Recommend Some Backpacking Boots

Hey Folks,
I have an old pair of Vasque Sundowners that are on their way out, and I am looking for a new pair of hiking boots (but I want to be able to carry some wait for light backpacking). I have heard that the new sundowners are cheap, so I was wondering if someone could recommend a good durable/waterproof hiking boot that is comfy and won't necessarily break the bank (i.e. $300 Limmers are too much. Thanks in advance!

Feet are so individual that I would never recommend a particular brand or model of footwear. You need footwear that fits you and is comfortable for your style of hiking.

As for me, I gave up boots 5 years ago in favor of trail runners and have never worn boots since. The gain in comfort and, believe it or not, support, was tremendous. Your mileage may vary.

Try on a pair of Salomon. I love mine.

You'll find a lot of the folks here have switched to trail runners, or else lightweight boots with more fabric in the uppers than leather. These options do not hold up under heavy use as long as more traditional all-leather hiking boots, but they easily make up for that in terms of comfort (no breaking them in), weight (your legs don't have to work nearly so hard lifting heavy boots for every step you take), and for most of us blisters become a thing of the past, because the sweat and heat your foot generates doesn't get trapped inside a light fabric shoe as it does with a leather boot. The trail runners even cost less.

As OregonMouse observed, the most important thing about a shoe or boot is how well it fits your foot. A good brand or model for one person can be a disaster for another person. You just have to figure it out. Sometimes specialty shoe stores that serve runners can help you figure out your foot better than other shoe store clerks (including REI). It's a journey.

What are some good brands to look for...who makes the best stuff? Durable?

I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want a really well-made, durable boot that didn't fit you properly, squashed your toes, gave you heel blisters, or plantar fasciitis. So, as has been said several times, the brand is not very important. There are more than a dozen perfectly acceptable brands. Try not to focus on that.

Best hiking boot/shoes i've worn in years are these.
Adidas Terrex Fast X Mid

Uncannily comfortable, rugged, light and waterproofish. Most importantly, the sole traction is excellent.

Cheers,

I guess I was looking to see if folks who used to wear vasque sundowners have found an equivalent boot that is comfy. I realize every foot is different, and I don't agree that brand doesn't matter, especially when you read about boots falling apart after only a few hikes. I live in the sticks so my shopping will unfortunately happen online, but I'm okay with returning and waiting. I like a wide toe box, and have read good things about Zamberlan, so I may look into these. All of hiking will be in the northwest so waterproof is essential. Other qualifiers include; vibram sole, durability, etc...

Anyhow if you have a brand/model that has worked for you let me know, but if you're just going to say brand doesn't matter, save it, somebody has already stated that...

Over the past 15 years I've been pretty happy with Merrell, Keen, and Timberland. I don't recall the brands I tried on and didn't buy, but I have bought all of those. That said, of those brands there were a lot of styles I tried on and didn't buy.

I wear lightweight mid hikers and nothing else. Others here have said they wear trail runners and nothing else. This is evidence of how personal shoes are. To go even further, every shoe made still has a lot of crafting done by hand, so no two shoes are exactly alike.

My advice for shoes is to go to all the stores you can and try on every pair in the store, even those you think are ugly. Don't pay any attention to price, even if they're way over your budget. Try them all on. Put both shoes on and walk in them. Make a note of those you like.

One thing you're sure to learn is you can buy very expensive shoes that are really uncomfortable. When you're all done with that, review your notes and decide which works best for you. Then go try on every pair of that shoe in your size and select the shoes that fit best from among those. I've taken a right from one box and a left from another more than once.

If you've had your vasque sundowners for a long time then you might not be aware that most shoe stores will want to sell you an aftermarket insole now. Those can cost from $10 to $40 and up. Over the past few years some shoe makers, like Merrell, have started using cheaper insoles figuring you'll buy aftermarket insoles anyway.

That approach is bass ackwards. If you're going to use aftermarket insoles buy them first and try the shoe on with them before you buy it.

In the 10 years since I began hiking, I've owned 2 pairs of boots. The first were a pair of Hi Tec Altitude IVs which served me quite well. I still have them and wear them for putzing around the house or on the smaller hikes I take with my toddler. The second is a pair of Keen Detroit Mid Soft Toes - these are actually labelled "industrial" because they come in a steel toe (hence the soft toe reference) but they also come in WIDE which is a definite must for my fat feet. I have taken them on a half dozen trips so far and have performed wonderfully. And at $130 for the pair, the price was definitely right.

I've never tried anything along the Vasque line so I cannot compare - but I can say boots is a category I've never had to complain about.

Much wisdom here (sorry to blow your cover, Bill ).

We could pretend as though the shoe makers were consistent WRT design and construction and especially, sizing. That regardless of the fact all their shoes are all made in any number of ginormous shoe mills flung across the globe, the lasts, material and methods are harmoniously congruent.

You can crush that idea with due prejudice. Variation is so prevalent I've even bought a second pair of a beloved shoe (same model year) and found it to not fit. Which was the outlier--the special snowflake shoes I owned, or the mutant follow-up pair? Impossible to say.

With that said, there are brands that tend to fit me, so I begin with those when hunting a new pair. But, a normally roomy toe box suddenly becomes cramped, or heels suddenly rub, or the instep support suddenly jabs the arches...time to look elsewhere.

Among the embarrassment of riches (Nike alone probably has a thousand shoe models at a given time) it's tempting to throw out any notion of finding the best shoe and instead "settle" for a comfortable shoe at a good price and available at the time one is shopping. Then prepare to go through the whole process in a year.

Adidas
Ahnu
Asolo
Baffin
Cabelas
Chaco
Columbia
Danner
Dunham
Five Ten
Golite
Hi-Tec
Keen
La Sportiva
Lowa
Mammut
Merrell
New Balance
Oboz
Patagonia
Salomon
Scarpa
Teva
Timberland
TNF
Vasque
Vibram
Zamberlan

2 I didn't see on the list, that I use.
Limmers. OK, really expensive, they are lifetime boots. I have a pair of medium weights - which are heavier than needed for most of my hiking, but really good for arduous backpacks. They fit great, totally waterproof, walk all day in them and feel good at day's end (in spite of being on the heavy side as today's boots go). Limmer makes light trail boots as well. Stock size fits me well, but for a few hundred dollars more (ouch) and wait of up to 2 years, you can get a custom fitted boot made for you from Limmer brothers.
Second: five fingers KSO trek. Talk about the other end of the spectrum! I wear a pair of five fingers classics as every day shoes. I wear them on my daily 4 mile walks on the streets. I wear the KSO's on hikes on all Shenandoah National Park trails. Love the natural contact with the ground. The fingers shoes aren't quite up to backpacking, but they are so light and crushable that I take them as camp and day hike shoes when I backpack.
So - there's my approach to shoes.

I have vibram on my list. I have some five fingers as well and use them for camp shoes, or river crossing shoes.

Boogie,

First, you stated you want an equivalent boot, so I'm assuming you want a boot and not a high top hiking shoe as I call today's boots. Secondly, you stated you want a boot that will last a long time. Thirdly, you stated that you want a boot that is waterproof. Finally, you said it must be comfortable.

This modern combat boot will fulfill all your criteria. It was the top boot bought by soldiers at Ft. Carson going to Afghanistan when they didn't take the issue boots. Take some time to read the reviews.

Don't let the word "Desert" fool you. That refers to the type of sole. I've worn it in temperatures well below zero and well above 100. It is comfortable in all temperatures with wool socks. It is completely waterproof, and I often walk through streams instead of taking the stepping stones. The only time I got a little moisture through them was after a couple hours of post-holing. Even then, it was just a trickle.

I've worn these boots for over 2,600 miles and there is no sign of significant wear on the top. I keep the soles covered with Gorilla tape, so there is no sign of wear on the bottom. I did recently start to get a wear point in the inserts which I covered with Gorilla tape. Someday I'll order new inserts from Danner for $18.

They are a little expensive at $180, but they will outwear several pairs of other shoes.

The standard for combat boots is 180 days of deployment with no repairs needed. In other words, they are tough, and they have to prove it to be approved.

They are comfortable right out of the box. They seem true to size as measured on those things in a shoe store. If you get them, be sure you can wiggle your toes in all directions. There should be about a 1/2 inch between your toes and the end of the shoe. Because of the design of combat boots, your feet won't slide forward going downhill unless it is exceptionally steep.

The only negative is they can be little hard to get on during those night trips outside the tent. Loosen the laces well, and it's not a problem.

Read the reviews on the Danner site and Amazon and make your own decision.

I think you have it backwards. You don't check into brands first, you find out what boots fit your feet THEN you can check on the reputation of the brands that fit to narrow down your choices.

But since you asked I've had great results with LL Bean and Salomon boots. Bean also has the advantage of having a great warranty, so if the boots do start to fall apart earlier than you believe they should you can send them back and get a new pair.

I still use my Vasque Sundowners....there are places that will resole them and I consider it a "lifetime" boot. Probably the most comfortable boot I've ever owned. However, I don't hike in them anymore. I'm a trailrunner guy now for the last 15 years. I'll wear boots in snow or doing trail work.

If I were going back to boots for hiking, I'd probably look at Danner military boots (you said waterproof) but that's still got you in the $250 range. Or, go with some of the lower priced Vasque/Merrell/etc. boots and expect to replace them more often. I consider trailer runnners diposable but they last a couple seasons for under $100.

I bought some new Columbia boots, a lot like MOAB's. They are Gor-tex lined and waterproof...................or so the box and label said. I wore them this weekend for the first time in wet weather. I was soaked through in minutes and had miserable feet all weekend. Ive never had a Gor-tex product do that. Something is fishy and these boots are going back. Lesson learned. Stick with Merrill, Keen or something along those lines.