Hiking boots

[mgeary]

quote:

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Originally posted by EightFingers

Anyone have a recommendation of a good brand of boot for hiking?

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The "must have" boot for wildland firefighters, foresters, loggers, and other people who hike in the mountains for a living are White's SmokeJumpers:

http://www.whitesboots.com/store/Whites_Boots.php

Kinda pricey, but they're worth it, if you're serious about hiking. Good ankle support, soft upper, bullet-proof knobby sole. Don't get the "rough-out" finish if they're going to be wet most of the time. They're custom-built to your foot tracing (you don't order 9-1/2 "D", you trace your foot on a piece of paper), and if you thrash 'em after ten years or so, you can send them back to the company, and they'll rebuild the boot brand new cheaper than buying a new pair. I only had to get mine rebuilt once in a 32-year career. These really are the Cadillac of work boots, or rather, the Caterpillar. ;-)

The easy way to break them in, serious business, is to lace them up snug, then wear them into the shower (or stand in a bucket of water for 5-10 minutes), then walk or hike until they're dry. Not much fun, but it works. It conforms the leather to the shape of your foot. They wind up fitting more like gloves than boots.

Aloha! ;-)