well, i have made up my mind to buy some new beater boots, by beater i mean fishing hunting 4x4 desert anything outdoors but work boots. now im a guy who will wear boots even after the seems have split and consider them broke in. so i have been looking thru my cabelas catalog and wonderd if anybody has an all time faverite boot.......i am thinking about cabelas lightweight hunting boots,fully lined with goretx,400 gram thinsulate,water proof,with lleather uppers.........V........

When you find out, let me know <grin>. I won't buy boots mail order as a general rule - I greatly prefer to try them on. And to my regret I've yet to find a European-last boot that fits me off the shelf. I have one spendy pair of European boots that fit perfectly (technical double climbing boots), but they were custom fitted to me by a wise and talented cobbler.<br><br>A lot of peeps like Herman Survivors, and others like Danners. Neither the lightest nor the heaviest boots around, and they are not "sexy" looking like yuppie ankle-high boots (no insult intended to anyone - I own a lightweight pair of that "yuppie" type that are darned comfortable without a backpack on).<br><br>Except for snow and temps ~ freezing and below, I would pick my original issue desert boots, even tho I am not crazy about the hard soles (compared to the older style combat boots). Otherwise, no one boot that I own "does it all" for me. <br><br>My Dad has worn a pair of Brownings similar to your "specs" for several years, though, and he loves them for everything except extreme cold. I have no idea who made them for Browning. From recent shopping for the wife, it looks like an equivalent boot today runs about $120 - $150 a pair, if that helps. Smooth grain leather, not rough-out, is about the only thing I can add to your description, and they have cordura gussets or panels in them.<br><br>I have one pair of boots that are low tech - heavy leather, Vibram soles, fitted to me with high-density felt insoles (removable) that have seen more use than all the others - my second pair is on its 4th set of soles and 2nd set of eyelets - but frankly, they are too heavy by a long shot (which is why they have been so durable). For a long time they were my do-all boots. I rarely hike in them anymore because I've become so enamored of lighter-weight boots, but if I'm not traveling more than a few miles, they still get to come out and play. I think RedWing made them, but I bought the current pair nearly 20 years ago, so... (I didn't have a chance to wear out the second set of soles on the first pair because a certain puppy found them delicious buttered with SnoSeal)<br><br>I imagine that you can find everything you're looking for EXCEPT long-term durability. No big deal, in my opinion - replace as required. Boots seem to get better and better, but extreme durability probably means more weight.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Scouter Tom

I have a pair of "Matterhorn" boots from Brigade QM that I love. Others market them also. They seem to be based on the Ft. Lewis Go Devils from Danner. Look like tall combat boots with lace-to-toe. They are Gortex lined, Thinsulate insulated, Vibram soled, mine are also safety toes. Not too hot in summer, great in winter, and ankle support to boot...

Hi!<br><br>This is my first post. Before proceeding with the topic of boots, I wanted to thank Doug as well as the many experienced and insightful participants in the forums. The information provided on this site is characteristically excellent in both quality and helpfulness. I have really learned a lot. I hope I too can contribute back to this community. Thanks!<br><br> Now, on to the subject of boots. I have used to great satisfaction 2 pairs of all-leather, 9", lug-soled boots by Timberline (vintage 1985) and Browning (vintage 1993). Since they are almost overly well broken in - or as my wife describes them, "worn out trash" - I have replaced them with a pair of Cabela's Outfitter Series which are all leather, 9", 200 gm.Thinsulate insulation, waterproof leather, Gore-Tex lining, reportedly weighing about 3.9 pounds. They cost approximately $140. My pair is new, so I can only say that they seem very well designed and manufactured. However, my wife has a pair of the Outfitters that she has used for 4 years. She enthusiastically recommended them to me. We have used our boots in hunting, comping, and ranch work under a wide variety of conditions.<br><br>I would have been delighted with replacements by either of Timberline or Browning, but I could not find comparable boots. The Brownings have been extraordinarily comfortable, so they will still get at least light use. My only criticism is that I could never fully waterproof them. On the other hand, the Timberlines were quite waterproof.<br><br>Incidentally, I too find it hard to get a good fit in footwear, especially by mail order. Therefore, I normally order several pairs in different sizes (and sometimes in different designs as well) so that I have bracketed my probable best fit. Then I just return all but the best fitting pair. This method of selecting properly fitting footwear has worked well for me. However, I'm not so sure that vendors are as pleased with the technique as I am. <br><br>Onward in the quest for good boots.<br><br>John

hi, john i see your a man who understands what a pleasuer a pair of great boots are. when i was a kid you could go to any shoe store and be properly fitted,i havent seen that in i dont know how long........your multiple order for fitting techniqe i found intresting........thanks

I find that a pair of ordinary boots are sufficient, even for very arduous and steep hiking, provided you wear two pairs of socks. A thin inner pair, and thick cushion socks. The boots I have at the moment cost one fifth the price of a pair of Scarpa boots. They do become wetter inside, when it rains, but I find that boots which let in the rain also let out foot perspiration. In an earlier post I mentioned that stuffing a viscose towel inside a wet boot dries it sufficiently well overnight to be used again next morning.

sorry jampot,gotta disagree on boots that are not water proof,i wonce wore a pair of boots that i had gotten the inside wet......all day......at the end of the day it was like walking on gravel......intresting tip on the socks though, i wear paded cotten in the winter and a bit lighter cotton socks in the summer.

For activities involving walking or travel, I like a low cut, light weight boot. Over the years I have gravitated to lower and lighter as my ankles have strengthened. I have a pair of Vasque Sundowners which has worked from high Sierra snows to the desert. There are several other equivalent brands available. The key to quality is boots with a minimum of seams.<br><br> For work situations, I like high top, all leather boots without insulation. This type of boot is mandatory for wild land fire fighting, which I used to pursue prior to retirement. I think the pair I have now are made by Georgia - again a lot of folks make similar boots.<br><br>If I had to go with just one boot, I would probably go with the work boots, since they hike fairly well and are safer and more protective in situations where low tops begin to falter.<br><br>Forget Gore-tex and insulation. Get quality leather, but large enough to accommodate a second pair of socks. Waterproofing comes from regular applications of waterproofing compound and good boot care.

I have had a pair of matterhorn boots about 6-7 years. 10", all leather, vibram soles, gortex liner, cabrelle lining. Durable, comfortable. Kind of heavy at 5lbs but they provide excellent protection to my foot and lower leg.<br><br>The highest boot I had ever worn prior to these was an 8". The first day they felt a little strange. I tried a couple of 8" on after these and they felt short. I love these and am toying with buying a second pair, one for the house, one for the truck.<br><br>I got mine from either US.Cavlary or Brigade Quartermaster. My local mil surplus store carried them but at a higher price.

If you have trouble with finding sizes to fit your feet you might want to try Red Wing. If you have a store in your area stop by and have them fit you up. The boots are expensive though, the ones i wear are about $180.

Based on a review I read at http://www.jungletraining.com/altama.htm, I went purchased a pair of Altama boots at Brigade Quartermasters. They offer both the more expensive mil-spec versions and a number of lower priced civilian versions which are similar in construction but different in some materials. I'm reasonably certain that I got the more expensive of the less expensive options... IOW, not the full mil-spec version, but the nicer civilian version of the black speedlace jungle boots.<br><br>I've been very pleased with them. In fact, I love them to death! They're comfortable and (I think) look good. They're not waterproof, so they're not for everyone nor every application. But, I already had some hiking boots I got at REI for when I wanted waterproof, and, as the reviewer of the piece mentioned above wrote, "No boot or shoe is waterproof when you're up to your waist in swamp muck or taking an unexpected swim in boots and BDU's..." I wanted some boots that I could wade in, and these seemed perfect.<br><br>Just now, I did a search through the forum archives and found no results at all for the keyword "altama". I am curious why no one on the forum has ever mentioned this brand of boots before. Is there a reason I'm not aware of, or is it just random chance? Are these, indeed, (the mil-spec ones, at least) US GI boots? I'd love to read what anyone else out there thinks of Altama boots.<br><br>When I was working Industrial Security and a member of a few Emergency Response Teams, I typically wore office dress clothing, but, on "casual" Fridays, I would wear the issue "soft" uniform that our officers wore. This included some boots from a company called Thorogood. These are made in China, and I can't for the life of me figure out why they've held up so well, but they rock! I've had them for at least five years now, and they're broken in well, but not at all showing signs of wearing out. Aside from scuffed toes, they look almost new, and that's just a matter of polish. If they don't last another five years, easy, I'll be surprised. If they last another ten, I won't be.<br><br>One very personal reason why I love these particular boots so much is that with literally every other pair of boots or shoes I own, I can lace the left one normally, but I have to lace the right one in a unique way so that my right foot does not begin to hurt after wearing them for a few hours... even my Altamas. The lace pattern is different with each pair, but the process for finding it is always the same; whenever I get new footwear, I have to spend some time, usually a few days, playing with the lacing pattern to find they way that works with that pair. I lace and unlace, relace and unlace and repeat as I go through the hours of the days. Only my Thorogood low-top black dress boots are laced normally on both sides. Why? I have no clue. They fit comfortably on both my left and right foot... something which no other piece of footwear I own does.

As your post makes clear, what really counts in boots is proper fitting. Everything else is details.<br><br>Perhaps the reason you haven't seen those brands mentioned before is that there appear to be two somewhat different "boot universes"- the military/hunting and the hiking/climbing. I have gotten my boots from the latter, ever since I shucked the crummy, poorly conceived, uncomfortable misfits the Army provided me. Then I found true comfort and utility. But everyone's feet are different, and we must seek our goals by different paths, walking in different boots, of course.

Oh Boy! Heres a subject I can really put my foot in my mouth over! I wear packer boots by White's. these are a lace up version of the cowboy boot for folks who spend equal time afoot and mounted. A safe riding boot must be smooth soled and heeled. I don't care to tear up delicate soil communities with my old norwegian welted deep lugged matterhorn monsters anymore. In snow, I wear Stegner Mukluks. A flexible boot allows for greater circulation and custom insulation. In the city, I wear black dress shoes. My great grandmother said a lady could judge a gentleman by his shoes and watchLOL.