking, that would be great as I would be interested in trying a few multi day trips. Maybe it is horses for courses and you cant get everything.

I dont mind the weight so much.
I just noticed my boots are super inflexible and heavy duty, so my feet hurt something terrible after hiking 7 miles in them. never experienced that.

I just dont know what a lightweight hiking shoe offers over a running shoe i already own...better traction?

[vertical_doug]

wow, a lot to check out, thanks everyone.

If I could find something that works well for backpacking, that would be great as I would be interested in trying a few multi day trips. Maybe it is horses for courses and you cant get everything.


I just dont know what a lightweight hiking shoe offers over a running shoe i already own...better traction?

Three things- a slightly thicker sole, generally a toe rand for extra protection, and tougher abrasion resistant upper material.

If you are actually traveling over rock and scree, your shoes suffer quite a bit of abrasion. A regular running shoe gets destroyed pretty fast in my opinion.
FiveTen and Boreal use the same sticker rubber as the climbing shoe. If you are jamming your feet to climb anything, you want something a little tougher.


For now, if you are hiking around the Catskills, it generally pretty much dirt trail with occasional granite. Sneakers are fine. Now if you want to do Devil's Path in a day, you may want a little more shoe.

[skouri1]

Cool, yea the flexibility of running shoes seems bad to me.
and ya, the devil's path was discussed with a friend recently and its something i do want to do !

[thomas]

Zamberlan Vioz GTX RR boot will last you years. If you have a chance to try one on in your size, see what you think.

[AngryScientist]

Maybe it is horses for courses and you cant get everything.

Definitely. If you're doing winter hikes in the catskills, you definitely want something different than you might pick for summer hikes, or real backpacking.

For day hikes, generally speaking, I like to wear my trail runners; good underfoot protection and light. Don't underestimate how much a heavier boot will slow you down and sap energy.

If the hiking will not be too long, I've had good luck doing some challenging hikes in the catskills in traditional insulated logger boots. They take a little getting used to, but they are excellent.

[j44ke]

Scarpa Kailash - lighter more flexible boot with good sole traction

Asolo Falcon* - stiffer good ankle support boot, good for backpacking

Lowa Renegade - nice day hiker to light backpacker with Achilles relieving cut-out back

Zamberlan Vioz - great boot, solid backpacking boot, rigid sole, full leather upper

If you are in Catskills, see Kenco Outfitters. Elsewhere, go to an REI and let someone fit you. They usually have good people. Or find that local dedicated shop with lots of fit experience.

Don’t forget socks. And don’t discount the importance of socks. Especially if you start backpacking. Good boots are usually designed with use of some sort of hiking sock assumed.

*Actually I just looked at the Falcon and that’s not the boot I remember. It’s been a while. The boot I remember is more like the Drifter or the Fugitive. A bit taller more structured boot. Oy - good luck!

[j44ke]

I don’t buy into the work boot for hiking boot recommendation. The fit is completely different for a reason. Work boots are for more sedentary use with high abuse factor, perhaps even danger from heavy things. Hiking is by definition more active for your feet - you are going places. Twists turns rocks holes etc. The kind of toe to foot to ankle support and coordination required just isn’t the same for a hiking boot and a work boot. VSalon is full of hard men of course, so I am sure the advice is based on personal experience. But if you have regular feet, you’ll do better with a real hiking boot that improves traction, balance and ankle protection plus padding for comfort and blister control.

[j44ke]

...

I have a pair of Vasque something or others; all leather, Aqua Seal treated, steel shank. Enough room for a sock liner and a thicker sock over it if I want.

I'll bet that's the Sundowner. New England's favorite boot. They still make it. Great boot.