Boots

[sbornia]

I’m enjoying a pair of Asolo Falcon GV boots for 1-4 hour hikes in fairly steep, rocky and rooty terrain.

[BBB]

I've had two pairs of the Kailash GTX. They are good boots. But, as is mentioned above, hiking boots do need to be paired with good socks.

[Chik]

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.

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.

I don't consider myself a hiker because I never go out with hiking in mind. However, I do a bit of walking off tarmac with the dog on various terrains, for somewhere between 5 and 15 km. As such, here are my two pence, but take them with a pinch of salt.

I have a 37 year old pair of leather boots that I keep saying, "This is probably the last year." They were sold to me as US Navy special ops (SEAL) artic mission standard issue slippers by a retailer in Boston. The odd thing is that the eyelets and hooks are nickel plated, which would be slightly awkward for military application. Steel shanks, metal toe caps, and some kind of interlining -- I'm guessing felt -- to keep warm although I happily wear them year round.

If you didn't know about the supposed Navy link, you would describe them as logger boots. I don't recall seeing, or caring about, the maker's mark, but the design patent number stamped inside tells me that the patent owner was Chippewa Shoe Co (now called Chippewa Boots). Waterproofness has been maintained with the use of SnoSeal over the years. They are very heavy, but I go everywhere with it: blizzard, mud, sand, whatever. Superb ankle support, outstanding grip and puncture resistance with the high profile Vibram outsoles attached to leather midsoles, storm welted. They're tanks. So, yeah, I'm with Angry in the logger boots camp.

There are some great boot makers in the US, still making some or all models in the US (with the remainder outsourced to China). Danner that Jim mentioned still make some models (hiking and logger, amongst others) domestically and so do Chippewa. And if you have a slightly difficult fit, White's are worth a looky.

[j44ke]

37 years - those Chippewas should be just about broken in now.

If you want to go through the full process of break-in with a really nice pair of hiking boots, you could contact Peter Limmer and get a custom pair made. My father was a climber when he was younger, and he had a pair of Limmer boots made for him in the early 60's. He stopped climbing when my sister was born (contractual obligations to my mother) and put his boots in the closet. About 10 years later he pulled them out and sent them to Peter Limmer for rehab and they came back good as new. Finally killed them during a trip in Alaska about 15 years ago.

They have a fancy new website, so I hope that's not a bad sign. Custom process is still labeled as "Peter Limmer" but they've also had a ready-made line for a quite a while. All good options for a traditional hiking boot.

https://limmerboots.com

You might also look at gaiters if you are going to do winter hiking in snow or snowshoeing. I've been very happy with my Outdoor Research Verglas Gaiters. You wouldn't think they were necessary, and maybe they aren't, but they are a heck of a lot better than having the ankle of your boot crammed full of snow. One of those "you don't know until you try them" things.

Socks - Smartwool, Icebreaker, Darn Tough.

Family soles. My wife's in back - Zamberlans ranging from Vioz to a lightweight model. She's had the left ones for about 5 years, the middle one for 15, and just got the right one this summer for an Icelandic trip. Mine are Lowa Renegade on left, Scarpa Kailash and Lowa Renegade All-Leather. The left ones are about 10 years old, Scarpas are about a year old and the All-Leather Renegades are new and in break-in. Same name as the other Lowa but different heavier (and taller) boot with all-leather construction. My wife rarely cleans her boots, so their longevity is a testament to Zamberlans' build quality.

[Chik]

My recollection may be faulty, but I think the break-in period was very short.

boots.jpg

[j44ke]

My recollection may be faulty, but I think the break-in period was very short.

boots.jpg

Looks a bit like a Super DNA boot but with better lacing hooks and rings. And a lot more of them.

[Chik]

Looks a bit like a Super DNA boot but with better lacing hooks and rings. And a lot more of them.

Yeah, the whole lacing setup is incredibly robust, including the laces themselves -- they're still the originals and aren't showing any sign of tearing any time soon. That said, hardware like that does come with weight penalty.

The design patent that was granted in 1970 was for the top (collar) and the back of the shaft. They are actually functional, not just ornamental, and make the boots very comfortable to wear without compromising on support. I think the claimed design features contributed to having a very short break-in period.

[lumpy]

The real trick is to get a boot with the right fit for YOUR FOOT. There are lots of good brands, but finding a boot with the right amount of width, arch support, etc., is tough. There's no substitute for going to a retailer that stocks a bunch of different brands and trying them on. Salomons and Merrells fit very different feet. For me the big drawback to running shoes is that if you are someplace very rocky like the White Mountains, the sole can be too flexible and you can bruise the bottoms of your feet.

A flexible sole can also be uncomfortable in winter if you are using traction devices, like Microspikes. If you are going to be out and about in winter in the northeast you should consider getting a pair. Often our local trails (Western Mass., but true in much of the NE) have long stretches of hard water ice or a glaze on the rocks and being able to put on spikes makes hiking faster and safer. Microspikes are the standard in my circle of friends. YakTrax will walk off your feet.

Strongly second Jorn's suggestion of gaiters if you are going to be out in the snow.

[skouri1]

hmm, makes total sense. I know people are very particular about running shoes (me too) so I guess hiking would also require a good fit. having said that, ive hiked plenty in crap sneakers and survived. I was just shocked by how stiff these old EMS I have are. maybe they just have a junk insole. I think i will slip some superfeet in until I can find my way to a shop where I can actually try some different brands on.

[ides1056]

These are the best approach and walking shoes I have ever used. Rock DFS mid.

https://www.rei.com/b/aku/c/boots?s_...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[AngryScientist]

Came back to put in a plug for these Altras. Went on a snowy hike in the Catskills yesterday and these performed flawlessly. The level of grip on snow covered rock was truly impressive, and they are light and fast. Good stuff.

https://www.altrarunning.com/shop/me...ariationId=302

92CFDCC2-9B72-4F46-B69B-73C21A668016.jpg

[bigbill]

My Marine son wears Danner. He has three pair, one hot weather https://www.pnasurplus.com/product/d...anchor-emblem/ and two pair of waterproof, https://www.pnasurplus.com/product/d...emblem-coyote/

He does routine 15 mile hikes with a 100 pound pack (he weighs 155). If the waterproof get water inside (wading through a swamp), they take forever to dry. He has really wide feet and the Danners work.

When I was in the Navy, I was a Red Wing guy. I had two pair that I'd rotate then send back to Red Wing when I'd get back from deployment. It was around $60 to get them resoled.

[BBB]

My eldest son, who recently turned 14, has grown a lot in the last 12 months or so. He now wears the same size boot as me. He has a pair of La Sportiva walking boots and he finds them quite comfortable. They can be seen in the video below, which he put together following a recent hike we did:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=spjtAjOoyOY&feature=shares

[caleb]

Is this the place for our Catskill winter hiking pictures? Good.











I wore Danner Rainforests, which are probably overkill, but I never broke an ankle or got a blister in them.

[j44ke]

My eldest son, who recently turned 14, has grown a lot in the last 12 months or so. He now wears the same size boot as me. He has a pair of La Sportiva walking boots and he finds them quite comfortable. They can be seen in the video below, which he put together following a recent hike we did:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=spjtAjOoyOY&feature=shares

La Sportive makes some great boots, but in the US, brand-wise they become one of the "extra" boot makers as far as retailers are concerned. La Sportiva, Salewa, Garmont all make good boots, but the popularity of more generic (or fashion) boots from Merrell & Timberland etc. bump them off the edge of the shelf in the retail space. Too bad actually. You can get them mail-order of course, but fit is such a big part of hiking boots it is a hard way to figure out what works.

[COVRTDESIGN]

I now have 6 pairs of the Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid Gore-Tex boots from different years. I don't think I will go to anything else for hiking and everyday use.

Screenshot 2023-01-24 at 1.57.46 PM.jpg


I have 4 pairs of the X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex shoes as well. Great price, great color choices, and incredibly comfortable.

Screenshot 2023-01-24 at 1.59.19 PM.jpg

[BBB]

La Sportive makes some great boots, but in the US, brand-wise they become one of the "extra" boot makers as far as retailers are concerned. La Sportiva, Salewa, Garmont all make good boots, but the popularity of more generic (or fashion) boots from Merrell & Timberland etc. bump them off the edge of the shelf in the retail space. Too bad actually. You can get them mail-order of course, but fit is such a big part of hiking boots it is a hard way to figure out what works.

Speciality camping or outdoor stores would carry La Sportiva surely? But, you're right you do need to attend in person and try them on, and preferably with the help of someone in the shop.

[jimcav]

I forgot to mention that circa 2003 maybe I got a pair of Lowa renegades just to have something that wasn't as warm or as desert tan as my Navy-issued Gortex Danners. Other than some hikes along the Potomac River in Maryland (which included a decent amount of rocky scramble) I mainly used them in winter visiting Indiana helping my folks clean up their property. They fell apart in 3 years--maybe it was a bad batch, but I never tried Lowa again.

[j44ke]

Speciality camping or outdoor stores would carry La Sportiva surely? But, you're right you do need to attend in person and try them on, and preferably with the help of someone in the shop.

When I worked in outdoor equipment retail, we had probably 5 brands of hiking boot. Vasque, Merrell, Asolo, Lowa and maybe Scarpa (or just their climbing shoes.) Each with several models in a range of sizes, men's and women's. Takes up a lot of space. So the brands we carried were at the time well-known, sold well and got frequent reviews in magazines (remember those?) And they fit American feet on average which tend to be wide and flat (not Scarpas.) But I was working for a regular local retailer, not a national retailer with bigger market and more reach like REI - which does indeed carry La Sportiva now - and not in the era of Internet shops like Backcountry, Moosejaw, etc. I guess same as any bike shop carrying these but not those bikes.

[ides1056]

You really have to try several brands because they don’t all have the same footbed. Scarpa always worked for me, and I have boots they made that are thirty years old. As for boots wearing out: ten days in the Sierra Nevada and I needed to replace the soles on one pair. Granite is brutal. I wear out every hiking shoe I own within two years because they are everyday wear for work and the life I lead in New England.