Hiking Boots Make Or Break The Hike

22Mar08

My friend asked me for some advice on hiking boots:3

Your hiking boot is an essential part of your hiking experience. Here is my take. Please comment and give us your 2 cents!

There are really 4 levels of boots for hiking (which I am arbitrarily creating):

Level 1 – ($15 – $50, brand x boots) Cheap junk crap that pretends to be a good boot for hiking but really will just make you more prone to injury and make your hiking experience physically miserable. Bad ergonomics will cause blisters and sores. Poor support will lead to a rolled ankle or bad falls. Low quality treads will make hiking rock difficult on steep grades. End of that story is, if you’re only paying $40 for a hiking boot, it’s likely that you’re not getting the appropriate equipment.

Level 2 – ($50-$150, shoe companies trying to make a good hiking boot, Timberland, Carhart) This your moderately priced boot, that may or may not end up being a good boot. A lot of boots in this price range are made by shoe/clothing companies that do not specialize in the product. Most likely, many of the models in this group are intended for fashion and not sport/functionality. You may also be coming across hunting, farming, muddies, or workman’s boots – all of which are most likely not appropriate for hiking (and especially inappropriate for mountains with an agressive vertical grade or sketchy trail conditions). For this level, it is HIGHLY unlikely that you will find an appropriate boot for winter hiking (which happens to be about 75% of the season up here in the ADKs)

All legit hiking boots before Level 3 are really only intended for day hikes and non-winter conditions.

Level 3 – ($150-$350 Timberland, Asolo, Lowa, Danner) Now you’re starting to get into the range where you’ll find great boots for moderate to agressive hiking and trips that last more than a day. Also in this category are good boots for winter hiking as you get into great insulation and waterproofing technologies. A lot of boots at this level are made in a 1 piece, with genuine leather (which is good for both insulation and waterproofing.) Many boots at this level and beyond have a long range life guaranty/warranty.

Level 4 – ($350 – $Up Asolo, Lowa, Summit, La Sportiva) For this price you’re either paying for a shi shi label, or for serious agressive sporting. A lot of boots at this price are what they call Mountaineering boots. Many of these boots have special durable plastic shells, super insulation, and special attachments for crampons, snow shows and other hardcore mountaineering gear. These are the kind of boots that dudes doing Everest wear, and are almost surely excessive for your needs.

My recommendation: If you can afford it, splurge and get yourself a boot out of Level 3. I especially urge you to do this if you plan on doing agressive mountains and winter hikes (I know the ADKs may seem docile in comparison to some other mountain ranges, but there are still some tenacious climbs out there). Absolutely DO NOT waste your cash on a Level 1 boot unless you are dead ass broke and dead set on hiking. Also, don’t hike in ankle socks – do yourself a favor and buy hiking socks.

I have a pair of $240 Asolo hiking boots and I LOVE THEM. My good buddy Mike Collyer has the same pair and feels the same way. He wore them on a 1 week backpacking trip in the Appalachians and said he had no problems with them at all.

- jbrickman