not exactly what I consider "lite" gear, but didn't know where else to post this...

I was wondering if anyone had any experience using Georgia Giant Work Boots (http://www.georgiaboot.com/products/3719/1600G6374/Georgia-Giant-Protective-Toe-Work-Boots/) for hiking and mountaineering?

they seem to be pretty beefy, not waterproof but fairly resistant, and they have a steel shank so maybe they'll work well with crampons.

thanks, would love to hear your thoughts!

I've worked in a factory in Georgia Boots. They are OK if you are just making small circuits in a factory, but there is NO way I would hike in them. Their midsole and footbed are NOT made for long-term walking. Their fit is pretty generic. A steel toe would almost certainly mean immediate bruised toes on any uneven terrain. Just don't do it.

Thanks, that's really what I needed to know.
I'm curious, what boots do most at this forum recommend then?

I have a pair of Asolo TPS 520s I've worn down over the last couple years so am looking for a replacement.

It runs the gamut here from traditional hiking boots, to trail runners, to hiking sandals. And, it depends on what kind of hiking/backpacking you intend to do and the terrain in which you plan to do it in. Is that a vague enough answer?

I've had good luck with Merrill's Ventilators.

If you've had good experience with Asolo and like the weight, then stick with what you know. Just make sure the newest models have the same lasts (form design) as the ones you wear now.
Company's change them from year to year and it really screws things up.

Tango61

A warning about any "ventilator" shoe- not only do they let in air to cool feet, if worn on a very dusty trail the fine silt that also comes in makes your socks like sandpaper. This happened to me this weekend; ended up with blisters on the bottom of my toes.

Steel toes in boots will also cause frostbite if temperatures drop below freezing. When I had to wear hard toe shoes in Wyoming in below 0-degree F. we used shoes that had plastic (maybe fiberglass?) hard toes.

If you are just walking on icy snow, there are crampons made for flexible shoes. The only reason you would need a stiff shank in a climbing boot is for hard-core ice climbing.

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