Question for hikers and outdoor types

Solomon quest 4d

 

Most of my walking will probably be carrying <20lbs, however there will be portions of my day where I am carrying a hiking pack that is going to be 40-50lbs. We haven't planned our day to day activities yet but in terms of terrain I imagine there will be plenty of pavement and city streets, which I plan on just getting heavy duty sandals for. But we do plan on doing some intermediate level hiking off pavement to go sightseeing - damp soil, light mud possibly, nothing crazy intense but enough that I'd like to have solid closed toed shoes with some ankle support. I'd imagine most of the trails and paths we take will be well traveled and worn but it still won't be pavement.

Right I imagined so. I would probably go with breathable over waterproof as I live in FL and if I wanted to get some use out of them around here in the heat that would make more sense. My feet don't really sweat at all but damn do they get hot.

I really just need ideas of where to start, I haven't ever had to purchase them before so I'm unfamiliar with brands, quality, what to look for, etc. I figured there had to be plenty of people on here who are knowledgeable in this area and I trust someone going out of their way to recommend a product to someone over just reading online reviews.

That's all I was looking for was recommendations at this point, gives me a good starting point to start researching. Of course I do intend to try anything on before purchasing, especially if I'm going to be spending so much time and miles in them. By asking now and getting ideas it gives me the chance to find things online and purchase them if I can't find them sold locally, I'll have plenty of time to return or exchange items and find exactly what I want

 

I'll be the odd one. Keen sandals for summer, Merrell for winter, redwings for snake country.

The most important bit of advice that I have ever heard (and learned the hard way after not listening the first time), never start a trip with new boots. Put at least two to three decent hikes in them before you go. Otherwise you'll be breaking out the moleskin and blister packs on day 2 of a six week trip.

 

Vasque Breeze LT mid GTX, waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex, and lightweight.

 

I live in AZ and so the GTX heat issue is a thing. That said the spire GTX has been great only mildly warmer than my trail runners. And if you pair with a good sock swamp feet should not be an issue

 

If your feet sweat a lot like you mentioned I would stick with something more breathable. Waterproof is great and all but once they DO get wet on the inside of the shoe, they take forever to dry out.

 

Personally, I had to pass on some LaSportiva's last week at REI, too narrow, boots always give me heel blisters and I used Vasque. No ankle problems with the Montrail trail runners.
Duane

 

Plus it kind of defeats the purpose of the waterproofing if your feet just get so sweaty that the inside ends up wet anyway. Now you have a wet shoe, that won't dry out because it can't breath, and you're stuck slopping around, which can be a recipe for blisters and broken skin.

 

When the weather and trail look like this and you've got a 15 mile day ahead of you GTX is worth it. Trail runners were soaked through in the first 100 yards the rest of the day I had squishy feet so bad you could see water come out of the shoe with each step. This day and the trip previously is why I ended buying the Spire's, The points above are valid and one of the reasons why the Spire is not my only shoe, and not the right shoe for warm sunny days on dry trail.

 

I've narrowed it down to about 5 different options I like. Merrell didn't really have anything that stood out to me, aesthetically I cannot stand suede and most of them were suede for what I wanted. I found 1 pair of Vasque and 4 pairs of Salomans. Do any of you have experience with these outside of the ones that have previously been recommended?

Low rise

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/x-ultra-3-ltr-gtxr.html#1191=8621

Mid rise

https://www.vasque.com/mens-hiking-footwear/mens-waterproof-hiking-boots/breeze-lt-gtx-07376.html

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/quest-prime-gtxr.html#1191=9860

High rise

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/quest-4d-3-gtxr.html#1191=9956

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/x-ultra-trek-gtxr.html#1191=9949

The styling, color options, and general compatibility of what I was looking for seems to stand out most with the Salomans it seems. However I feel partial to those Vasques because of their slim profile that looks more like a sneaker than a boot. I'm 5'8" 145lbs and have some nice look chicken legs so a smaller profile is somewhat important to me lol

 

Vasques are great if you have narrow feet. I've never had a pair of Solomons but my dad swears by them.

 

Im super happy with these Salomons
https://www.rei.com/product/122167/salomon-x-ultra-3-mid-gtx-hiking-boots-mens

I had a pair of Merrells and they killed my feet (REI member and returned them used). The salomons were pretty soft out of the box. But every one is different. I highly recommend trying boots on though.

 

Didn't see those, they're definitely and option to consider as well

 

That is a good looking shoe.

 

Altra Lone Peaks are my go to. I’ve been wearing them before they became a “fad” and my feet have been great since. My last pair of loan peaks logged almost 700 miles of hikes and runs before wearing out. Their road running shoes have been just as great for me as well. Not for everyone, but for me better than any Solomons, brooks, or other trail runners

 

Yeah if you're going for looks as top priority this one definitely looks the best

 

I used trail running shoes for hiking for years, but after spraining my left ankle for the third time in my life (it's now permanently larger than my right ankle), I switched to high rise Merrells and love them. They're light, provide great ankle support, and breathe fairly nicely, but I wouldn't call them waterproof. If I were you, I'd go with sturdy, light, and breathable, and carry a small spraycan of silicone waterproofing if you know you're going to be in a wetter environment.

I spend a lot of time walking in my 8" steel toe loggers boots, so anything else feels light and breathable in comparison. Maybe I'm not the best person to contribute here LOL

 

Shoe fit is so different from person to person. Merrill is probably the top selling brand of hiking shoe/boot, but the are just not comfortable to me. As has been mentioned, if your feet are narrow, the Vasque Breeze is a great, durable shoe. As I’ve gotten older, I like my shoes to be wider in the toe box. The Keene Targhee is awfully comfortable, and comes in a WP model or as a Vent. Someone mentioned Altra Lone Peak, but they wear out extremely fast. I also like Solomon, but they also wear out fast. You might check out the Oboz Sawtooth. Not quite as wide as the Keene, but it’s a well built shoe.

 

Picked up a pair of these last summer.
Light, comfortable out of the box and my feet don’t get hot/sweaty here in the south.

https://www.asolo.com/en/products/hiking/a-fast/falcon-gv-graphite-graphite-blueberry.html

Check out Zappos.com
They sell a lot of the recommendations in this thread and are good about returns.

 

Most comfortable and best all around boot I’ve ever owned

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/x-ultra-3-mid-gtxr.html#1191=8970