Need New Boots

[CHRIS]

I am going to pick up some new hiking boots and I am looking for any kind of feedback on what other people have and thier likes and dislikes.I was thinking maybe something with goretex for water proof and breathability. What do you all have or think.
Thanks in advance
Chris

I was just looking at the Rei site and seen Vasque Breeze gore-tex XCR and
Vasque Wasatch GTX hiking boots does anybody have any experince with one of these?
Thanks again
Chris

[KD Talbot]

I've hiked the NH 48 4k's 3 times in the last 10 years and scores of smaller hills. Every inch of the way was in Vasques. They are a great 3 season boot.

You don't mention winter, so these would definitely do you well for the other 3 seasons. You can use them in winter, I just wouldn't recommend using them on long treks or above tree line.

Whatever you buy you want them to be Gore-tex. Water-proof/breathable, although you will meet many, including myself, who'll say it is neither. It is known as the greatest marketing campaign, ever. That said, it will hold up under all but the most extreme conditions. Water-proof does you no good if your foot goes in deeper than the boot and it fills with water. This sounds funny, but you will run into these conditions on some stream crossings. Also, in the pouring rain the water runs down your leg and into your shoe. Again, what good is water-proof? A good pair of water-proof pants or gaiters goes a long way to keeping your boot water-proof.

The other thing I would recommend would be Vibram soles. I've had boots without them and they seem to not perform very well on wet, slippery rocks. Vibram seems to me to be the best that I've used on this type of surface. Others may disagree.

These are the pair I have right now. I've had 3 pairs of these and like them a lot, though they don't have the vibram soles. I wear a different pair in wet weather above tree line.

http://www.rei.com/product/629096

KDT

[CHRIS]

Thanks KDT for the quick reply the info was very helpful. The one I am looking at do have the Vibram sole and goretex. I will put the links to the ones I am looking at . Thanks again.
Chris
http://www.rei.com/product/721359
and
http://www.rei.com/product/737707

[KD Talbot]

I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying either of those boots, but...
I had a pair similar to the Wasatch. They may have even been Wasatch. Note the gray rubber on both pairs just above the soles. This for some reason is made of very soft rubber. This got chewed up by the trail pretty quickly in my opinion. I think I only got one or two seasons out of that pair of boots. Why exactly this layer of rubber is incorporated into the design is beyond me. I found it tore really easily. Just a heads up on that. Otherwise, I would say they are good boots.

Has anybody out there had a bad experience or dissatisfaction with Vasques?

KDT

[CHRIS]

Thanks again KDT. After looking at the Wasatch again I see what you are talking about. Right now I am leaning towards the Breeze boots they seem to have good reviews from the Rei web site.
http://www.rei.com/product/737707
Of course I still have to get to Rei and try them on and see what else they have there. Thanks again and have a safe and happy New Year
Chris

[rockin rex]

I swear by vasque and when anyone ask me I steer them towards vasque. I worked at E.M.S. and Campmor in Paramus and never heard one bad word about Vasque. K.D. as usual is right on in his choice. It is worth the extra money to get them with gore-tex. Wet feet don't make for fun hiking.

[kaseri]

My recommendation is to find something that fits. Sounds obvious but I've had more issues with footwear than I care to remember. I've ended up up trail runners and have never been happier.

[Bill O]

I prefer below ankle hiking shoes. I'll trade speed and light weight for ankle injury risk. I also like the gore-tex models. Other than that I can't recommend a specific shoe as I haven't bought new hikers in at least 5 years. A sad testimony to how little hiking I've been doing lately.

[mtruman]

My recommendation is to find something that fits. Sounds obvious but I've had more issues with footwear than I care to remember. I've ended up up trail runners and have never been happier.

I echo this opinion. There's no perfect shoe for everyone. I bought a pair of Vasque Breeze's last winter at Lahout's in Lincoln. They were unbelievably comfortable in the store but after I got them home and got out with them the first time everything changed. My feet are hard to fit - flat arches, wide feet and an achilles problem. While these shoes felt great the heel cup is a bit deep and the back of the shoe curves in slightly - putting too much pressure on the achilles. I sadly had to return them after I thought I had found something perfect. What I'm currently using is a pair of REI boots that I bought at their "garage sale". Somebody else returned them (after a significant break in) because they were uncomfortable. I bought them for $25 and they are the most comfortable thing I've ever had on my feet. Don't know what I'm going to do when they wear out since REI doesn't have this model anymore. Bottom line is, try on lots of shoes and get what feels best for you.

Another thing to keep in mind is that most hiking shoes and boots (even the expensive ones) come with lousy insoles. It's worth the investment in a good replacement pair as soon as you get them out of the box. I like the Spenco Hikers for backpacking boots http://www.spenco.com/product/92-hiker For my low hikers the best thing I've found is the SOLE custom footbeds which are heat moldable custom fit. http://www.rei.com/product/752606 I use the ones made for running but there are a model for hiking with a bit more padding which I haven't tried. At $45 a bit expensive, but worth every penny. Same story here as with the shoes - find what works best for you. One of the best things about REI is that they will let you return anything including custom insoles that have been cut to fit and used. The salesperson there encouraged me to keep trying and returning until I found something that worked (which is how I wound up with the SOLEs after trying almost everything else in the store).

Good luck and happy hiking

[CHRIS]

Thanks for everybodies inputs I am going to try to get to Rei this weekend but I don't know if I am going to be able to. If not I will definetly be there next weekend. I hope everybody has a very safe and happy New year.
Chris