Hiking boots...

[denvernative321]

Stay away from any Wal-Mart boots. Plan to spend $100, minumum. I'm a guy who spends 90% of his waking hours in work boots, so I can tell you from experience, never skimp on boots, particularly if you are a big guy.

Georgia Boot Company has a lot of decent offerings in the $100-$175 range. I've had a few pairs and they hold up well. Carhart also has some pretty decent boots as well.

I would have to agree. After spending a lot of time in boots i can tell you that is one thing you need to drop some coin on. I spent 250 on a pair of boots and never looked back. Still have a brand new pair of boots from walmart that would make better black smoke clouds than actually wearing. The cheapest I would go would be Merrell.

[offgrid]

Been wearing Scarpa SL-M3 boots for over ten years, daily wear, on my feet all day on concrete, excellent all leather hiking boot. They are not combat boots, they are high enough above the ankle dirt getting into them is a non-issue. On my second pair, 1st pair lasted 7 yrs. Cost about $230. They also come in a variety of widths, not one size fits some.

Bought them at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, good selection of quality boots, knowledgeable staff.

[StagLefty]

Red Wings are always a good boot also-they carry a lot of styles besides just work boots. I paid about $180 for work boots a few years ago and have not regretted it.

[bianchi61]

Go to Danner Boots some of the best for where you are going.

[GreenScoutII]

Red Wings are always a good boot also-they carry a lot of styles besides just work boots. I paid about $180 for work boots a few years ago and have not regretted it.

Yes. Red Wings. I couldn't remember thier name last night, but those are outstanding good boots. Well worth the investment.

[Marlin]

Red Wings are always a good boot also-they carry a lot of styles besides just work boots. I paid about $180 for work boots a few years ago and have not regretted it.

So, I'm the only one that thinks Redwings are over hyped crap? Or did I get the one crappy pair they ever made?

[GreenScoutII]

So, I'm the only one that thinks Redwings are over hyped crap? Or did I get the one crappy pair they ever made?

I had one pair and I paid a damn fortune for them (by my standards). They were good boots and I had absolutely no problem with them. What I appreciated about them is the inner sole supports stayed intact and never collapsed. That's what typically goes bad in cheaper boots if you are a bigger guy, (I'm 6'1" & 240lbs). I got about two years of constant wear on the jobsite out of mine before they gave up the ghost.

That said, the pair of Red Wings at $260 (as I recall) didn't really perform any better than the $120 Carhart brand boots or the $140 Georgia boots. So, to answer your question, I think Red Wings are very good boots, but I also think you are paying a premium above and beyond their performance just for the Red Wing name.

ETA: Same deal with Justin boots. If you try to sell me a pair of work boots for more than $300 bucks, they better come with a no questions asked, full replacement garantee for at least five years. Otherwise, I won't even try them on.

[Marlin]

Well, I'll just say My experiance with them. I wouldn't take a pair if they paid me to do it.

I got a $35 "emergency" pair from big 5 that lasted longer. and felt better. AND, there was better customer service.

[Ryan_Th3_K1d]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I bought some cheap combat boots last year, and never again...my feet never hurt so much. So dropping some serious coin is a must!

Merrell's are excellent IMO

Merrell's are a great hiking shoe! My dad won't wear anything else for hiking. I'm looking more for a boot for hunting and trail blazing.

[Graves]

So, I'm the only one that thinks Redwings are over hyped crap? Or did I get the one crappy pair they ever made?

Nope, A former employer of mine used to give us a boot allowence every year at the red wing store and over the course of five years not one single pair lasted the full year before completely shitting out. Every pair I bought was between $120-$160 so needless to say I'm not impressed. They're tough boots but I have a pair of timberlands that are going on their third year - speaking of which, they're pretty much shot to S#!% right now.