Most Awesome, Kick-ass Boots for Long-Term Use?

madbomber1998

madbomber1998

Joined
Nov 27, 2008
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182
Ok. So I've got all the regular boots - hiking boots, lightweight hiking boots, winter boots, all the regular stuff - even a pair of jungle boots.

Now I'm looking for the ultimate pair of heavy-duty boots. Started moving to more long-term, hard-wearing items to suppliment my state-of-the-art, lightweight and ultra-light gear.

So what boots should I look at? If you had to choose ONE pair of boots to wear the rest of your life - like through a SHTF type scenario - what would you choose? Something you can wear the rest of your life, something that can be re-soled. Something comfortable, something you can put alot of miles on.

So what boots would you recommend me looking at?
 
I've had good service from danner acadias. I wear them daily and they last many years of hard use and they can be not only re-soled but rebuilt if needed. Comfortable on concrete or rocks to dirt and snow. I just wish i lived closer to portland to take advantage of the discounts at the factory store.

:D
 
Danner. They are tanks. Very comfortable on your feet as well.

There are lots of models, just check out this link and start looking. There are tons of options.
 
I've had a pair of Danners for half my life. 15 years. Not pretty, but they've been through all kinds of terrain and are still going strong.
 
I, on the other hand, have worn out a pair of Danners in just a few months.

They weren't leather, though... they were those mesh fabric hikers. The goretex failed the second time they got wet, and I'd worn holes in the sides of them within a couple of months.

I'm really hard on boots, though... 10-12 hours a day of walking through ditches, brush, construction sites, etc. I've yet to find any brand that will hold up well for much more than a year.
 
herman survivors i bought in 1981. fully leather lined & although they predate the lightweight polymers, i believe they can easily go 10 more years. i do'nt elk hunt anymore but i use them to mow the yard. however they probably weigh 6 or 7 lbs.
dennis
 
I have a few different styles of RedWing boots.
all are very comfortable and long wearing.
Been wearing them about 8 years.
I havent tried Danner of any other "higher end" boots,
just the ones from Sears,Kmart etc. These Redwings are
by far the best compared to those.
 
Redwing #811 Viper Wingshooter snake boots. Liked them so much I bought a second pair Three months after the first because they were discontinued, allthough some retailers still have a few left.
 
Best boot I ever owned was a pair of Matterhorn 10" tall combat boots.
thinsulate and goretex, resolable, steel shank, lace to toe and incredibly comfortable.
after 15 years and the 3rd resoling, the leather started to break down so they got pitched.
 
I've also heard alot of good things about Danners too. The ones made in china are crap, but the ones made in the US seem to have quite the following.

In the Newest backpacker, the danner light/light 2 fall under the "test of time" section, and have caught my eye 1000 times over. Once I finally need new boots ( I have asolos), I'll probably hunker down and get the mountain light.

http://www.danner.com/dannerr-light-iitm-mens-womens-hiking-boots.html
http://www.danner.com/boots/mountain-lighttm-ii-mens-womens-hiking-boots.html
 
Lowa, Hanwag, Kenentrek, Scarpa, and Zamberlan are the ones you should look at. In a different league than the rest. Preferably full rand.
 
Kenetrek Mountain Extremes or Lowa Sheep Hunters by Schnees. I own both of the boots, and have worn them in Colorado and Montana chasing Elk and Mule deer, and Nebraska and South Dakota chasing phesants. Both of the boots have a rubber rand around the bottom, and have a thick leather. The Lowa's have triple stitching and the Kenetreks have double stitching. The kenetreks are more comfortable to walk multiple miles in stock, and the Lowa's need to have a super feet insole added to make them comparable. Both pair of boots are over 2 years old, and with obenaufs leather oil and wax, they look new. Both are equally water proof.
 
If i could have only 1 pair of boots it would, without hesitation, be my "bad weather go-to" boots for cold mountain hiking/climbing - LaSportiva Nepal Extremes. I have the older model (2002) and there is no other pair of boots i've seen that compare. They're made from 3.2mm full-grain, Idro Perwanger silicon-impregnated leather - the benchmark all other leathers for hard, outdoor use are compared to. The mid-sole is thick and warm, but only semi-rigid (absolutely perfect for crampons). The boot is insulated and has (i think...) a Sympatex (like G-Tex) membrane. The sole is LaSportiva's Vibram "Montagne" - deeper lugs than the standard waffle-stomper making it an easy/cheap sole to have a boot specialist replace for a fraction of the cost of most boots, and is suitable for step-in crampons.

http://www.braemarmountainsports.com/products.php?cat=142&prod=528

They look like they'd be too stiff, but i gotta tell ya i've put in 10-mile days with no foot-fatigue problem (or blisters for that matter). They are a bit hefty, but i've never experienced a warmer boot (yes, that includes US Issue "Mickey Mouse" boots).

I'm former infantry (+ a little) and i've seen alot of boots. In 30 years of hiking/climbing/hunting these are the best boots i've ever had (or seen for that matter) - bar none. I've had 'em for 8 years now and they are still rocking it hard core. Granted, i don't wear 'em everyday (i have cheap Cabela-type's for day-to-day wear), but they've seen a few hundred miles in snow/slush/mud and i've no complaints.
 
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Danners, or the cheaper version that Cabela's makes that lace down to the toe. The lace down pattern helps support them and makes them last longer compared to normal boots that I've owned.

The Cabela's own brand look alike aren't as good as a Danner as far as the soles wearing though.
 
Broken record, but Danner boots have been the best for me as well. I have a pair of Acadia's that are around 15 years old and aside from scuffs and scratches in the leather, they are in fairly great shape. A few years back I bought a pair of Danner hot weather boots that I have worn several times a week, every week, and they still look new. I really can't say a single bad thing about Danner :thumbup:
 
LL Bean Cresta Hikers. i have 2 pairs one going past 10yrs and one i got this year:thumbup:
 
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