Hi everyone. I am in the market for a new pair of hiking boots. There are only one or two retailers, of any hiking shoe line, within 100 miles that have real hiking boots not the junk they sell at box stores around my area.

I had a pair of Salomon about 10 years ago that was an early forerunner of what is now the Revo GCS. I tried a pair on locally but they were too high for my liking. The fit, however, was absolutely awesome; probably the best fitting piece of footwear I have ever had on my foot.

Here's my dilemma. There are no dealers near me that carry more than one model of the hiking line. I bought a pair of the Salomon Protons but they didn't fit correctly. It cost about $10 to mail them back. I could continue to buy online and return if needed but I can foresee spending a lot of money mailing unless I get lucky.

Zappos does pay the freight both ways but they also charge full retail.

Do you buy online and return or are you lucky enough to have a good selection from local shops?