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Hiking Boots.

Here are some of the things that I look for in a good pair of hiking boots. I'm not going to cover differnet height uppers because that is a matter of personal preference and usage.

1. The toe. Having a toe that is reinforced with rubber extends the life of your boot.
2. The lacing pattern. The farther the laces go down to the toe of the boot the more you can adjust the fit of the boot as your foot swells from walking mile after mile or from standing for long periods of time. (Like at work)
3. The gusset. The gusset keeps foreign objects (sand, rocks, dirt, snow, etc.) from entering the boot. The higher up the gusset goes the less stuff can get in your boots but your feet will sweat more.
4. The In-step. This feature keeps your foot from sliding forward toward the toe of your boot while walking down an incline. The farther down the in-step is placed the more adjustable it will be.
5. The Balance. This is padding usually made of foam and reinforced with a thin strip of aluminum or steel. It supports the arch and makes the boot more comfortable for extended wear. A lot of inexpensive boots don’t have this. A cheap foam insert on the inside of the boot is NOT a balance. A good test is to try to bend the toe of the boot backwards to the heel. If there is too much bend or if it bends too easily; that’s a bad thing. Here is an example of a poor balance.

6. The tread. The tread should be traction able and have a pattern that helps traction.
7. The upper. The more layers of material and seams the more ways water can get in. Lots of seams also means a greater possibility stitches popping on the boot. Only get Gortex if you know that you will be submerging the boot in water. Otherwise your feet are sweating more without any benefit.

These next three pictures are of a friend’s pair boots. They are about a year old.

These boots have a reinforced toe but the laces don’t go down as far.

This pair of boots has full gusset. There are many layers of material and one of the seams has popped.

The tread pattern on this pair of boots is kind of random and can be slippery on some surfaces.

These are a pair of boots I recently bought.

The toe is reinforced and lacing comes down a little farther.

This boot has a full gusset. There are also fewer layers and seams.

The tread pattern is uniform and wider spaced grooves throughout the tread pattern.
 
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CJD3

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Nice write-up.Thanks. I need to get some new ones in the next couple of weeks.
So are there a group of "good" boot makers that you considered from or are you a Merrell Man.
 
No Merrell's just tend to fit my feet recently. Vasque, Lowa, Merrell, Danner, Asolo, Saloman and Bellville all make good boots. When I bought my last pair of boots I tried on 6 or more pairs. There not cheap so go unbiased and get a pair that fits.
 
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dante322

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never really thought about it. I have an old ass pair of sketchers that i wear to the woods. They are constructed almost exactly like what you are showing and they are lasting longer than any other boots I have tried. I've had them for at least 3 years, wearing them regularly, and they have no rips or tears as of yet. My wife wants me to throw them out because they look so beat up but I just cant do it. Best scouting shoes I've got.
 

jagermeister

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Wow, I never really gave hiking boots this much thought! Great write-up, brother... This has definitely opened my eyes to what I should be looking for in the future.
 

hickslawns

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Ditto on what JB said! Excellent information. Probably saved a lot of us some money on cheap hikers which won't last or support our feet well. Thanks for the education Archer.
 

CJD3

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Damn. Now I'm being picky as hell. Didn't see what I wanted anywhere around here. (Washington PA.)
They are either cheap crap or $180-200.00 heavy & insulated.
 

Beentown

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Hey Tom, whatta ya think of Asolo? Have you had them before? A few of my friends that are over seas (contractors) choose them and REALLY like them.
 
Hey Tom, whatta ya think of Asolo? Have you had them before? A few of my friends that are over seas (contractors) choose them and REALLY like them.

I tried on the Asolo Bullet GTX Supperfly GTX. One of my friends told me about them and really liked them too. I wear a 12 wide normally and the Asolo 12 wide was too wide in the toe and the Asolo 12 regular felt a little snug. So they didnt work out for me. I really like how the Bullet GTX was construted. If you want a pair of Asolo's I'd recommend trying them on first because they seem to run a little different USA vs European sizes.
 

MK111

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I am in the same boat on wide shoes. I need a 11 1/2 to 12 wide and I can't mailorder shoes as no 2 shoe makers sizes are the same.
It's damn hard finding in the store shoes in wide and most stores only stock on medium. And all I hear is these medium will fit.
A odd but true story. I had my 1st open-heart surgery 16 yrs ago (2nd 8 yrs ago) and my feet started growing again and went upto a 12 wide. Before surgery I wore a 10 wide. And don't even go there because I won't comment on any questions of other body parts started growing to. I get it all the time when I make the comment about my feet started growing at 52 yrs old.
Frank
 

hickslawns

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@Archertl I just retired my cheap Reebok hiking shoes to the dumpster tonight. Twenty plus years old. Leather dry rotted. Hiking the Smokies last week the soles separated from the boot. Got my money out of them. Any updates on the boots? I'd guess you put more miles on hiking shoes than most. Can I get away with a sub $100 shoe/boot? I'll spend more if needed as I anticipate getting many years out of them. Just curious if you had updates to this thread? Have you found "The boot" you can't live without since 2012?
 
@Archertl I just retired my cheap Reebok hiking shoes to the dumpster tonight. Twenty plus years old. Leather dry rotted. Hiking the Smokies last week the soles separated from the boot. Got my money out of them. Any updates on the boots? I'd guess you put more miles on hiking shoes than most. Can I get away with a sub $100 shoe/boot? I'll spend more if needed as I anticipate getting many years out of them. Just curious if you had updates to this thread? Have you found "The boot" you can't live without since 2012?
I am still wearing the merrels i bought new in this thread. I am looking to replace them because the mid sole is wearing out after 10 years and god knows how many miles. Ill let you know what i pick.
My general preference in construction are fewer seams, full height gussets, instep hook or strap, and a stiff mid sole do best.
 
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P8riot

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I just bought a pair of 5.11 boot with the ASAT insert. Its meant for duty type activities (cops, firefighters, etc) where heavy equipment is added to the overall weight. Longevity - tbd. Comfort - best I have ever felt. Price - Not too bad for boots. Tacticalness - Super high 😆 They were having a sale and it was impulse. But the insert does feel good because its stiff and does support. My feet are flat as heck and these seem to be made for flat feet. I also need W boots and this model has them. I tried Solomon and really wanted them but those arch supports are crazy high.
 
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Isaacorps

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I have a pair each of Merrell and Keene. That Keenes are much more comfortable for me and have held up much better. The Merrells aren’t bad, they just can’t take the abuse the Keenes can. My work boots are also Keene and by far the most comfortable I’ve ever worn. Red Wing, Ariat, Rocky don’t even come close
 
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"J"

Git Off My Lawn
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I will say after wearing Solamons for the last 5 years, when I switched too Keene my arch did have a little pain for about a week. But it was minimal and haven’t had it since. I use them for walking our dogs on our gravel driveway as well as working around the house and driveway. Haven’t been disappointed with them yet.
 
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