I’m going on a two week expedition and need some durable and waterproof boots. I’ve bought some before but they wear through quickly. What companies would you recommend me to look at?
>Boots: Asolo Fugitive (men’s)/Stynger (women’s) GTX, Asolo TPS 520 GV Evo, La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX, La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Mid II GTX, Lowa Zephyr GTX, Lowa Renegade GTX, Scarpa Zodiac Plus GTX, Scarpa Kinesis Pro GTX, Meindl Comfort Fit Hiker, Extreme, or Hunter, Hanwag Tatra, Hanwag Lhasa II, Hanwag Tatra II, Kenetrek Mountain Extreme, Zamberlan Vioz Lux GTX RR, Zamberlan Vioz GTX, Zamberlan 971 Guide LUX GTX RR, and Zamberlan 972 Guide MAX GTX RR.
Do you have any preferences regarding materials, stack height, drop, shank, plate, width, boot height, environment?
Linden said:
Do you have any preferences regarding materials, stack height, drop, shank, plate, width, boot height, environment?
I’m pretty new to buying hiking gear so I’m open to pretty much anything as I know so little. Anything ankle height that can tolerate moderate boggy/wet grass would be great though! Material wise I’m not too bothered as long as it’s waterproof
@Misha
For casual hiking any of the usual suspects will work: Merrell, Salomon, Danner, Oboz, Keen. If I were you, I would go to REI or any outdoor sports store and try on as many as you can, as fit and comfort should be at the top of your criteria.
Variety is almost endless since most hiking boots these days are waterproof, either by using GoreTex or their own waterproof membranes.
Wear medium thickness wool socks for best results.
@Linden
Thank you!
Meindl and Lowa make reasonably rugged boots.
German: Meindl, Lowa, Hanwag
Italian: Gronell, Scarpa, Crispi, Zamberlan
American: Schnees (made by Gronell), Oboz
Spanish: Bestard
Swedish: Lundhags
Norwegian: Alfa
Lex said:
German: Meindl, Lowa, Hanwag
Italian: Gronell, Scarpa, Crispi, Zamberlan
American: Schnees (made by Gronell), Oboz
Spanish: Bestard
Swedish: Lundhags
Norwegian: Alfa
For Sweden I would like to add graninge as well.
I got some Grisport Bolzano thinking they’d be a sort of casual hiking boot, and wasn’t expecting much. They’ve probably done over 300 miles now through all types of weather and terrain with absolutely zero problems. I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by them.
Not sure if they’d suit your requirements, but could be worth a look.
Our Altra Lone peaks aren’t waterproof and the tread is very slippery. The Timps are waterproof and have vibram soles. They performed well on a 17 day pilgrim walk in France, on and off-road.
Alberg
I would recommend trial runners like altra lone peaks. There is a reason why long distance thru hikers all wear them.