Hiking boots recommendations

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

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BoostinDubs t1_iw7g4hm wrote

Scarpas made in Italy

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Ellusive1 t1_iw8170h wrote

I have scarpa’s and they’re awesome!

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PuzzleheadedLow4687 t1_iw7w7nw wrote

Yes, not quite for life but my last pair lasted 10 years which is pretty good going.

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Marauder_Pilot t1_iwvlbnq wrote

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.

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BoostinDubs t1_iwvnsmy wrote

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.

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Marauder_Pilot t1_iwvsebb wrote

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.

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trippiler t1_iy9tutq wrote

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.

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MoonlessPrairie t1_iw6yztq wrote

Asolo

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Entwined_Lotus t1_iwa60eo wrote

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

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Skika t1_iwag1na wrote

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.

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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

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TomTurkey_WiiU t1_iw6imle wrote

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.

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OrganizationQueasy48 t1_iwa7chn wrote

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

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kozakmuz t1_iw9di7f wrote

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.

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No_Vanilla9662 OP t1_iw7d7yy wrote

These look good, I really need the waterproofing

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Rumplestiltsman94 t1_iw7om4x wrote

They are water proof, Well Unless you are walking in water deeper than the boot is.

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slade797 t1_iw7apr8 wrote

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.

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chickenfatherdeluxe t1_iw6c0v7 wrote

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.

https://www.lowa.co.uk/products/z-8s-gtx-c

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TomTurkey_WiiU t1_iw6jq2r wrote

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.

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mtrucho t1_iwacq6y wrote

"alarmingly waterproof" is the best way to describe them.

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circusnurse t1_iw6v202 wrote

Harkila. The most comfortable and strongest boots I've ever owned.

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Rominator t1_iw7cxu7 wrote

r/goodyearwelted

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PuzzleheadedLow4687 t1_iw7wcnd wrote

Not for hiking boots. GYW boots are excellent for most purposes but not completely waterproof.

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Rominator t1_iw8c1n0 wrote

It depends on which you choose. Mine are. The GYW sole attachment is specifically to keep from having penetrations that allow in water.

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No_Vanilla9662 OP t1_iw7e3ud wrote

Some really good suggestions, thank you all, I’ll let you know what I go with

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grindermonk t1_iw7jn9k wrote

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.

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Muncie4 t1_iw7xevk wrote

We have no idea as you have not provided enough information.

  1. Budget. $10,000 boots are a thing.
  2. Hiking. Are you going to summit Mount Godwin-Austen? Are you going hiking natural hills in Scotland? Are you hiking a 100% flat paved decommissioned railroad bed? Terrain and relative climate play a role.

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.

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No_Vanilla9662 OP t1_iw8lbpb wrote

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

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Ill-ConceivedVenture t1_iw842ip wrote

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).

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Toempologe t1_iw8ferc wrote

I got some HAIX boots the german army issues to its soldiers and find them to be very nice.

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J-the-muss t1_iwk5s5e wrote

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.

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alaxsxaq t1_iwxcfnn wrote

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.

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No_Vanilla9662 OP t1_ixydh5u wrote

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.

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11B4OF7 t1_iw6b7gy wrote

Whatever you see infantryman wearing.

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DavetheHick t1_iw6omcw wrote

As long as it's something they chose themselves, not what they were issued.

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11B4OF7 t1_iw8j08z wrote

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.

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DavetheHick t1_iw8jwli wrote

"Never" is a strong assertion, and false.

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11B4OF7 t1_iw8k5wl wrote

No, it’s not.

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DavetheHick t1_iw8kkq9 wrote

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.

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11B4OF7 t1_iw8knm3 wrote

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

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