Submitted by No_Vanilla9662 t3_ytu7a2 in BuyItForLife
I need a new pair of hiking boots, my old pair were leather and I haven’t used them much, an okay first buy for what I paid for them. Definitely not a long term buy.
Any suggestions on my new pair:
Must be comfortable Waterproof I have over pronation so supportive Long lasting
Thanks
These WERE $65 a few weeks ago, I’ve been wearing daily now for just over 2 weeks, I’m not hiking the Rockies or Alps but they’ve been worth every penny so far.
Maybe not the hiking look but my Lowa Z8s. I've used them for years airsofting and they are so tough, comfy and alarmingly waterproof.
Zamberlan with replaceable soles. https://www.zamberlanusa.com/shop/category/9789404/icona/
Irish Setter is a division of Red Wing that focuses on hunting/outdoor boots. http://www.irishsetterboots.com/rich-history-pr-2010.html
Vasque is a division of Red Wing that focuses on hiking/outdoor boots. http://redwingcharlottesville.com/red-wings-vasque-collections
I’ve used both brands and they’re ok for light hiking. I prefer Lowa or Hanwag for hiking.
I use my Lowa Z8’s for hiking any time I think there might be water crossing. Otherwise I use my Lowa Zephyr mids. Neither are bifl, but they are rock solid 3-5 year boots. Soles are not replaceable because they are injection molded to uppers.
Very good point on the soles
As long as it's something they chose themselves, not what they were issued.
Harkila. The most comfortable and strongest boots I've ever owned.
Asolo
Not so long ago, I would have recommended Merrell and Bates. I have noticed the boots I own from these companies gradually coming apart, however. So, I switched last week to a company called Rock Rooster. I bought a pair of their Zumbro boots, and they seem to be “old school” quality. They’re leather, very comfortable, and they look good. Of course, I haven’t had them long enough to form any sort of durability opinion, but they’re worth a look.
These look good, I really need the waterproofing
Thanks
Some really good suggestions, thank you all, I’ll let you know what I go with
Scarpas made in Italy
Meindl. They use several different lasts (foot shaped forms that the boot is build around) so each boot model fits differently. That means that everyone can find at least one of their boot models that fits perfectly. I’ve had mine since 2004, and with regular applications of snoseal, they are still in great shape. Resole able too.
They are water proof, Well Unless you are walking in water deeper than the boot is.
Have had mine for 15 years now
Yes, not quite for life but my last pair lasted 10 years which is pretty good going.
Not for hiking boots. GYW boots are excellent for most purposes but not completely waterproof.
We have no idea as you have not provided enough information.
Comfortable and supportive is NOT a metric of purchase as 0.0 people can know your comfort. And any pronation issues will have to be overcome with custom orthotic insoles as shoes for pronation issues start and stop with running shoes.
This is not in the spirit of this sub, but here’s plenty of heavy mid calf leather hiking boots that you can re-sole and will last decades, but carrying an amount of weight on the feet required between 4.7 and 6.4 times as much energy as carrying that same weight on one's back.
I’m a fan of fast drying light hikers or even running shoes, and they definitely don’t last a lifetime.
I have scarpa’s and they’re awesome!
Pick one you like that is resolable and it will effectively be buy it for life (inasmuch as footwear can be buy it for life).
It depends on which you choose. Mine are. The GYW sole attachment is specifically to keep from having penetrations that allow in water.
I got some HAIX boots the german army issues to its soldiers and find them to be very nice.
An infantryman out of basic will never wear standard issue boots. Most will go towards Rocky Sv2’s which is what I used in the army and to thru hike the Appalachian Trail.
"Never" is a strong assertion, and false.
No, it’s not.
I did eight years as a grunt, in issued boots. So yes, it's false. Try not to be so certain about things you clearly don't fully understand.
How long ago? I just finished 20 years. If you’re from the black leather boots era you’re correct. New era you’re wrong. Basic issue boots no one wears, they’re horrible for the new PT tests and EIB
Budget prices vary so much so once I have an idea I can shop around I used them for hiking and walks nothing over the top like climbing everest
Lowa
Second this. But, I think Lowa are even better than Hanwag. Even though Hans Wagner have very nice hardware, the equivalent of Lowa are much Lighter and the soles have been more durable. Had Hanwag soles replaced once on a 2 year old pair user in wilderness treks. Zero times for Lowa. Lowa are just awesome. Especially love the renegade GTX for wilderness treks. Not sure there is a better designed and built boot on the market for this.
Don't be coy. Post a budget. Or visit https://www.johnlobb.com/en_gb/storelocator and schedule a bespoke pair to be made like a real man.
Careful here, you need to make sure they don't have a polyurethane midsole. These make walking super comfortable but dry out and crack after 5-10 years. They are impossible to repair, you need to send them back to asolo in Italy for resoling (not cheap), though I believe there's a guy in Virginia you specializes in this repair also.
My old pair was amazing until both soles cracked on a 5 day backpacking trip, leaving my feet very wet. Now have hanwag boots and absolutely love them
I have a pair of vasque boots. They are nice and I like them a lot. I wouldn’t expect them to last forever, but the are leather unlike many other boots in the category
"alarmingly waterproof" is the best way to describe them.
Big time hiker/backpacker here. Tons of miles on tons of trails. Unless you are hiking in legit winter conditions, ditch hiking boots. Embrace trail runners and damp feet. They won’t be BIFL, but a good pair of trail runners will last about 300-500 miles. Boots like LaSportiva, Asolo, Scarpa, etc may get 1,000 miles, but also cost 2.5x as much. If you’re hiking, no footwear is going to be even close to BIFL. So it’s really a wash either way.
Information for anyone curious here, here, here, and especially here.
If you’ve never hiked in trail runners, give it a shot! If you’re working in the boots, that’s a different story. Like, trail maintenance, or farm work, or whatever else. But if you’re just hiking, you don’t need boots. Unless it is proper gnarly winter.
A pair of USA made danners. I first bought danners for work, but after seeing the quality to price ratio first hand I bought a pair of hikers and love them.
Definitely seconded on the Made in Italy part. My first pair of Italian Scarpas lasted me 6 years, and I'm normally lucky to get 2 years out of a given pair of shoes.
My second pair, which were from the Romanian made line, have completely disintegrated in less than one. Very disappointing for a $250 pair of boots.
I did the same exact thing! I bought the cheaper hiking boots and was a little disappointed when I saw they weren’t Italian made. Apparently these high end boot companies are trying to compete with all the cheap boots out there with more affordable options. Unfortunately they have to cut cost so cheaper manufacturing. My Italian made scarpas are indestructible and water proof after years of abuse though.
I should have taken them right back to MEC when the little lace tab at the top snapped off the day after I bought them.
I bought a pair of Limmer Standard boots more than 25 years ago and they are still going strong. They are heavy, but great on rocky trails and waterproof enough for me. Not so much buy it for life, but I'm getting a lot of miles out of my Redback boots. They are my preferred everything boot these days - from office to barnyard to trail.
Thank you everyone, I’m going through all of this and seeing what is a viable solution. Some I can’t get hold off. I’ll post the decision before buying in case I’ve missed anything. What makes if hard is most shops don’t carry everything and so trying them on mean online order and returns etc.
I don’t think they have stores when I am, budget isn’t break the bank but around 250 max. But for that they would have to be pretty amazing.
I like these ones
Are certain models made in Romania or do we just have to order and hope for the best? I'm looking at the mistrals. Considered buying a kids pair because I have small feet but the soles aren't vibram.
Rumplestiltsman94 t1_iw67dte wrote
Irish setter boots are pretty awesome. I have this pair
https://www.irishsetterboots.com/hunting-boots/big-game/Vaprtrek/02831.html?cgid=hunt-big-game
They have a few different styles that work good for hiking. They are marketed as Hunting boots which really just means they are work horse boots for in the bush