Those are waaaay overkill for anything you’re going to find down there.
Not going to lie to you, these things are monsters - but beautiful ones :). I had a pair of these and a pair of Super Makalus about 10-12 years ago when I moved to Colorado (from TX). I don’t recall them being insulated, but they are thick leather with a water-repellent surface treatment so they’ll get pretty warm if you’re wearing full boot socks. Got to where I just used them in the winter for snowshoeing.
Yours broke in a lot easier than the Super Makalus since they don’t have a steel shank, but they are still stiff. Very much Overkill if your main plan is to be hiking, Emory Peak or going down to the window. May make a little bit more sense if you are planning a desert trek with big water hauls (tons of support, tough enough for rocks and scrub, maybe some snake protection). Either way, if you keep them, start wearing them a lot and get some break-in hikes on the agenda.
If you’re just doing day hikes in Big Bend, I’d look for a lighter hybrid/synthetic boot or maybe a mid-top trail runner style like the Ultra Raptor II Mid (they’re my main backpacking boot now).
@Chen
I haven’t bought them yet, should I? Or would it be a waste of money even at this great price?
Oli said:
@Chen
I haven’t bought them yet, should I? Or would it be a waste of money even at this great price?
They’re more appropriate for winter objectives or mountaineering than typical hiking, especially in Texas. I would not buy them for what you’re describing.
Oli said:
@Chen
I haven’t bought them yet, should I? Or would it be a waste of money even at this great price?
Oh, gotcha. It’s a steal, but I’d probably pass. Unless you get into bigger mountain treks or are a Forester/utility lineman, I think you’d regret it.
Oli said:
@Chen
I haven’t bought them yet, should I? Or would it be a waste of money even at this great price?
If you are planning on doing some real expedition climbing (weeks-long adventure in ice and snow with huge loads) sure. For normal people hiking even in Big Bend, trail runners or light hikers with good wool socks will be plenty.
Terrible choice. Those are made for climbing snowy/icy mountains. I would buy a very light hiker if you are day hiking. Even a low top.
Awesome boots! Killer deal. From a fit perspective, though, I prefer my Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400’s.
I had a pair many years ago. They would be way overkill for what you want. Incredibly stiff, heavy, and hot. That said, they are awesome boots!
That seems like a good deal. I would be hot even in a pair of Merrell Moab’s, so it just depends on personal preference.
They’re likely overkill, but I say ‘likely overkill’ because I like to do day hikes in my Asolo 520s. They’re more fatiguing in some ways, but they’re more comfortable in others. It really depends on the fit, your physiology, and what you’re doing, same as with any boot.
I have a pair of these. They’re my winter and heavy pack boots, super rugged but stiff. I wear trail running shoes for most of my day hiking outside of winter (CO). I use the La Sportivas when I’m expecting mud or will be using spikes or snowshoes. Unless you are lugging a lot of weight or in snow these are overkill. I think for general-purpose hiking, even in rough terrain, a nice trail running shoe or lightweight mid-top hiker/runner is hard to beat.
I love my La Sportiva Trango’s, which are a bit lighter duty. I’ve used them for mixed alpine climbing and mountain rescue work in Alaska. But they are very stiff for hard pack, well-worn trails. Karakoram are even heavier duty IIRC. I made the mistake of wearing them for a Forest Service pack test. 3 miles with a 60-pound pack I think it was, the test ended up being on a road. Because of how stiff they are, I was pretty uncomfortable by the halfway point. I finished but it sucked in those boots.
Awesome deal on the Karakoram’s but overkill for normal trail hiking and backpacking.
These kinds of boots are so weird to me. The only reason to get something this burly is to stick a crampon on it. But this thing doesn’t even have heel lugs. It’s in that awkward class of mountaineering boots targeting people who likely aren’t going to be doing mountaineering and thus will not need the foot equipment required to do so. AKA this is targeted at people who haven’t yet discovered trail runners. That or someone looking for a day work boot for standing and absolutely needs to keep their feet warm and dry.
The only other reason I could imagine you’d want something like this in Big Bend is to protect your feet from critters, like snakes, and there is plenty of that in Big Bend. However, depending on how many miles you want to put on your feet, at some point a snake bite might actually hurt less.
Do yourself a favor and get a nice trail runner. If you want higher ankle protection, they have versions for that. Brooks Cascadia’s are also nice. Any microspikes will work with those if you think there will be ice and light snow on dirt.
OTH if you think you will be navigating feet of firm and icy frozen conditions, get a real three-season mountaineering boot.
I’ll never again make the mistake of taking new boots on a long walk.
Do yourself a favor and put those back on the shelf. Go find a good pair of trail runners that feel good on your feet.
Some Chacos would be great.
Get the Raptor 2’s. Amazing boot.