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Hiking Boots Revisited


RocketMan

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I wear the all-leather Danner Mountain Lights. And I've been wearing them for so long that I think my feet have formed to the boot. I can't find ~any~ other boot that fits well enough for hiking. They're about $200, and worth every penny. At ~500 miles / year, I generally get two years of like, then another year after re-soling.

 

30800.jpg

 

Happy shopping,

Bob

I'm gunna order a pair of these on the 25th. Hopefully get them broken in buy Spring.

I wore out a pair of Danner Radical 45's and I have a pair of Special Forces boots too. Very sturdy and rugged.

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My favorite Uncle gave me each of the following boots. We hiked all over the place with them. While they may not be the very best in hiking boots they were comfortable and protected my feet as well as could be expected, given the places my Uncle sent me hiking. Even tho my Uncle and I have parted ways I still wear them when caching and hiking.

 

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...71650eb1bc54356

or

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...&products_id=89

or

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...roducts_id=1368

 

Uncle never gave me any of these but they look promising.

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...&products_id=53

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My favorite Uncle gave me each of the following boots. We hiked all over the place with them. While they may not be the very best in hiking boots they were comfortable and protected my feet as well as could be expected, given the places my Uncle sent me hiking. Even tho my Uncle and I have parted ways I still wear them when caching and hiking.

 

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...71650eb1bc54356

or

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...&products_id=89

or

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...roducts_id=1368

 

Uncle never gave me any of these but they look promising.

http://www.usmilitarysurplus.com/surplusca...&products_id=53

Ouch! You have to be young to appreciate those for hiking. My feet would disown me if I wore those for a hike. :)

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PS -- if you are going to use them for serious hiking, and especially if you plan on carrying a heavy pack, give careful attention to the insoles.

 

Hikemeikster, what does this mean?

I think the point was get a boot with good insoles, or replace them with insoles that distribute your weight. They also need to absorb shock.

 

I disagree with the hitek suggestion, though. I wore them for quite a while. They are comfortable. However they are comfortable because they are soft like sneakers. Sneakers with good tread. Fine for short distance, light terrain.

 

The reason quality boots are expensive, is that there is a lot of research involved in them. To provide great support with high quality long lasting materials.

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Ouch! You have to be young to appreciate those for hiking. My feet would disown me if I wore those for a hike.

My Uncle gave me my first pair over 32 yrs ago. He kept me hiking in them for 26.5 yrs. Once broke in they're pretty comfortable. The deserts seemed easier to break in. I've put a few miles in them over the years.

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Its hard to recommend hiking boots because a pair of boots that I might find to be great could be living hell on your feet. You see many people, even in this thread, saying "You have to get xyz boots, they are fantastic". They may be for that person, but every brand of boot is designed to fit a certain type of foot. Some brands are better for narrow feet, some are great for high volume feet, etc...

 

First, do not buy mail order, unless you know that the boots you are buying will fit your foot. Mail order is a great way to save money. Sierra Trading Post is an excellent place to go for great prices on hiking boots, IF you know what you are looking for. A boot is not a great deal if it gives you blisters and hurts your feet.

 

The key is to buy a quality boot from a quality bootmaker. One person here was espousing $30 Walmart boots. Yeah, they work fine for a while, until the soles come off when you're 10 miles from your car (it happened to a friend). Some quality bootmakers are Asolo, Lowa, Merrell, Rachlie, Vasque, LL Bean, Scarpa, Technica, Salomon, La Sportva, Montrail, Alcio, Zamberlan and Dunham. Choose a boot from one of these brands that fits YOU and you can't go wrong.

 

You will need to go to an outdoors store that has a knowedgable staff of bootfitters. Avoid the chains like Dicks and Sports Authority, where you're likely to get a high school kid whose only experience with a backpack was to carry his books, fitting your boots. Chains like EMS and REI are a bit better, but your best bet is an outdoors specialty shop.

My husband and I both had Vasque boots that cost $180 a pair. His soles peeled off from toe to heel; then, a few months later mine peeled off heel to toe while I was on a hike. :) When my husband contacted the company, he was told that was too bad, so I didn't bother when mine fell apart. All of that to say you don't always get what you pay for.

 

I'm currently in the market for new boots, and am considering the Montrail Torre GTX. Does anyone have experience with these? I have a wide, high volume foot.

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My husband and I both had Vasque boots that cost $180 a pair.

 

Vasque makes great boots. The Vasque Sundowner probably has logged more hiking miles than most other boots combined. My wife's Vasques are almost 10 years old and going strong.

 

If the soles peel off a good boot prematurely it is usually because of misuse. Were the boots ever dried near a fire or other heat source? That's the primary reason it happens. Another reason is using a waterproofing that is not approved by the manufacturer.

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I too have tried two pairs of Vasque mod 7958. Hi dollar hikers and very comfortable, but on both pairs the rubber flap on the front of the shoe starts to peel off and eventually the complete sole peels off while there is considerable tread left . I contacted Vasque but they just brushed me off. I thought the first was just a fluke but both have done the same thing. I hike in some rough country but at age 66, I am not that rough on them. I had been wearing Danners before and am going back to them. They have given me much better service. I outgrew a pair of Cabela's GORE-TEX hunting boots by Danner and gave them to my son-in-law who is still using them. They must be 10 years old. My biggest problem with boots or shoes right now is that I am between a 12 and a 13. Wish 12 1/2's were available.

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I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted a pair of Asolo GTX boots because they are pretty - I am a girl, and while not at all girly, I am a sucker for red - and good packaging in general.

 

This, of course, is not a good reason to buy a certain hiking boot....

 

And, at $160, and me with no money, I didn't get them.

 

I did get a pair of Hi-Tec Altitude II boots for Christmas. I love them. $70, all leather, great outsole, lightweight, as waterproof as you get without GoreTex, no break-in time. They make them in RED - but I couldn't get them in my size. So, I ended up with brown. Ugly as hell. Booght Red laces from EMS - all better!

 

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/hi-tec/altitude-ii/

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After a friend spent $160 on a pair of Lowa boots at Adventure 16, I found myself coveting a pair, although there was no way I could pay that much for a pair of boots.

 

I logged onto eBay and found a pair in my size, in excellent condition, that I got for less than $40.00, including the shipping.

 

They fit my hard-to-fit feet and have good stiff soles. :lostsignal:

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I recently sprained my ankle doing something foolish; wearing low-top trail runners on a semi-steep bushwhack hike. A little thing like torn ligaments can't be allowed to get in the way of Geocaching, so I sought and found some decent ankle protection in the form of these Danner "Pronghorn" hunting boots:

 

42212.jpg

 

They're a little stiff for on-trail hiking, but they've been very good for bushwhacking. My only beef is that the leather finish is not especially tough, and they suffer pretty bad scuffs and abrasions from rocks, cactus, etc. Danner tells me that heavy-duty work boots might be my only option for abrasion-resistance, but I'll see how these fare in the longer term. If they just get ugly, I can live with that.

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For me it's Green Triangle or nothing.

 

For those not in-the-know if you have a green triangle on the tongue or side of your boot that means that they have steel toes and a steel plate running the length of the sole. They are also voltage rated to 600 volts (probably more in reality) and the toes are impact rated to a certain point. I hear the collective gasp and the ensuing toughts of heavy, awkward boots HOWEVER this is not the case. If you spend more than $100 you generally get a good quality boot with some amount of water protection. I would echo the sentiment that the fewer seams the better. I have worn some form of steel toe boot for almost 10 yrs. Mostly I have to use them for work, but when I put on my Canadian Tire bought "hiking boots" I find my feet get very tired having to accept every inconsistency in the surface I'm walking on. If you have tender feet then you will need an insole, but that's a small price to pay for the protection you get.

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And what if a person has a foot that will not fit in those boots?

 

Forget the band name and go with the fit, If the boot does not fit it is not worth a dime.

exactly - case in point, relative to sneakers not hikers but the lesson stands: I prefer a wider sneaker so my toes don't cramp, and was generally shopping in the boys dept for sneakers that would also do okay as "chick footwear". Finally, (years later) a very helpful salesperson explained to me (as a for instance ) that Nike R&D and their marketing, is focused more on distance runners (like those Kenyan and Nigerian marathoners - fabulous to watch....) who also tend to be tall and thin....therefore the Nike sneaker lines also tend to favor that type of foot (long and narrow); whereas Reeboks or Adidas (I forget which) tend to carry styles more of the type I was seeking with a bigger toe box and wider arch. And sure enough, I went back to the chicks shoe dept, tried on the various brands, and the salesperson's advice was right on the money......

 

on a related note, riddle me this: I have some 15+ year olds sneakers that I keep around for house chores, painting, etc. So, I went to climb out on my roof, and dang! those soles had gotten slick as silicon (about broke my neck trying to slide back in the window)! Later, I sat next to a guy on the plane who worked for some rubber recycling company, and he explained that, yes, the vulcanization process in rubber will continue over the years until eventually the rubber loses a lot of its initial properties of flexibility, etc. (although I may have his explanation wrong, so don't hold me to it). So here's my quandary: I bought a brand new pair of all-weather all-terrain boots from Active Endeavors (forked out a couple hundred - on the clearance rack no less!), and they work fine in mild weather and dry terrain. But, get them wet, and on the rocks - and there's not enough traction. Even worse, in cold weather and on ice, they're like skates! So, what's the deal - did I just buy myself a pair of vulcanized boots that were past the "expiration date". Do boots have an expiration date for the rubber (or should they)? Anything I can do to salvage the boots, other than having them completely resoled? This sucks!

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I bought a brand new pair of all-weather all-terrain boots from Active Endeavors (forked out a couple hundred - on the clearance rack no less!), and they work fine in mild weather and dry terrain. But, get them wet, and on the rocks - and there's not enough traction. Even worse, in cold weather and on ice, they're like skates! So, what's the deal - did I just buy myself a pair of vulcanized boots that were past the "expiration date". Do boots have an expiration date for the rubber (or should they)? Anything I can do to salvage the boots, other than having them completely resoled? This sucks!

 

I never heard of Active Endeavor hiking boots. If they are an off brand the composition of the sole may be the culprit. I have half a dozen pairs of hiking boots and they have a range of performance on wet surfaces from fair to excellent grip.

 

I doubt if the age of the soles has anything to do with it, unless you're talking many years old.

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I bought a brand new pair of all-weather all-terrain boots from Active Endeavors (forked out a couple hundred - on the clearance rack no less!), and they work fine in mild weather and dry terrain. But, get them wet, and on the rocks - and there's not enough traction. Even worse, in cold weather and on ice, they're like skates! So, what's the deal - did I just buy myself a pair of vulcanized boots that were past the "expiration date". Do boots have an expiration date for the rubber (or should they)? Anything I can do to salvage the boots, other than having them completely resoled? This sucks!

 

I never heard of Active Endeavor hiking boots. If they are an off brand the composition of the sole may be the culprit. I have half a dozen pairs of hiking boots and they have a range of performance on wet surfaces from fair to excellent grip.

 

I doubt if the age of the soles has anything to do with it, unless you're talking many years old.

No, Active Endeavors is the name of the (apparently overpriced) retail outlet where I bought them.

I think the brand name on the boot is Lowa? European German maker?

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I did get a pair of Hi-Tec Altitude II boots for Christmas. I love them. $70, all leather, great outsole, lightweight, as waterproof as you get without GoreTex, no break-in time.

 

This is what I wear as well, and I love 'em. After walking through streams and snow while wearing them, I can vouch for the fact that they're definitely waterproof. I, too, have the brown ones...didn't see any red ones where I bought mine, but I wouldn't wear red ones anyway. :mad:

 

Hubby wears the Ozark Trail boots mentioned by MMACH 5 earlier in the thread; he's never had a problem with them.

 

When we got our boots, we also made sure to invest in some good socks - no cotton, so as to avoid blisters. They've worked so far!

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This is what I wear as well, and I love 'em. After walking through streams and snow while wearing them, I can vouch for the fact that they're definitely waterproof. I, too, have the brown ones...didn't see any red ones where I bought mine, but I wouldn't wear red ones anyway. 

 

Hubby wears the Ozark Trail boots mentioned by MMACH 5 earlier in the thread; he's never had a problem with them.

 

When we got our boots, we also made sure to invest in some good socks - no cotton, so as to avoid blisters. They've worked so far!

 

Daclaren, I'd like some detail added here. What kind of sock did you purchase, and where did you get the boots/socks.

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Daclaren, I'd like some detail added here. What kind of sock did you purchase, and where did you get the boots/socks.

Sorry I'm not Daclaren; jumping in anyway -- shortly before Christmas I bought about 15 pairs of socks from The Sock Company -- all different brands and types. Wigwam, Thorlo, SmartWool, etc. The ones that work best for me were a pair of Wigwam hiking socks -- something like 75% merino wool, 20% nylon, and 5% something else. I was sort of surprised -- I had thought that the higher-tech ones with CoolMax and SmartWool and "INgenius"-ness would work better, but my feet felt cold and clammy in all except the merino wool hikers.

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