Hello all,

I did a quick search of the forum and couldn't find what I was looking for in the last 2 years. Forgive me if my search was bad and this has been discussed within that time frame.

I'm looking for a hiking boot that is lightweight (my pack ways 20 pounds) and will stand a chance of lasting 10 years of daily use (or something amazing). Price is not a concern. I've checked out some other forums but I'd like to hear what ETS members have found to be long lasting boots.

Perhaps I should have put this under long term preparedness?:)

-Nim

Merrell

I'll second the Merells. I've had a pair of Merell Ridge hiking boots for a couple of years. They have been good friends to me in Olympic NP, Grand Canyon, Smoky Mountain NP, Zion NP and more. Comfortable and waterproof.

I don't think that there is a boot made that will survive 10 years use. The soles wear through. Best you can hope for is boots that have a replaceable sole.

It seems like most boots won't be very good after 10 years of even modest use, let alone daily wear. That said, the Merrill boots are generally very good. I have also had good luck with some of the older line of Vasque boots. I'm currently using EMS Tempo GTX boots, which are fairly breathable, reasonably waterproof (Goretex membrane), and have a good Vibram sole with a moderately aggressive tread.

Fit is very important. The EMS boots and Vasque boots fit my shape foot well, but, they might not work for you. Find a shop that has several quality brands, and go try some. Make sure that you are wearing the sock/liner combination you expect to wear in the field. Walk around the shop with a loaded backpack for a while and get a feel for them. Good shops will let you do that, and will have a ramp or two around so you can see if your foot slips going up or downhill. That's very important.

In the northeast, Eastern Mountain Sports has some of their salespeople trained to just fit boots properly, and they really focus on matching you up right. They actually steared me to a less expensive model, that fit me better than the one I initially was considering. Find a reputable outfitter like that where you live, and let them help you. Boots are one of the few things that I won't buy online, for just that reason.

Even the most scenic hiking trail can turn ugly in bad boots.

Usually light weight and durable are mutually exclusive, especially for hiking boots. But, I did go hiking with a guy who's been using the same leather boots since the mid 70's, over 30 years from one pair of boots! He has gone through quite a few resoles, but the boot themselves actually looked in decent shape.

I've gone through quite a few boots too, and the sole is almost always the first thing to go. If you're looking for something to keep for a while, make sure it can be resoled, a lot of the new lightweight boots can NOT due to their construction. Other than that, definitely look for a leather boot, and specifically a one piece leather boot. Fabric wears out much faster than leather, and seams will deteriorate over time even if the leather leather holds up. Somthing like this would be good, but don't make very many lightweight all leather hiking boots anymore. I just finished with a pair of Lowa's, they are really good light hikers, but again the sole and stitching didn't hold up very well. I don't think you'd want to be wearing the same boots after 10 years anyway, they'd start to smell pretty bad. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I've worn various boots over the last 12 years and they have all been light hiking boots. The best boots I could find are the one piece solid leather Vasque Sundowner (now Classic and GTX I think). They have been my every day boot for 10 years and although I am on my third pair, I can't beat them. I normally am very tough on my boots and they get a lot of concrete jungle wear, and farm wear. A normal hiking boot lasts me around 6 months (the stitching goes) but the Sundowners last me around 2-4 years. It depends on how much water I expose them to. I never resole them because the leather is distroyed after that time. People who look after the leather better would get a much longer life out of the boot. I have heard of people going through several resoles.

Vasque use a knit and very strong liner in their boots which takes much work to make a hole in, that is more than can be said for most hiking boots.

When I choose a hiking boot I look for several things.
1. replaceable sole
2. solid upper (no little pieces sewn together which can fail)
3. Double or tripple stitching on all seams
4. No liner (leather inside) or a fabric liner (not the stuff you find in running shoes. What most shoe companies call fabric, has no visible threads to it and wears through very quickly.

This is seperate to the normal things of support, fit and look.

When it comes to goretex liners versus no liners at all, my experience is that goretex is great for keeping moisture out but also great for keeping moisture in.

I have never found goretex or it's equivalents to be breathable. Over a long hike you will get damp feet regardless of what the liner is, that is why you should carry spare socks. It is nice to have a waterproof boot but under humid or damp conditions your feet will get damp anyway.

Thank you for all of your input. I'd trust experience to sales people any day.

I apologize for the atrocious spelling in my first post and my tardy reply. Again, thank you for your advice!

-Nim

No, typical feet. The terrain has many large exposed rocks. Fairly humid and fairly cool.

-Nim

I went down to my local REI with a thought I'd buy the Merrells I saw in their catalogue. Luckily I'm near the huge flagship store in Denver, so they have this neat little up/down rocky/step/incline thing that you can climb on to give the boots a test in artificial-trail conditions. The Merrells were certainly nice boots, but fit is everything, and for MY feet a pair of Vasque Breeze boots were clearly superior. I really like the lightness and air-iness of the Vasques, but everybody has to find their fit. I would not buy boots without trying them on and using them semi-trail-like for an extended fit test. I would recommend concentrating on fit over all else. My personal choice, or anybody elses here, may be totally wrong for you. Expecting ANY boot to last ten years - much less with daily use - is asking too much. Even given sole replacements. The support elements in the boots will break down over time, leaving you with a Vibram-soled house slipper.

I don't remember if links to products are allowed in these forums, so moderator delete this if appropriate.

Here are the Vasque Breeze boots that I found as my "best fit":

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductD...gory_rn=4501272

HI-tec PCT
if they still make them
be sure to get a half size bigger!

reason i mentioned this particular brand?
well, lightweight for one
two, durable and hassle free (13 years)
not waterproof, breathable...you want to stay away from completely waterproof(your feet wont breathe),
spray some water repellent on and you r good 2 go
dries quckly,
try any boot at least for a week...
or ask a sales assistant!

Hi-Tec PCT boots(you might not be able to find them in the US)

I agree that "fit" is key, because a pair that's long-lasting but ill-fitting is useless. I have a pair of Vasques too -- can't remember which style -- because their women's lightweights are a good width (some of the other brands are too narrow for me). And I can lace them down tightly enough to minimize slipping forward in the boot, even when I'm practically hanging by my heels off a stair tread (testing them in the store) or coming down a steep slope.

Thank you for your advice. What is a heel saver?

-Ni

I was in the market for light hiking boots too. I just bought my first pair of Merrells. I got the Mesa Ventilator II, low tops. I got them at Sportsman's Warehouse. They were $74.99 and I had a $10 of coupon for any purchase over $50. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

They look and feel good. I like the mesh. Here in the desert I'll take all the ventilation I can get. They are nice and light. Time will tell how well they work on the trails.

Throw a pair of Superfeet in whatever you get. Well worth the extra bucks.

I have different shoes/boots for different purposes but my latest purchase was the Merrell Chameleon II Gore-Tex XCR.
Great hiking and multi-purpose shoe with lots of stability for a low cut. (And I do use Superfeet in mine as well.)

The last pair of backpacking shoes I bought are Montrail Vitesse like Ryan on www.arctic1000.com is wearing. Check out the trek these three guys are doing.

This isn't directed at jshannon, he just had the last reply button.

I worked in a boot department at an outdoors shop for a several months when I was younger. My nephew worked for the competition for at least 5 years. The way boots are laced can make a world of difference in how they feel. My supervisor in the boot department seemed to know how to make a boot that fit OK, fit like it was made for you. Some were overly complex in my opinion, but they worked. I wish that I could describe them, but I feel it would be futile.

BTW if you have a pair of name brand boots where the uppers are falling/coming apart, but there is still some sole left, the company will probably replace them under warranty. We did it often, and I've done it myself.

My son has had several pairs of Merrills. They fit well and wore well. If his foot would stop growing I could tell you how long they lasted.

I have a narrow foot and have a hard time finding a boot to fit. I have had good luck with Asolo. I replaced the insole with Superfeet. Unfortunately they turned into bathtubs on the trail at Philmont and in the drying process, the sole under the toe charred and came apart. Now I am in the market for new boots myself. I don't think the soles on those boots can be replaced. I don't remember the model.

The Seeker

Seeker890,

Thank you for your service to the Boy Scouts!

I have a pair of Danner 452. They have been replaced by the Danner 453. Backpacker Magazine has a gear testing magazine each year in the spring and the Danner 453 was picked as a "Best Buy". If you can find a copy of the Backpacker Magazine Gear issue you will have a lot of very good information. If you can find a good backpacking store that has a good boot fitter you will be given some good advise there related to your feet. Different boots fit different feet best. For example, the Merrell boots that have been recommended have a tight toe box which isn't good for me. They recommend that you shop for boots in the afternoon when your feet are swolen. Also take a pair of your hiking socks with you. After you make your choice, wear the boots inside for a day and see if anything you didn't notice at the store shows up. If so return them and get different boots.

David Enoch