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...