3 1/4 lb. boots? Too heavy for me, and for most of the folks on this forum, unless you'll be mountaineering or carrying a 60-70 lb. pack. Most people these days backpack in trail runners (Merrell makes those, too). I do wear boots (I have ankle issues) but the lightest-weight ones I can find--maybe 2 lbs. per pair. The notion that you need heavy boots for multi-day trips is archaic in these days when most go out for a week with packs in the 30 lb. range. (I never did wear heavy boots even back in the days when I carried 50 lbs., so as far as I'm concerned that advice was never correct.) If you really prefer boots to shoes, I'd stick with the Outland Mids you mentioned, which are a pound lighter. If you can find something lighter, better yet.

The most important thing about footwear, of course, is that it fit you and be comfortable! Take a fully-loaded pack (or equivalent) with you and hike around the store for an hour (try to find some ramps to "hike" up and down hill). And do the same around the house for several hours before you take them outdoors, so they're still returnable (at home you can set up a slanting board for the "uphill" and "downhill" test). Properly fitting footwear should feel right from the start and not have to be "broken in."