Hey Hcksaw,

I have been wearing Danners with orthotis for 5 years now and am happy with them. I am lucky though in that work buys them for me!

Mike

Oh, and I forgot to mention - despite your criteria, supposidly one of THE most comfortable boots made for everyday wear is the Adidas GSG-9s

It seems they are down to around $160 - they used to be around $300.

The supposidly wear out fast, and be re-soled, but also are said to feel like a pair of sneakers on your feet

(excuse typos - pain pill kicking in)

My boots feel like sneakers on my feet, because they are sneakers. Over the years, I have gone to lighter and lighter footwear. Typically I will backpack with running shoes or trail runners. Yes, they wear out quickly, but they don't cost very much to begin with. i do have sturdier boots for rocky mountain trails and snow situations, approach shoes for scrambling trips with incidental rock climbing, etc. I vary my foot gear to match the terrain. I never wear my outdoor boots around on pavement. That is just needless wear.

The brand I like for overall comfort, durability and versatility is Vasque. You will get various recommendations because all our feet are different, and we get a different fit with different brands. My Vasque Sundowners lasted me over a decade of fairly constant outdoor use, and they were warm enough for anything short of plastic double boot snow and ice country.

For everyday hiking, get something low cut like a sneaker, with a good sole, maybe put in good insoles, and wear low gaiters to keep the dirt and sticks out

I already have a pair of good trail shoes made by Timberland. They're not as worn as the boots but they'll be next to be replaced for sure.

There's a lot of logic behind having the right shoe/boot for the job and making the right selection. I've championed this in regards to foot wear in other posts. Unfortunately my budget can't handle a total overhaul...I'd have to piece it together gradually...which might work but isn't really the direction I was going in...I guess it will depend on what I find and how I decide to use that choice.

One of the motivations for a new pair of boots is my involvement in Search and Rescue. On a search there is almost always a ton of walking and very rarely are there trails. Terrain is something that can be different every time...and it's not always practical to load up the Jeep with shoes before I leave just in case.

Just this evening something occurred to me that also makes sense...the terrain that is the most common in search and rescue (in these parts) is the same terrain hunters can be found in...and often the folks we're looking for are lost hunters. It's also common terrain when doing some back country camping. Makes me think about hunting boots as an option instead of hiking or backpacking boots. There are a lot of similarities but they seem to be 2 completely different classes of boots. Yet another option...the last thing I need LOL.

Yes, sneakers are great. A nice pair of high tops, if the boss will let you wear them. I can't get away with it - I have to wear "shoes", so the Magnum "Low" (sneaker height) patrol shoes pass, as do, believe it or not the 8" highs, as they cant see they are up in my pants (No jeans, but I can wear cargo pants - and DO)

I'll tell you, the day of the NYC blackout (what was it, 5 years ago already?) I was sure glad I was wearing my patrol shoes, and had my pack on (On the subway).

i also wear Magnums, but generally for urban use. For outdoor use i wear Lowa boots.

Magums are reasonable light and comfortabel, i do miss hooks for the the upper laces, though. Mine magnums only has gromments for the laces, which is a lot slower than having a few hooks on angle height.

Lowa's are more flexible and more comfortable when i'm hiking, but the sole is softer and wears out more on the pavement.

Magnum has at least one model with a side zipper. Adjust the laces once, and then zip the boot on and off

You seem to have received a lot of good advice in the above replies. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the boots suggested so far. However, I just got a pair of the USMC Bates gortex 2nds from lapolicegear.com. Although they are 2nds I cannot find anything wrong with them yet. I just got them so I can't give you a full report on them. I got them for $37.00 plus shipping and at that price you can't go wrong. They are normally about $150.

I just bought a pair of Limmers, and the level of personal service is remarkable, plus the boot is one tough SOB. It will take some time to break them in, and I need to send them back for a toe width adjsutment. But they are a serious boot that I hope will last a really long time. I have not worn them for any time in hot weather yet, so can't comment on that, unfortunately.

David

Hacksaw,

I would think that SAR is mostly off pavement work. So, most any good hiker/hunter boot should suffice for 95% of your work. I would lean towards the hard Vibram-type sole. That is what works for my foot needs in an off-pavement environment. On pavement the Bates Lites were best for me. I do feel the pain!