View Full Version : If you are a LD hiker AND wear boots.....
which brand do you find gives you the most bang for your buck in terms of mileage? I have been a huge fan of Asolo for years but they have (sadly) discontinued my favorite model. So now I am open for discussion/input. If you don't like or wear boots, that's great...but no need to reply to this.
Lone Wolf
10-05-2015, 19:52
Vasque Sundowners were my favorite. do they still make them?
aka.cyberman
10-05-2015, 19:55
I just bought a pair of Lowa. I have wide feet, so the selection is slim. They are Nubick Leather. I tried on Keen and Vasque and the Lowa felt like moccasins. They feel broken in already. I'm taking them on a test run next week. I'll have my Vasque Trail Runners as backup, just in case. I'll report back.
I’m only a boot wearing deadender novice but I like my Lowa Renegades, goretex and all. :banana
I’m only a boot wearing deadender novice but I like my Lowa Renegades, goretex and all. :banana
Vasque Sundowners were my favorite. do they still make them?
I think they were off the market for awhile but, I think I read they will be coming back this fall. My last pair of Sundowners lasted nearly 15 years
I’m only a boot wearing deadender novice but I like my Lowa Renegades, goretex and all. :banana
Ok..I don't keep up with the all the jargon. WTH is a deadender?
Above tree line or in thick northern woods off trail mostly bush wacking backpacking in late fall/early spring in mixed abrasive conditions where I want ankle protection(NOT so much support) and the goal isn't going my most fast and light doing longer durations between resupplies(heavier loads) and knowing a serious injury to my feet or legs in remote backcountry environments could prove disastrous as a solo LD hiker I will still consider Keen Targhee II and Keen Voyaguer mid cuts. Deep winter hikes the insulated boots come out too. For $110-120 I've gotten every dollars worth from these Keen mid cuts.
grizzlyadam
10-05-2015, 23:08
I wore a pair of Lowa Scouts for years and put a few thousand miles on them.
fudgefoot
10-06-2015, 06:09
I wear Asolo TPS 520's. They are excellent boots with only 1 flaw - there is a seam in the inside liner right at the heel. I have to cover this with a frictionless pad or it rubs my heels raw during multi-day hikes.
I don't know that I can yet be called a LD hiker, but here goes. I am currently liking a out of production New Balance 701MCO that were designed for the military. I also have a pair of US made Allegiance Footwear boots. Technically the AF boots are work boots but they work well for me as hikers.
When I look for footwear I typically search "US made hiking boot" or "special ops footwear"
Traveler
10-06-2015, 06:47
If you will be in high top leather boots, the Asolo 520s routinely get me 1800 miles before the soles start to lose their grip. I typically retire the boots when their grip is compromised but they still have a good 300 miles in them given the thickness of the material. I am sure there are equal performers out there, but that likely puts you into the upper tier of mountaineering boots above the $500 mark, with some exceptions.
Old Hiker
10-06-2015, 06:52
Timberland Chocorua – green and brown. I have 3 pair and rotate through the 2 newest for work and hikes. I’m planning to buy one more pair for 2016. They are waterproof. I HATE cold, wet feet. For ME, they have fit well right out of the box. With my plantar fasciitis, my boots give me NO pain at all.
Well-fitting 13 wide boots are hard to find.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VMZO7I?gwSec=1&redirect=true&ref_=s9_simh_gw_p309_d0_i1
Ok..I don't keep up with the all the jargon. WTH is a deadender?
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/112676-Hiking-boots-vs-Backpacking-boots?highlight=deadender+novice
reply #15 and following
Harmless
10-06-2015, 09:18
Lowa Men's Renegade GTX Mid is a nice compromise between running shoes and boots. They are tall enough to keep crud out of your shoes and to provide some ankle protection. They are light enough that I can dog-trot along an easy section of trail if I'm in a hurry. Little to no break-in required. REI says they can re-sole them.
I've recently switched to Vasque Breeze GTX. Years ago I did the NY-NJ-eastern PA section in the original Vasque Breeze (non-Goretex) and they were quite comfortable, but wet.
Heavier than New Balance 659 trail runners (~21 oz. vs. 13 oz.) but still nowhere as bad as most old-school leather boots.
I can't really report on the water-proofness. Traction is very good, a noticeable improvement over trail runners. They have a nice old fashioned Vibram lug sole.
Spirit Walker
10-06-2015, 12:00
DH wears the Lowa Renegades year around. I wear them in the winter. As said above, very easy break-in. They don't always last that long though.
Woodturner
10-06-2015, 12:55
I think they were off the market for awhile but, I think I read they will be coming back this fall. My last pair of Sundowners lasted nearly 15 years
My last TWO pairs lasted maybe thirty days. Total.
They were my favorite boot, and I wore three pairs out. All were almost smooth soled before they were replaced. All were made in Italy. Then, as seems to be SOP for just about every maker of quality "stuff" in the world, they started making them in China. When the first pair from China cracked through the sole at the ball of the foot I chalked it off as a fluke. When the second pair did it I realized that they were no longer worth owning at any price. The salesman at the store tried telling me that it was somehow MY fault. It was a long time before I was willing to even consider a Vasque product.
Nowadays, I'm more of a Merrell fan.
colorado_rob
10-06-2015, 14:28
I can only really supply reverse-information for this subject, meaning boots with lousy wear: Merrells, the chameleon model. They just plain don't last. Still, I wear them almost exclusively because they work so well (other than wear!) for me. The soles do seem to last, it's the stitching that seems to tear out after maybe 400-500 miles. I think I did get 600 miles out of one pair, but it was a close thing. My wife and I get a pro-deal on Merrells (40% off), so another reason we don't care so much on the wear thing.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/112676-Hiking-boots-vs-Backpacking-boots?highlight=deadender+novice
reply #15 and following
thanks for the link...still don't know if I am a deadender or not. I guess if you have to ask, you probably don't get it.
to the others, thanks for the replies. the most miles I ever got out of a pair was 900 miles. Several brands, some mentioned here only last 300-400 miles. At the cost, i certainly need to get 600 or so miles out of a pair. Actually, the Asolos are still good at 900 miles in terms of tread and stitching, it is the Gore tex (and water proof abilities) that degrade first. i am a wimp, I hate getting my feet wet by simply walking through a heavy dew in the early morning.
hope to see all you deadenders out on the trail..i am hoping to do a long winter trip this year sometime around Christmas.
Traveler
10-07-2015, 08:59
One of the reasons I get high mileage out of my leather Asolo 520s is I use Nikwax on them religiously every 3 months. It keeps the leather supple, ensures the boots are as water proof as they can get, and keep the boots overall from degrading with the ravages of time. I have not found much that works well on Gore Tex footgear to keep them more water proof. I haven't looked at all Gore Tex low shoes/runners but I have not seen any that incorporate an internal bootie like the Vasque Sundowners used to have to keep them dry. The low shoes I have are either non-Gore Tex type fabrics that wet out easily, or claim to have a fabric invented by the maker that is "just as good" as Gore Tex that wets out pretty easily too.