Best Men's Backpacking Boots
During the following 60 years, Salomon's commitment to innovative design and passion for mountain sports created a vast range of revolutionary new concepts in boots, skis and apparel and brought innovative solutions to footwear, apparel and equipment for hiking, adventure racing, mountaineering and trail running. High hiker featuring rugged lacing hardware and protective rubber toe cap. Salomon 4D Chassis for stability/protection.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The boot was still good to go but I had a pair of unused Merrell's waiting at home so I decided to get those sent out. I completed my thru hike a couple days ago and I'll say that I will never use another pair of boots. If you're unfamiliar with the AT, the last 484 miles of the trail going north includes the White Mountains, southern Maine (which some including myself believe is harder than the Whites), the 100 Mile Wilderness and then the summit of Katahdin. I noticed that the seams on the front of the boots do come open though, same thing happened with the Quest 1s that I began with. You can fully submerge the boot up near its collar and as long as you remove your foot fast enough, you will stay dry. Other hikers I was with would have to carefully hop around little 2-3 inch puddles of mud and water while I could just walk straight through it and stay dry. It's a high cut boot so if you roll your ankle while hiking (which I do a lot) you will be fine. The soles of the Quest 2s are pretty tough, you'll have to step on a very sharp pointy rock to feel it. After summiting Katahdin, I continued onto the Knifes Edge which is a very narrow and dangerous trail. I carried a load of 40-45lbs on the trail and the Quests (1 and 2) had no problem bearing that weight and keeping my feet comfortable. Pros. - Nice lacing system. - Great traction/tread. - Does well against water. - Very durable and lasts long (Have nearly 500 miles on mine and they can still go. Over 1,000 on the Quest 1s). - Good looking boot. - Almost zero break in time. - No blisters. - Comfortable. - Great foot and ankle protection. - Can handle heavy backpack weight. - Easy to put on and take off. Cons. - Laces tend of come loose. - Seams wear out."
"I read many reviews of this boot and decided i'd give it a try. One day on the job to break them in and I may just decide to wear them all the time at work. Most of my hiking will be on the SHT, but I plan to do some in the AT and some in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons."
"No issues with the interior comfort of my foot, even after 10 hours of walking thru the concrete jungle of NYC and the subterranean caverns and tunnels underneath."
"These boots initially felt too big but with them laced up my foot was held very securely."
"They do seem much more rugged and feature very aggressive tread with some dyed leather around the base of the boot."
"They are a well built hiker, I don't hike much anymore, but I am in construction and wear them daily in all sorts of bad weather, rock, crawlspace, etc."
"But a hassle to cinch up laces as eyelets stop too far down the shoe and laces easily become unhooked (with the upper hooking system) when attempting to put on the boot."
At Vasque, they are committed to making functional, innovative and aesthetic footwear that performs to the highest standards. GORE-TEX waterproof construction with Performance Comfort Technology. Vasque Exclusive Vibram Frontier rubber outsole.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If at all possible, any pair of boots bought online need to be tried on in advance unless you're super confident of the brand and the return policy is solid. These were my first pair of all leather boots because, living in a warmer environment, I'd always been a bit reluctant due to the lack of breathability. Given the soft leather the break in time was minimal (for me it was about 20 trail miles) and while the TPU shank gives super solid underfoot protection there's enough flexibility to provide for agility. I don't anticipate a problem with the Vibram sole breaking down (which delivers KILLER traction....particularly on granite) so I'm hopeful these will see a lot more miles to come. UPDATE: While the boots are holding tough the laces, which started showing wear around the metal eyelets very quickly, fell apart on a recent overnight. I'm not a kneejerk "bash China" guy because so much of the manufacturing has really evolved, but this is clearly a case of shoddy, overseas workmanship and a company that really doesn't want to address the issue."
"It is a wider boot and has a very blunt-shaped toe box, as opposed to the tapered toe box of this boot."
"Vasque St Elias GTX Hiking Boots for Men. I bought the St Elias GTX after using Vasque's Taku GTX for 5 years. I would have bought the Takus again but they were no longer available so I bought the St Elias, I didn't consider another brand since Vasque fit my feet well, kept them dry and the sole gave me confidence on the trail. But I am very disappointed with the St Elias, because I have done just two short hikes with them on to break them in and while lacing them up for my third trek, one of the right hand side lace lugs on the left boot just broke."
A GORE-TEX insert, the Vasque Pyrenees classic sole and an impeccable tradition in the mountains - the Sundowner GTX is THE classic mountain boot. Vasque s proprietary Pyrenees rubber sole takes direct design cues from the original, with aggressive lug pattern, excellent mud clearing and rockered heel for a natural foot transition on trails. GORE-TEX membrane to keep feet dry on wet hikes; Incredibly durable and comfortable uppers offer a custom fit; Rubber outsole built to handle trails; Slightly curved heel for efficient hiking stride; D-ring lace eyelets; Uppers: One-piece USA-tanned leather uppers; Outsole: Rubber; Weight: 51 oz. Leather.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, last week I happened to see this boot in size 9.5/2E/wide priced at about half of normal retail, in black (which I prefer), so I ordered another pair. As mentioned in my main review, the Chinese version seems to "break" more above the toe box, because it was made of stiffer leather (I saw this with 3 pairs owned over time.). I walked 8 miles in these boots on a recent mountain hike and had no problems despite the slightly tight fit I've mentioned. I would say they are not going to need to "break in" as much as the earlier "Chinese" version had to do with its seemingly stiffer leather...meaning what you have for fit out of the box may be pretty much what you're going to get. For me, a men's size 9 regular felt like it had been made for my foot, especially after break-in, and I put several hundred miles on them each year, feeling like I could go anywhere with my feet and ankles well-protected and comfortable. The only reason I would replace them periodically is that the Gore-tex lining would eventually start to let water through (and the boots were getting beat up by then as well...still I used the older pairs for casual hiking/gardening, etc.). I'd pay even more if they made the whole thing here!...in any case, the "Vietnam" model are the boots featured on the Amazon page where I write this review. By chance there was a 9 "EE" (wide) pair in Amazon's Warehouse Deals for almost a hundred bucks off the new retail price of $208. I will update this review as appropriate (especially if this EE pair gets stretched out and too wide for me) but hope these perform at least as well as the previous model. Other web sites are less clear about what they're offering and I see even Amazon is mixing up reviews and pages for the Sundowner GTX."
"This is my third pair of these boots in over 35 years. I had to glue the sole back on one of these over the Holidays and it's still holding up and is still waterproof. My new pair was made in Viet Nam but they appear just as well made as my first two pair."
"09/24/17 - I received these boots about one week ago and have been wearing them daily as a uniform piece (I work for a federal land management agency) walking an average of 5-6 miles per day."
"I bought these Sundowners, threw some mink oil on them, and they automatically felt like a million bucks."
"My first pair of Vasque Sundowners lasted almost 20 years with very little wear on the soles until the right one came unglued."
"The Vasque GTX Backpacking Boot size 10.5 M was completely different and didn't fit at all."
"I have been wearing Vasque hiking boots for a lot of years and have always loved them dearly, but I have to say these boots are the worst purchase I have made in a very long time. I hope this was just a fluke, because I have worn some of my Vasque hiking boots until they were practically shreds and that takes some doing."
Best Men's Hiking Boots
Leather.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Well padded up top, and plenty of room at toes The sole tread pattern is very agressive, you could climb a mountain in these, but not good for cycling."
"I’ve had my last pair of White Ledge boots for going on 10 years now."
"A friends wife asked me where I got them because she wanted to get some for a Christmas present and he had said he liked my boots!"
"Proof is in their ability to stand up to my hiking regimen."
"I also worked around and lot of water and wet feet were an everyday thing."
"The fit was what I was worried about, other brands (Hi-Tec) a 13 is to small- these fit just right."
"My boyfriend uses these as his daily work boots and stands up nearly all day, sometimes for 12 hour shifts, and now will not wear any other shoe to work, because nothing else compares in comfort."
"I was looking for a hiking boot presentable enough to wear to work on casual Fridays, yet tough enough to hike a macadam path 2-3 miles at lunchtime (not challenging). On line,Timberland promotes its "Renewbuck Suede Leather" cleaner, along with a warning that it may discolor the upper."
Best Men's Mountaineering Boots
FEATURES of the La Sportiva Makalu Boot MtnFlex insole and full steel shank for automatic crampon compatibility Idro-Perwanger Leather upper is durable and extremely water repellent while still remaining breathable Rollerball hardware incorporates steel roller ball eyelets and locking D-rings for effortless and precise tensioning of boot laces. Leather.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I had to go a full size up 12 to 13 but they fit great and are great to climb in."
"already coming apart on sides."
"Bought boots for my son."
"Wear a size 42 euro sizing, not with the La Sportiva Makalu."
"Once I received the boots I tried them on and they are too small I need to know if I can return them for a bigger size like a size 8."
"Plenty warm in the winter and keeps the feet dry."
"Ordered my regular size and they fit great."
"I bought boots that were advertised as being new and received a used pair of boots at the cost that brand new boots would cost."
Best Men's Hiking Shoes
Suede leather and Mesh.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Seeing several comments online that Merrill's run true to size, I first tried both a 10.5 and a 10.5W Moab 2 Vent Hiking Shoe. Bottom line: as a men's 10.5-borderline-Wide shoe wearer, the Merrell Moab 11W was right for me... so 1/2 size up."
"I work on concrete floors and am on my feet 6-8 hours a day and the insoles provided with these shoes just don't cut it."
"This is my second pair of Moab Vents."
"So far, so good … this is my second pair of Moab's ... this one is the newer version ..."
"I have gone through several pairs of the 1st generation Moabs."
"The shoe remains loose, even when tightly laced, and mid-shoe back lateral stability is greatly reduced compared with the original Moabs. I ordered a replacement pair of original Moabs, since I am weeks away from heading to the Sierras for the summer and don't have time to begin exploring a new long-term shoe. Debating sending the folks at Merrell a note, but frankly, not feeling good about a company that would let a product like this go to market."
"They changed the lacing from 6 pair of eyelets to 5 which definetely effects the fit."
"I bought these to replace a similar pair of Merrell's that were about 15 years old."