Footwear of Choice

[cougar_guy04]

Thanks for the heads up GTF425. I've had that happen to my most recent pair. Still like the boots, but my first pair vs. my last pair show noticeable differences in quality and service life. That's one of the reasons I was looking at some Lowa or Salomons right now and replacements for them. Something lightweight with good ventilation and support would be ideal.

Sad part is, I've noticed a lot of quality drops in some footwear recently. I've got a 10 year old pair of Red Wings that look better and wore better than a 1 year old pair of Reebok safety toes I got from work (granted, the Red Wings need resoled and a good bit of oil rubbed into the leather).

[Nightstalker865]

Merrell Sawtooths are hands down my favorite boots.

I agree, they are excellent and hold up extremely well.


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[f.2]

How is the comfort of the Salomon XA pro 3D? Break in needed, or good out of the box?

What model Keens?

[Jewell]

How is the comfort of the Salomon XA pro 3D? Break in needed, or good out of the box?

What model Keens?

The Salomons felt great to me right out of the box. That's not to say that will be the case for everyone though. The Keens I wear are the Targhee II Hiking Shoe.

[Hayseed]

Lowa Zephyrs are a great choice. Extremely comfy with tons of support. Best footwear I've ever had though are the Asolo Fugitive GTX's. I've had 2 pairs over the last 7 years. They're a more intense hiking boot, but they've lasted through everything and are comfy. Deployment, snow, jungle, rain, they just work. Very comfy and they last.

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[f.2]

The Salomons felt great to me right out of the box. That's not to say that will be the case for everyone though. The Keens I wear are the Targhee II Hiking Shoe.

Some not so good reviews of recent Keen purchases over at REI - glue not holding and falling apart, with pics. Many saying they are not the same as were made years ago - buying the same size and not fitting now (which happened to me with New Balance, and one of the reasons I'm looking). Salomons get the same they were better before deal. I went with a pair of XA Pro 3D (non-WP, GTX - for desert wear). I drove across town and tried on a pair and found my size and there were great right out of the box. As soon as I got home I ordered them from Amazon.

I was thinking about the many 5 star reviews and the spattering of 1 and 2 star. It would be helpful if a reviewer was required to list their height and weight.

[chuckman]

If it is cold or wet, I wear REI Monarch III hikers (made by Merrell). I did wear Merrell Moabs, which I hated. If it is dry or warm I wear low-cut Lowas.

[RobertTheTexan]

Just my personal experience, but I've been wearing some variant of Merell Moab since about 2010-2011 now. If I could get away with it, that's all I'd wear. I'll be following this thread to see if there would anything better.

You haven't run into any quality issues with your Merrells? I'm on my 2nd pair in 2 yrs, first pair were lows and they are holding up ok although there's some separation along the black trim on the toe. Just curious...

[chuckman]

You haven't run into any quality issues with your Merrells? I'm on my 2nd pair in 2 yrs, first pair were lows and they are holding up ok although there's some separation along the black trim on the toe. Just curious...

My experience. They did not 'fit' great, just OK, but the soles delaminated pretty quickly. Now the Merrell-made REI boots? Those things rock. They are bulletproof.

[RobertTheTexan]

My experience. They did not 'fit' great, just OK, but the soles delaminated pretty quickly. Now the Merrell-made REI boots? Those things rock. They are bulletproof.

I'll look into them. I've really heard good stuff about almost all of REI's gear. I think Merrell's QC dropped after they were sold. At least that's my speculation. I have the Salomon 4D Quest GTX and they are great boots, but not for everyday in the world I live in. The best pair of tactical boots I've ever owned (so far) are Belleville Range Runners. They are unequivocally the most comfortable, lightweight tactical boot, my ol' Army-abused dawgs have had the pleasure of wearing. I can't speak to the durability yet as I've only had them about 2 months, but everything so far is outstanding. Fitment, arch support, ankle support, breathability, quick lace-up, and no break-in period. The sole is aggressive and it probably won't win any beauty awards, but I'm cool with that.

Here's a link to Shamazon where I bought them if you want to take a look. Belleville Tactical Research Range Runner