Interesting to hear different insights on this. I would agree that Goretex boots are good for winter treks and serious climbing. I also have a pair of lighter, more hi-tech Goretex boots that are almost perfect for summer hikes. Very light (weight about half as much as the GI leather boots), water resistant and sturdy enough for rough terrain, even if I'm carrying a fairly heavy pack. My feet tend to sweat a lot but that hasn't been a problem with those boots so far. But that's also because I've started using foot powder regularly.

Just to be clear, I do think gore-tex boots have some advantages. In cold, damp weather, a goretex liner is great to have on boots to keep water from soaking through to your feet. So for rain or snow, it's definitely a plus.

But in hotter weather (I'm talking about 90-100+ degrees, where your soles are about to melt on the ground kind of heat), a waterproof/breathable liner isn't that great. They are noticeably hotter than unlined boots, and since you most likely won't be wearing high top boots or gaiters, anything deeper than a really shallow puddle will get wet your feet wet from water coming in over the top of the boots. Once your feet are wet, a gore-tex lined boot will take forever and a day to dry out and is very uncomfortable to walk in, not to mention the blisters they will cause. A lightweight unlined boot will let most of the water out, and will continue to dry as you walk.

In certain situations, staying dry isn't as important as the ability to dry quickly. Especially for hot weather hiking, even if it rains sometimes it's not worth it to put on a poncho or rainjacket, because if you don't get soaked from the rain, you'll be soaked from the sweat.

For most of my Boy Scouting career (about 9 years) I stuck with surplus/new GI jungle boots. Light, breathable, fairly sturdy, and around $30 at most Army-Navy stores. Have to get the right size, but they'd last a few years (puttin on several hundred miles annually). If I anticipated wet weather, some Seal Skinz socks did the trick (or using 1 gal. plastic bags).

But, that's me, and back then I was a bit gung-ho and young. Now I use Merrils for the most part. But... I still have a pair of jungle boots that I use when it's real muddy. I hate mud getting into my socks.

Like everyone says, fit is #1. What feels good to me won't work for you. A decent outdoor shop should have a few people to guide you properly in selecting shoes.