Hiking/Outdoor Boots???

I'm not sure this topic is appropriate for this overall forum but it seems there are a lot of outdoors folks on here so I thought I would ask!

Just got back from camping and hiking in the Garner State Park area of Texas and have finally worn out my Coleman hiking boots. I want a better pair.

Anyone have a suggestion on boots? I do most of my hiking in the Texas summer heat. Rarely will I be in weather under 40 degrees; however I would like something water resistent.

Any input would be helpful.

Thanks
Mike

I wore out my Timberland boots last week in the Smokies. These are the boots I am now looking at, mainly all leather, GoreTex, and a Vibram sole.

cabela's

EMS
vasque

Hope that helps. I'm leaning toward the EMS boots myself.

Matt

I know these are over-priced comparatively, but I've grown fond of my Danners. Thank God I didn't have to pay for them (issued while on govt work).

That said, I reckon I've seen a hundred pairs of boots from different mfrs that I could go for. Ultimately, you gotta try them on, try them out, and see for yourself what works for you. Just like good cowboy boots, folks have different style and fit requirements for hikers that make them pick one mfr over another.

The thing is you are gonna have to be prepared to spend the money for the higher quality, then it's just a matter of finding what will fit your foot best for a given category (all my hikers are insulated as that is what I need for the environment I use them in). Where you are you might need something that breathes a bit better.

The list of good quality boot makers is long. You can even go custom. I won't buy a pair of boots I can't at least try on first. Usually if a high end boot feels right in the store, it will continue to feel right as it breaks in. Cheaper boots don't seem to work out as well, though you can get lucky sometimes.

I have used a pair of Georgia loggers for years. Good boots.

Mike, Sorry I didn't see you sooner. Welcome to the forum! You'll find a bunch of us fellow Texans here.

To follow up your question (and I'll probably be laughed off the forum for asking this), but what are people's opinions on surplus leather army boots? I used to wear them while working in a grocery store standing for eight-hour shifts and not having any complaints. How are they in the woods? About what a person could expect from the government or suprisingly good?

Thanks.
-Blast

I wonder about that, too. I've never liked leather army boots. Too heavy for the summer and too light in the winter. I have a pair but I only use them for shovelling snow these days. Maybe I'm not doing them justice but I just think you could a lot better with hiking boots.

I've spent better'n twenty years wearin' "them there Army boots" and I have a little bit of feedback:

The baseline "recruit boots" draw a serious vacuum in the comfy dept.

However, the suede rough-out desert boots that are now (sadly) general issue are quite comfy, and appropriate for Texas wear. Even though I'm from Oklahoma I've managed to wear out a pair or two in Texas (Ft. Hood)...

"Jungle Boots" feel pretty much like sneakers and have zero ankle support, I've never really liked 'em. I've got a pair of the insulated winter boots, and during the last ice storm, I finally got some use out of them--I give them an A+ for the environment they're designed for.

Note: ANY boot is worn out far faster than you think. If you can roll a pencil underneath any part of the sole (while it is resting on a flat surface), it's time to either get a new pair, or have them retreaded. A good pair of Dr. Scholl's inserts is mandatory if you have high arches; the Army has flattish feet, otherwise.

Try out a pair of the tan desert boots if you're looking for a non-expensive option. Otherwise, read the Complete Walker iv for some ideas in the sneaker_cum_hiking_boot area.

Take a look at the Merrell line. My last three pairs have been from them, and I wear them year round.

I've used Rocky boots for the last 15 years or so with no complaints.

Billy, I've been thinking about getting those desert boots for summer hikes. How long do they last in rocky terrain etc.? Also, I do most of the hiking in temperate woodland, not desert. Are those boots meant for dry weather only? I'm thinking they might be useful around here for summer treks too, but I'd like to hear some educated opininons first.

There are desert boots, and then there are desert boots. Just about anything tan and rough out can be called a desert boot, and just like regular ole black leather boots, they come in good, bad, and in between. I have a pair of "desert boots" made by Magnum that I am fairly happy with, but you might hate them. Most of the GI's I have talked to after a trip to Iraq say that they threw their issue boots away, and bought high end boots out of their own pocket (I could really start a rant about what GI's have to buy to replace the junk being issued to them, but I won't. Yet.). No matter what you get, fit is all important. The most expensive boot in the world will kill your feet if they do not fit properly. Right behind fit is quality of construction. A great fitting boot that is falling apart as you walk is no fun either. I think that boots, more than just about any piece of gear, is an individual thing, YOU have to try them on, wear them around the store as much as you can (in my backpacking days I was known to take my fully loaded pack into the shoe store with me, and carry it around in the store while wearing prospective new footwear), and then hope for the best. Be sure to take along the socks you plan on wearing with your new booties. But even after that, you still stand the chance of finding out, once you are really using them, that your new boots hurt. And I would suggest staying away from discount store shoe departments, and most mall type shoe stores, if you want "hiking" boots, go to REI or some other store that handles primarily outdoor gear, not a little bit of everything...

Timberland Cadion Waterproof Mid GTX XCRLightweight waterproof hiking boots.Tests show these boots will keep your feet dry even wading across shallow streams. They use Gore-tex GTX, which is cooler and more breathable than regular Gore-tex fabric. Reviews praise the ankle support, and say the Timberland Cadion hiking boots are comfortable right out of the box. The ankle cuff uses memory foam. You can attach crampons for hiking on ice, and reviews say light hiking boots like this are fine for backpacking with loads up to 35 or 40 pounds. They weigh close to 2.5 pounds (women's sizes weigh a bit less).

Colby

My hiking / outdoor boots are also my work boots and my everyday everywhere footwear . So they get a LOT of use .
IMO , Timberlands are not a good choice .I've worn timberlands and was very disapointed with them . Redwings are excellant boots , they are expensive but many people think they are worth it . I have different boots for summer , spring&fall and winter . Since you live in a warmer climate I would get uninsulated boots with a Gore-Tex membrane for water proofing .
Cabela's [www.cabelas.com] has an excellant selection of work , hiking and hunting boots . I'm getting the new Cabela Roughneck S.A.W. boots for my new pair of warm weather boots .

I don't have any suggestions as to brand, but I do have a suggestion. If you find a pair you like and can afford it buy two pair. Every time I get a pair I really love and go back to get another pair they usually don't sell them any more.

I like the high-tec brand. On my 3rd or 4th pair. and that's cause I edc them. ( EDW?)

Hello all,

I tried a pair of the Timberland Cadion Mid GTX XCR on a trek in Patagonia last december. The soles simply tore apart! I don´t adivise this boots.

Fabio

I've been wearing these mid-weight boots from EMS since last spring. (Well, while hiking anyway) It looks like they are on-sale at their online site.
http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442587393&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302875400&bmUID=1174700403186

Still, you really need to try several boots on to decide, I was lucky to have an EMS store close enough to try on EMS, Vasque, Merrill, and a couple others. I like these because they are wearable when it is warm since they breathe, but, you can walk through some wet stuff and not soak your foot. With a little heavier sock, you can wear them in colder weather as well. I did a weekend in January in them. Mostly in a prepared area though, no heavy snow or ice to contend with. You'd want some Sorels for that. The original post didn't seem to make it sound like cold was an issue anyway.

Incidentally, the tread on these boots is probably one of the most versatile I have ever had. You seem to get great sticky footing whether it's on wet logs, packed soil, mud, smooth rocks, or vegetation. I'm not really sure how they design these things, but, this is a good one.

Ever thought of using sandals for hiking, especially in the summer heat. There are some nice sandals around i.e. http://www.fieldandtrek.com/cat_id/FOOTSAND/product-Teva-Kanarli-Sandal-15130.htm
Sandals were good enough to build the roman empire on and the romans did a lot of walking.


If it starts to rain put on a pair of goretex socks.

I'll bet that more than one Roman got left by the side of the road when he ripped a toenail off, stubbed and broke a couple of toes, had a rock fall on a toe, etc.

I have seen backpackers far from anywhere carrying a monster pack in sandals, even barefoot, and I personally think that is foolish. I once saw a female officer, in open toed sandals, drop a S&W .44 mag (empty) from about five ft height, onto her foot. It knocked her big toenail completly off, putting her on cruches for several days. Have that happen in the boonies, you are in trouble. A shoe/boot does more than protect the bottom of your foot, it also provides support and protection for the entire foot, and possibly the ankle (if the tops are high enough)...

Re - Oldbaldguy

If the temperature rarely falls below 40 degrees in the summer whilst hiking I think good quality Trekking sandals are quite appropriate. I think the pluses outweigh the minuses compared to the excellent range of boots suggested by others. This of course has to be qualified by the type and difficulty of the terrain found in Texas. I suppose this would be mostly dry grassy savanna not subarctic mountain plateaus. Indeed if the temperatures rarely fall below 40 degrees, to keep comfortable I would probably even for go conventional dress and dress in a cotton trekking Kilt , ventile shirt with an Arabic shemagh headdress. As for the unfortunate incident of dropping an empty magazine on her toes the modern trekking sandal does have some limited toe protection. Also wearing heavy sweaty boots in 40 degree heat is not conducive to proper foot care. Most would be crippled by the blistering and foot swelling. The main downside I guess is that a sandal wearing, skirt wearing, looks like an Arabic terrorist would not go down to well in Texas.

Altima used to make the boots for the Army. I was issued 4 pair when I went to Cuba...blew through 2 (desert volcanic rock there, not very boot-friendly). The Altimas were super comfy, and I still use a pair for summer stuff. I wonder if they went back to cheap manufacturers.

Tom, never really had a problem with 'em on rocky terrain. A might slippery, maybe. I wouldn't wear 'em in winter, though. They can be made water-repellent with some silicone spray.

"...I wonder if they went back to cheap manufacturers..."

I think the proper term is "lowest bid"...

Depends on your party affiliation

I don't know. From 19 years of age, til I retired many years later, I worked for Uncle Sam or the state, and everything that was issued to me was lowest bid, no matter what party was in charge. Be it boots, or the tires I was driving 140+ mph on, lowest bid. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Of course viewing everything from the bottom of the food chain might make a difference...

I'm a real fan of Danner boots. I currently use the Ft Lewis jump boot. Waterproof, great support, good protection, plus wear 5.11 socks. You probasbly would not want the boot as tall as this one though...just find a shorter model from Danner
Doc

As everyone else has already mentioned, fit is the most important, everything else is secondary. The best made boots in the world don't mean much if they're too uncomfortable to wear.

Since you mentioned that you mostly hike in hotter weather, I would recommend you do NOT get a gore-tex boot. I know they are advertised as waterproof and breathable, but they are a lot warmer than regular (non-lined) boots, and will cause your feet to sweat more. If you know your feet will be getting wet, like in stream crossings or stuff, I still prefer to have a boot that is not waterproof. Because waterproof boots will keep water out, but if your feet get wet, it will also keep it in. It's better to have a really breathable hiker that drains water well, than one that keeps your feet wet.

If you're not carrying heavy loads or going off trail a lot, a light fabric hiker will be much more comfortable than heavy leather boots. It just depends on the type of hiking you do. A good outdoor shoe store should be able to give you a good boot recommendation based on your needs. I personally prefer Lowa's, they're much lighter than they look and they fit my foot well. But I've also had merrels, vasque, montrails, and columbia. Almost all of the major brands will be decent quality, so just buy the one that feels the best

Also, regardless of the type of boot you get, don't forget about the socks. Good socks are just as, or even more imporant, than the shoes.

2nd the anti-recommendation about Gore-Tex: it makes for a crappy boot. When the weather is cold, your feet will feel clammy; when it's warm, they'll sweat like crazy. The worst part of all is that they are rarely "waterproof" past the first season, and when they do get wet (and they will), they dry very slowly.

I'm not a big fan of Gore-Tex under normal circumstances, and especially NOT in a pair of boots.

-=[ Grant ]=-

Re ducktapeguy and GrantC

I would agree about the Goretex lined boot in hotter weather, they are not recommended. But in colder wetter weather I do find some other advantages to Goretex lined boots over more conventional leather boots. The goretex lined boot allows the boot to be designed slightly lighter, possibly saving 100-200 grams/boot for similar weather protection. This also reduces fatigue on long treks. Goretex lined boots are generally more waterproof than heavier conventional boots although breathability is about the same because a thinner leather boot is being used in comparison to the thicker heavier leather on the conventional boot. I also find that the goretex lining which is essentially a very thin fabric coated MVP PTFE also seems to reduce blistering because of the very low Coeffecient of Friction the material has. The goretex lined boot works very well for mountaineers and climbers in the colder wetter conditions we all to often get in Northern Europe. Of course the conditions in the warm humid southern states of the US are completely different to Northern Europe. Clothing and footware will be different.
In many ways, the warm humid conditions in southern Texas are actually more difficult to dress for because keeping dry in such conditions is difficult when it is raining. Rather than use goretex lined clothing in such conditions I would probably use a material called Ventile.
The Ventile Shirt is cool in summer conditions and warm in colder windy conditions and has a degree of waterproofness. The material is surpisingly capabable for such a wide range of weather conditions. As for socks I would stay away from any synthetic materials also when used in such warm weather. A cotton-woolen-silk mix would probably be best. If you go for a lightweight leather boot then a pair of Goretex socks can be used to supplement the boots during winter months.

I'm going to put my 2 cents in FOR Goretex liners in boots. I switched over to Goretex a number of years ago and haven't looked back. I have the opposite experience GrantC has. Feet are not clammy (at least no more than any other shoe/boot). I clean and coat the boots with a spray Nikwax formula 2-3x a year and even when trekking through streams my feet have stayed dry. Being several years old, they are starting to wear a bit at the sole seams so I will have goop them up to maintain the seal.

I normally have hot feet so I was initially concerned about getting too hot. I have found that it just wasn't true with these boots -Garmont Synchro ($225 CDN). I have low volume, long narrow feet and these fit perfectly. I've taken to wearing them in winter as well as during the summer because of their waterproof nature. They flex at exactly the right point for my longish toes. I consider this pair as close to the ideal boot as I have ever had. I prefer to have a shallow sole to keep the damage to the trail to a minimum.

I wear medium or thick smart-wool blended socks. I tried out poly liner socks inside of ordinary wool but the slipperiness of the foot inside the other sock felt too strange and actually created blisters instead of preventing them!

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.