Alright. So this month I'm getting more active doing some hikes and some search and rescue training.

Checking my boots out to make sure they're up for it, I'm not sure they are. They're only 4 years old but of that there's 2 years of pounding pavement as a motorcycle riding instructor, hikes and camping all over the place (including being broken in at the Grand Canyon) and a lot of motorcycle riding. As a result I've blown a hole in one so the one is no longer waterproof and the soles are pretty much worn flat. As they have a foam type layer between the Vibram sole and the boot, I'm pretty sure they can't be resoled.

I'm looking for a new pair but I have some fairly demanding needs. I'm hoping that you folks could toss some advice my way since the more I research this one the less sure I am about style, how much to spend, etc.

My biggest problem with boots is heat. My feet don't like to be hot and when they get hot they get wet...which has it's own issues and dangers. The first suggestion came from my brother. He used to live in Central America. He swears by army surplus Jungle boots for hot weather (Even though I live in Alberta, summer=hot for me no matter how mild it is). They're relatively inexpensive and not too hard to find new or surplus. They breath fairly well, plus they're easier to pack then some of the alternatives which can be handy at times.

The next problem is wear and tear. Because I do so much walking on pavement during the summer in addition to the outdoors stuff like hiking, camping, fishing, SAR, etc., I go through the soles faster than I'd like and tend to just be hard on boots in general. A friend suggested Danners as they can be re-soled and can last decades if cared for properly. I've also looked at Limmer boots. These don't seem to breath as well as I'd like for problem #1.

The 3rd problem is that I'm cheap. I don't want to spend a fortune unless I'm sure I can make them last at least 10 years...definately worth the investment at that point even with the cost of having new soles put on when needed.

Do you have any favorites I should be checking out which have good breathability, are rugged, waterproof (or at least very water resistant), can be worn for 12 hour days in the summer heat and up to a week at a time without issue...and aren't the most expensive thing out there?

Seems like the best bet so far are the modern takes on the Jungle boot which have Gore-tex in the fabric upper. I've only heard of these and don't know who makes them...if anybody knows I'd appreciate that info too.

If the general concensus is that it's dumb to wear a single boot for everything (winter doesn't count...I'll always have a seperate pair of pack boots)...then let me know because that's what I've been doing for years and years!