Hiking Shoes

[brickboy240]

I bought a pair of Merrells about a year ago and was shocked at how fast they came apart. Sorry...but I think those shoes are over-rated.

I also blew out a pair of Oakley 6" Assault boots in about a year. Comfy like the Merrells but they just did not last.

I now have 3 pairs of Keens and they all have held up very well through the rain, mud, sand and long work days on the ranch.

If you ask me....Keens are the way to go.

-brickboy240

[slappy]

I frequent the Wichita Mountains near Ft. Sill in my Chameleons. They've held up really well and I've worn them almost daily for the last year.
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[BangBang77]

Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hikers.

I've owned and used boots from Asolo, LA Sportiva, Zamberlan, Limmers, Vasque, Danner, Lowa, Meindl, you name it, and the only boots I'll put on my feet are Kenetreks. They're pricey, but my feet are worth every penny. No other boots on the planet compare to the comfort, stability, and toughness of Kenetreks.

[SuaSponte175]

Brickboy240, you said it brother. I had a pair of Merrell Moad mid boots. Within three months the sole ripped off at the ball of my foot. Called them and they stated they would not warranty them because I used them outside the "normal realm". Now it's nothing but Salomons. I wear the Salomon Quest 4D Gtx during the winter and the XA 3D Ultra 2s during the summer. Have not had any issues and if I do at least they have a great warranty.

[MikeDawg46L]

I recently snagged a pair of XA Pro 3d Ultras to go along with my Quest since they are a little too warm for NC summers. The XA Pros have not disappointed and feel 90% as solid and comfy as the Quests.

FYI Dvor is running some killer deals on Salomon this week. May have to grab another pair of Quests.


Sent from some serious operator location

[cinco]

I bought a pair of Merrells about a year ago and was shocked at how fast they came apart. Sorry...but I think those shoes are over-rated.

I also blew out a pair of Oakley 6" Assault boots in about a year. Comfy like the Merrells but they just did not last.

I now have 3 pairs of Keens and they all have held up very well through the rain, mud, sand and long work days on the ranch.

If you ask me....Keens are the way to go.

-brickboy240

Ditto, I also have 3 pair of Keens Targhee II Mids. I love the wide toe box and the waterproof-ness is very good. Only issue has nothing to do with the boots themselves. I wish they made (perhaps they do) a comparable model in a high style to keep crap out and allow blousing. I've had them for 3-4 years and alternate, most all look like-new.


Also like my Asolo Fugitive GTX but weight is a difference, of course, from Keens. Heavy duty use = Asolos. Everyday wear and have to ruck/walk all day = Keens.

ETA - I'm also a weird duck foot dude. Wide toe area and some where in between on width (more so towards wide). I find the Keens in a Medium to be perfect. I found the Asolo in Wide to be about the same - (for me) perfect with a wool sock. From what I read, the Euro foot is narrower than the US foot. I tried the Saloman Quests but found them too narrow to allow use of thicker socks. The quality of Saloman were excellent in my opinion - if the fit was good I would have a pair now.

[MountainRaven]

Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hikers.

I've owned and used boots from Asolo, LA Sportiva, Zamberlan, Limmers, Vasque, Danner, Lowa, Meindl, you name it, and the only boots I'll put on my feet are Kenetreks. They're pricey, but my feet are worth every penny. No other boots on the planet compare to the comfort, stability, and toughness of Kenetreks.

One of my roommates picked up a pair and also sang the praises of Kenetrek.

But he wore them out in one hunting season and went back to his Danners (which had lasted three or four - and had to be sent back to be resoled, hence the purchase of the Hardscrabbles). Kept wearing the Hardscrabbles as a casual shoe, though.

[bowietx]

I have found that Lowa provides the best boots for me in regards to fit and feel. For deployments I have used the Lowa GTX and here at home station that Lowa Renegades have been phenomenal. After to back surgeries I have found that my feet and back are not able to get along with many of the offerings found in today's market, but Lowa seems to offer both a comfortable fit along with stability. To date out of all the pairs worn, there is never a break in period they are just good to go out of the box.

[trinydex]

It is important to choose the correct footwear for what you are doing. I see issues with this a lot. If you do research on hiking boots (all types) you will see that most are rated for the load that you are wearing. This is based on the weight that you will carry and the support that the Hiker will give you. I see people all the time wearing super lightweight hikers (Merrell MOABs) while wearing a full KIT (body armor and a light pack). Not good for you feet and legs. If you are just going to be hiking without carrying much weight (CamelBak with some snakes) I would say go for a very lightweight hiker such as the MOAB. If you are going to carry a pack with some weight look at a medium hiker such as the Merrell Sawtooth.

i have merell moab vents. they're awesome, light, breathable and in the wide size they're great for wide footed people. however when carrying any amount of weight, you can feel every rock through the midsole. so when tackling hard (hard literally meaning rocks) terrain, it beats up the feet quite quickly.

i got a pair of asolo renegades because i wanted a gtx midtop. the shank on these is much harder. still light, not well ventilated because of gtx, wide enough after 2 days on a shoe stretcher. the difference when carrying weight is huge. this isn't even a heavy shank boot.

i also had a pair of lowa vento mids. these were very tall, much taller than the moab vents. however they suffered almost the exact same level of penetration from pointy rocks. the very tall midsoles made for a big ankle roll over concern when tackling uneven terrain, it was made worse if aftermarket footbeds were used. these were not wide enough for my e width feet.

[EzGoingKev]

Bringing this back -

I am looking for a shoe like the MOAB but does not fall apart like the MOAB. Does anyone have any recommendations?