Hiking Boots/Shoes

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
b-Sol
Posts: 33
Joined: June 18th, 2010, 1:25 pm
Location: York County, Pa

Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by b-Sol »

Ok I've run the gamut on brands from Nike's to New Balance. With the exception of New Balance they are all tough to keep for more than a season.

I'm usually on rocky, wet terrain. Sometimes in shallow creeks.
I'm looking to venture out of the run of the mill stuff. Any ideas? I'm curious what other folks are using.
I've researched some, but I'm hesitant to spring for a $100 pair of shoes without getting some good advice from some seasoned vets. :)
I wont pay more than $100 for ANY shoe period. Thats my range.

Thanks
Brandon
User avatar
RenoBart
Posts: 354
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:22 am

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by RenoBart »

I wear these:

Image

Irish Setter Tamarack Boots (by RedWing). Hands down, the most comfortable boot I have ever worn. I'm on my 2nd pair and I don't think I will ever wear anything else. Comfy, gripy, rugged. A+

FWIW - Bart

EDIT: BTW, you are severely limiting yourself with the $100 cap. I look at it this way, if they last longer, don't give me blisters, and work well in general, they are worth the extra money. Nothing can ruin a good herp trip like blisters can.
Paul White
Posts: 2288
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:52 pm
Location: Amarillo, Texas

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by Paul White »

I like new balance, but I wear an 11 1/2 4E so mostly it's because they're one of the few shoes I can find that fit.
Personally, I prefer tennis shoes even on pretty nasty terrain. I've used boots before but tennis shoes work all right for most stuff.
User avatar
chrish
Posts: 3295
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:14 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by chrish »

b-Sol wrote:I've researched some, but I'm hesitant to spring for a $100 pair of shoes without getting some good advice from some seasoned vets. :) I wont pay more than $100 for ANY shoe period. Thats my range.
Thanks
Brandon
I used to feel the same way. I only bought hiking boots that were in this range (although back then, my ceiling was $60 which bought what a $100 buys now). I used Nike, New Balance, Colorado, etc. and they all lasted about a year of hard hiking until something broke or they wore down enough not to be comfortable.
And then one trip, I bought good pair of Vasque hikers. They were twice as comfortable as the cheaper shoes (at the end of a long day - any shoe is comfortable in the shoe store) and they lasted over 10 years of rugged use in rainforest to desert. So for the ~$170 I got more shoe than you get $400-$500 worth of cheaper shoes. I bought those shoes around 1995 and used them until around 2006 when I bought a new pair of Merrill's since I wanted a GoreTex pair to take to Panama. They are still perfect in spite of getting quite a few hard miles in the desert and soaking wet walking in forest streams.

You really do get what you pay for and paying for a good pair of boots is cheaper than buying 5 pairs of cheaper boots.
User avatar
Piglet
Posts: 74
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:37 pm
Location: SC

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by Piglet »

I have a great pair of Merrills.I got them almost new on ebay for $23.It was well worth it.
User avatar
justinm
Posts: 3423
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:26 am
Location: Illinois
Contact:

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by justinm »

I agree with Chris and have the same philosophy. I am right now wearing my second pair of Asolo boots with Vibram soles. I recently found out that I can get them resoled for under 50 dollars. To me a boot that lasts 5 years of hard herping, is worth 20 pairs of uncomfortable cheap shoes.
stlouisdude
Posts: 458
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:30 pm
Location: St Louis, MO / Hartford, CT

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by stlouisdude »

For walking around in wet areas, I use rubber boots. If I am going to be doing lots and lots of hiking to get somewhere, I might go with a fairly small, light boot. When I'm walking around in tall grass I do wear the snake boots, lol, but I rely more on slow, steady movement to locate snakes than boots to do anything about the ones I step on or immediately next to.

I have several pairs of footwear now, fortunately, it's manly foot wear! I definitely would have benefited from finding more ideal fits. I tend to just take whatever is in stock that's close, even if it is not an exact match. Bad idea in the long run (blisters and pain).
User avatar
VanAR
Posts: 590
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:36 am
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by VanAR »

I gotta agree with a lot of the comments on expensive boots- most of them are made to LAST and just as easily refurbished as replaced. Personally, Merrils have always been rather stiff and blistery to me- I had a pair for 3 years that NEVER broke in.

Another European company to check out that makes some good footwear is Oboz'. I haven't tried their full boots, but I recently bought a pair of their trail shoes (~$100) for daily use at work, etc. and I don't think I've ever had a more comfortable pair of shoes. The soles are very hard yet just cushioned and flexible enough to make daily walking on any surfaces a dream- I'd definitely wear these if I was going somewhere that didn't require substantial ankle support/snake protection. If their boots are made in the same way, they'd be my first choice for most herping.

The only downside to traditional hiking boots is their short height. When I was tracking timbers in thick leaf litter and brush where copperheads and non-tagged timbers would often bury themselves, I much preferred hunting boots to hiking boots. Most of them I had (Rocky's, Danner, etc.) were soft-soled (quiet), had poor ankle support, and were relatively cheaply-made (never had one last a full summer without rupturing), but they had 13" tops and were tall enough to lace my pants into, which kept ticks and chiggers down and also gave me some extra peace of mind for venomous snakes.

Van
User avatar
Schell
Posts: 456
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 9:33 am
Location: SF Bay Area
Contact:

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by Schell »

I use Asolos. Yes, they were expensive (~$250). But they are single piece leather with Gore-tex with no seams to blow out and vibram soles than can be replaced. I always wait till I get my 20% off coupon at REI and then apply my dividends from the year. So when I do have to replace my boots, I can usually get $250 boots for around $100 out of pocket. I blast through boots every couple of years, but then again, I probably wear then 150-200 days/year. Not only that, but I can write them off.

Do not cheap out on your boots.
mikemike
Posts: 1207
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 1:37 pm
Location: Ft. Smith, Arkansas
Contact:

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by mikemike »

I'll might catch some stuff for this... but... my go to herping shoes are Vans Authentics... I also herp in shorts almost exclusively, and boots just don't go with shorts in my opinion. Hahaha

Image


They're light. They're breathable. You can wear them in water and they'll be dry within an hour. I've worn them since I was a little kid. They work great on my flat feet. I can hike in them for hours and the "waffle sole" actually grips rocks and stuff really well. They're not the best on slick surfaces, but I make due...

Boots are one of the most uncomfortable things for me, mostly because of my super flat feet. The only downside is the fact that there is ZERO ankle support, and I have rolled my ankle on more than one occasion because of that...
User avatar
b-Sol
Posts: 33
Joined: June 18th, 2010, 1:25 pm
Location: York County, Pa

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by b-Sol »

Thanks a lot for the feedback and topnotch advice!!!

It all makes sense. Thinking about it now, I'm paying about $60 for a pair of New Balance shoes. Great grip initially, but losses it quick and torn soles to boot(no pun). I need to use my thrift gene and stop eyeing up boots/shoes at Bass Pro or Cabella's. That stuff is way over priced.
Paul White
Posts: 2288
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 9:52 pm
Location: Amarillo, Texas

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by Paul White »

My new balance last 2-3 years of pretty hard use. They look like crap at the end of it but they work fine.
User avatar
justinm
Posts: 3423
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:26 am
Location: Illinois
Contact:

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by justinm »

b-Sol wrote:Thanks a lot for the feedback and topnotch advice!!!

It all makes sense. Thinking about it now, I'm paying about $60 for a pair of New Balance shoes. Great grip initially, but losses it quick and torn soles to boot(no pun). I need to use my thrift gene and stop eyeing up boots/shoes at Bass Pro or Cabella's. That stuff is way over priced.
http://www.sierratradingpost.com
http://www.backcountry.com
http://www.moosejaw.com

Check these sites out. Or see if you can get something at a local outdoor store.
bgorum
Posts: 619
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:46 am
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Contact:

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by bgorum »

I also think $100 is not much for a pair of hiking boots. I have wide feet, so I have a hard time finding boots that fit. Currently I have a pair of leather Red Wing hiking boots. I'm told the same company also makes Vasque boots which I've owned and liked in the past. Both are available in extra wide sizes. The Red Wings I have now are at least five years old. I've had them re-soled once and expect them to last for many years to come. I think I payed about $200 for them, which is a lot cheaper per year than what most people seem to be getting with the sub $100 pairs. I guess it's kind of like with camera equipment. You can buy the cheap stuff and replace it frequently, or you can buy the better stuff and use it for a long time, probably at a lower cost per year.
User avatar
M Wolverton
Posts: 417
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 2:46 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by M Wolverton »

I do most of my hiking in Converse All Stars. They are simply what is most comfortable for me, especially the flexible soles.

I also have a pair of Asolo hiking boots that are the ticket for being water proof and repelling snake fangs, or whenever some knucklehead insists I wear boots on his job site. I seldom wear them, they are too stiff (I know a lot of people think that is the way hiking boots are supposed to be- ankle support, etc), and have too much sole under the heel. They may be what you might like, but I don't think $100 is going to do it, I seem to recall them being over twice that.
User avatar
chris_mcmartin
Posts: 2447
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 12:13 am
Location: Greater Houston TX Area
Contact:

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by chris_mcmartin »

I bought some Blundstones (Australian--well, Tasmanian) in EnZed 10 years ago and still have/use them. The ones I have are basically just leather coverings for your feet with soles on them. I think I paid around $100 for them at the time. The closest ones I can find on their web site are these.

The original soles finally gave out about 3 years ago and I resoled them with some nice Vibrams for about $70. The shoestrings gave out 2 years ago and were replaced with those ones made from recycled bottles to offset my herping mileage. :lol:

The boots themselves are not the most comfortable in the world, but I will say this: good hiking socks make a WORLD of difference. I'd been using "regular" socks for the past 5 years and finally got a couple of pairs of decent hiking socks. Thin but cushiony, and really wick away the sweat.
User avatar
Natalie McNear
Posts: 1147
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:54 pm
Location: Northern coast of California

Re: Hiking Boots/Shoes

Post by Natalie McNear »

I'm going to echo a couple posters above and recommend going with Asolo. I got a pair of Asolo TPS 520 GV boots 7 years ago when I was still in high school, and they are still the only pair I have (and they are every bit as usable as the day I got them). They've taken me fossil hunting on Vancouver Island, chasing down skinks in the Australian Outback, and climbing up canyons in southeast Arizona, and they still have no signs of giving out despite being used in rough terrain several times a week. They are waterproof and insulated, making them comfortable in the snow or walking through frigid creeks. They are seriously awesome boots. Seriously.

When I got them so many years ago, I think they were about $180... Above your price range, but you should definitely consider being a bit more flexible if possible. After all, spending $100 every year on a new pair of boots adds up to several times more money than a $180 pair of boots that will last even at least 5 years (probably even longer). A quick Google search seems to indicate they've gone up in price since then, about $250 now, but they are still a much better deal than el cheapo shoes that throw in the towel after one season.

Here's their page on Amazon, and here's my well-loved pair:

Image
Post Reply