Hiking boots

Posted by: Quigley

Hiking boots - 07/13/11 11:44 AM

Howdy ya'll

I been hiking off and on for the past couple of years but using my works boots. They are good boots with steel toes but are comfortable.
The other day was my birthday and my mother-inlaw gave me a gift card to Dicks sporting goods and I was thinking of getting a new pair of hiking boots with the card. Problem is I don't know anything about their brands and I hate anything made in China. Does anyone here know which brands would hold up better and are comfortable?
Posted by: finallyME

Re: Hiking boots - 07/13/11 12:07 PM

First go there and try on all the pairs. Some will fit, and others won't. Once you have narrowed it down to the ones that fit, you can search on the net for reliability. The more specific your search, the more answers you will get.
Posted by: lori

Re: Hiking boots - 07/13/11 12:15 PM

You'll have to try them on and see what fits.

All the lighter synthetic shoes and boots are going to be good for a few hundred miles at best... I've gotten 500-600 miles out of some trail shoes, and less out of others, and it doesn't seem to be anything you can predict. All are going to be the same materials, but all are designed differently.

But, you get a pair of hiking shoes that fit you and you will see a huge difference in comfort! I will never wear boots again unless it's winter. I've got some trail runners that are so comfy I can wear them all day with no soreness at the end of the day. With a pack weight between 20-30 lbs there's not really a huge need for heavy duty boots for walking on trails.

You are going to want something that gives you enough room in the toe box that you're not banging on the fronts going downhill, and doesn't chafe the heel repeatedly - beyond that, what works for you won't be the same as what works for anyone else, since everyone has different feet. It's hard to make recommendations beyond generalities - I have had poor luck with some brands and better luck with others, but only because of fit, not the shoe itself.
Posted by: Quigley

Re: Hiking boots - 07/13/11 01:11 PM

I have had poor luck with some brands and better luck with others, but only because of fit, not the shoe itself. [/quote]

Well said. Think I'll take ya'll's advice and just go try them all on. Thanks.
Posted by: Glenn

Re: Hiking boots - 07/13/11 02:54 PM

Hope their boot selection is better than their other gear selection; I'm not impressed with much in their camping department.

I'd use the gift certificate for golf or other sports gear, and take that money to a backpacking shop where they not only will have better quality, but are also more likely to have people that know how to fit you.

I'll freely admit this is highly biased, and based on a lot of browsing-but-not-buying at Dick's - and probably some terminal resentment that they ruined Galyan's when they absorbed it.
Posted by: Quigley

Re: Hiking boots - 07/14/11 10:04 AM

Well I was going to use it towards another rifle but then thought I could use another pair of shoes for hiking. Only thing I do with golf is shot golf balls. LOL!
I haven't been impressed with their camping supplies either. My wife and kids gave me a scanoe from them for my birthday a week back and it was great.(scanoe is the model you can mount a trolling motor on the back)
Gonna see what they have to offer this afternoon and go from there.
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Hiking boots - 07/14/11 08:14 PM

A majority of us use trail running shoes rather than boots for hiking. I was a late convert, until I finally tried the shoes. I'll never go back to boots, except for deep snow (which I normally don't hike in)!

The best place to look for trail running shoes and someone who knows how to fit them is in a good running shoe store. I doubt you'll find anything good at stores like Dick's, Big5, Sports Authority.
Posted by: HenryFJr

Re: Hiking boots - 07/15/11 07:40 PM

I'm a big fan of Merrell's. I've had mine for about 5 years n theyve had a lot of wear n tear and are holding up well.

If you want to look elsewhere besides Dicks, i know sportsmansguide has deals on boots pretty periodically.