Boots are a very personal decision. The boots I hike in have become lighter, lower, and relatively cheaper over the years as my ankles have developed strength. My current hiking boots are basically low cut sneakers. There are many different brands available. Vasque is one of my favorites.

The high cut leather boots are obsolete for any significant hiking, but are great for work situations like fire fighting where ankle and lower limb protection is needed. I have two pairs, one with steel toes (Redwing), and one without (Georgia - steel toes are a no-no on the fireline. A lot of wildland firefighters use their first OP check to purchase a pair of Whites. I have no experience with them.

White's Boots are great. They are all leather and custom made to your feet, so they fit very well. The company will rebuild them too, for a price of course. I have a pair of their hiking boots that are a couple of years old, so I haven't had to have them rebuilt. They are rugged and provide a great deal of support, which is important to me since I have one ankle that occassionally gives me problems from old injuries.

They are rather heavy. There are lighter boots out there that use synthetic materials, but for ankle support and durability White's can't be beat.

No affiliation to the company other than being a satisfied customer.

http://www.whitesboots.com/

Custom made - of course! That makes them worth the money. Years ago I had a pair of custom boots (Peter Limmer). Right out of the box, they were comfortable. Never gave me a blister in the more than ten years I used them.

Today's hiking boots are also blister free, since they use lighter and more flexible materials, but they definitely lack the durability of the older stuff.