Good hiking boots?

[Clay]

15 years ago I bought my first pair of GOOD hiking boots. A pair of Salomon leather, gore-tex, stiff composite shank, gusseted tongue, just excellent boots. I paid for them too. Back then they were at least $150. They have been excellent boots, but I finally had an outsole come half way off, so I took them to get them either replaced or repaired. The guy said he can glue it back on, but the mid-sole of the boot is in bad shape and that part can't be replaced. So this will get me by for the rest of the winter, but Ill need to start looking at something different.

anyway, in 15 years a lot has changed I guess. Nothing out there from Salomon even resembles what I have now. A lot less leather, and a lot more synthetics.

So Im guessing Ill find that the world over in boot land. back in the day Salomon and Vasque were a couple of the top dogs, so for those of you in the know, what are some good boots today? I know Ill probably have to spend at least $200 for a pair to get something comparable to what I had, but if they last another 15 yrs, Ill be ok with that

 

[TiminMishawaka]

I love my Merrells. Very heavy on the synthetics put I've worn them everywhere and have no complaints. Teh only time I don't wear them is the current weather as I put on my thick leather timberland boots with the higher collar.

 

[bwframe]

Merrell and Muck are my favorites. Muck for the deep stuff and Merrell's for the rest.

I have considered looking into Doc Martens though. Always heard great reviews on them and hard to resist their "for life" guarantee.

 

[snapping turtle]

Vasque med/heavy hikers.

I use them for 10 years before my wife made me get rid of them. The only thing i did not like was they had the hiking profile and in a treestand you rocked forward. I think this is normal for most hikers.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Scarpa. Scarpa Eduardos to be specific.

 

[nate1865]

I've got some Columbias that breathe very well.

I use them for hunting and lightweight backpacking. Mobility (light, small) and the ability to dry quickly (breathe) are my main concerns.

 

[6birds]

Meindl, good for a day hike, really good for a 5 day hike with a heavy pack!

 

[jeremy]

I like my Danners...

 

[Yeah]

Meindl for most places, Kennetrek if I'm going one of the few places where a harder stiffer sole is an advantage.

 

[straittactical]

what do you guys think about these i thought about getting these.

The North Face Jannu II GTX GORE-TEX Hiking Boots for Men

 

[Inabcentia]

Vasque heavy/medium. owned mine for more than 20 years and you can send them in to have them re-soled

 

[Clay]

Thanks everyone for all the input!!

as for the vasques, I wonder if that same option is out there for my Salomons. Might have to look into it.

 

[tyler34]

LOWA!

they are probably the best you will find hands down. they have zero break in time and have the best fit and finish in the business.


LOWA Boots USA / Welcome!


I have owned the desert zephyr GTX(gore-tex) for the last 3 years and they still look brand new and fit like a glove.

 

[TwinSix]

Asolo... enough said. Solid underfoot. Gortex.

 

[Ashkelon]

Asolo makes two different top tier boots. Both all leather and require little to no break in. Wife has top of the line and I have the step down.
Great wear. Both both about 2 years ago and help up nicely over some pretty rocky terrain.

 

[abnk]

I am a big fan of Merrells. My only complaint is that they don't last as long as I would have expected (although I put more miles on them than the average user). Even so, I keep going back because they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.

 

[Hammer]

Another fan of the Lowa here. I'm very hard on boots and destroyed several pairs of Merrills and decided to get a pair of Lowa. It's been 3 years and still going strong.

 

[clfergus]

I am on my second pair of Vasque Sundowners. I had some in college that finally broke down. Got my second pair last year and they are still great. All leather upper, nice tread on sole.

Some people complained that the quality went down since they moved their production overseas. Still feel the same to me but when I hike I am not going 20 miles at a time.

 

[Jeremy05]

I like a pair of Asolo I had, but I have not look for new boots in a long time. I always preferred boots that were lined with Gortex.

 

[Colt]

About 30 years ago I gave up finding a pair of quality hiking boots that felt comfortable out of the box. I settled for cheap boots to get by with. Friends would say you have to break the quality boots in, but I didn't want to chance it. A couple of years ago I found some Skechers that are inexpensive, felt comfortable right out of the box, and seem to me to have quality on par with the expensive brands. I bought mine at Kohls.

http://www.skechers.com/style/4442/sergeants-verdict/cdb#Color=CDB