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

I have had Danners. They are nice boots. They are not near as "tough" as Wesco or Whites. I prefer the no nails on the White boot construction over the Wescos. But both brands are as tough as you can get.
 
I have owned boots from nearly every company listed so far, and none are as tough as a pair of Vibergs. I had two pairs (different models) built to my measurements. At 3-4 hundred per pair they sure are not cheap, but they fit like nothing I have ever worn. The Danner Ft Lewis and their linemans are good. My linesmans are 25 yrs old. Herman Survivors are not nearly what they were in the 70s and 80s. I have had three pairs. The Matterhorns are a good boot as well. I wear a pair of their insulated boots in the winter. There was a time when it was not unusual for me to have 30 to 40 pairs of boots at any given time. I used cheap seven foot tall bookcases to store them. It used to freak people out to walk into my house and see this. over the past 10 years I have made a concerted effort to use and wear out the inventory without adding more.
 
Ditto on the Danner Mountain Lights. They have a one piece thick full grain leather upper with heavy stitched down construction, Gore-Tex liner and Vibram Kletterlift soles. Supportive, stable (wide flat platform), comfortable and have outlived every other pair of high end hiking boots that I have owned with the exception of some vintage Asolo's which aren't are comfortable as the Danners. I have 2 pair and am about to put a new sole on one of them. Paired with some quality wool socks, a good orthotic and some Obenhauf's LP the Danner Mountain Lights are pretty hard to beat.

I don't own a pair but others I would consider trusting for this purpose would be boots with Norwegian Welt construction like the Merrell Wilderness, Chippewa Norwegian, and Alico Summit boots. If cost was no object I would look at having custom boots made from Limmer (limmerboots) or Randy Merrell (Merrellfootlab).

As you have probably figured out, I don't trust glued on boot construction. If you have ever been out in the middle of nowhere and had boots fail, you know what I mean. I still carry Freesole, duct tape and spare laces just in case.
 
I wore a pair of Belleville 300 series flight boots almost every day for about 8 years. They were overdue for a resole so I just sent them off. They are the all leather boot with goretex lining and not the nylon/goretex upper. The leather and the liner are still in excellent condition (but I'm a little OC when it comes to leather care). I also had a pair of standard issue flight boots I wore for a long, long time that were made by Wolverine. Walked miles and miles of flightline in them. Comfortable and durable. Wolverine doesn't have a mil contract anymore, but they still make a HUGE selection of boots, including a Ft. Lewis style boot. Wolverine, Belleville and Danner all have websites. I don't think you could go wrong with any of those brands. From what I've seen and comments I've read, if you're looking for long wearing, definitely go with an all leather boot.
 
Nathanial4 said:
Limmer makes a nice boot! Will last a lifetime....

http://www.limmerboot.com/

Their custom boots have a multi-year waiting list.

Nathanial4
Click to expand...


I second the Limmers. Hands down the best boots I have ever worn and I have worn a lot of high end boots like Lowa, Whites, and Nicks (used to be a professional wildland firefighter). The Nicks (better than the Whites IMO) are a very close second, but for walking long distances and comfort I think the Limmers have the edge and they have better ankle support. They are not fun to break in but once they are, they are simply paradise on your feet.

The customs are currently running around 18 months to get (as of 2 weeks ago when I called).

I have the "off-the-shelf" version which run a little over $300 a pair. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.
 
I started wearing Meindl a few years ago and can't see ever looking elsewhere. Cabelas has them. I can vouch for the Alaska Hunters and the Perfekt Hunters. The Alaskas are much more rigid, but still extremely comfortable. Seems almost impossible to twist an ankle in these things.

Frank
 
I am a fan of Meindl boots. Me and many people from work have ordered customized size Meindl's from a dealer in our area. Before the Meindl's we all wore Danner's (supplied by the employer).

The Mendl's are far more comfortable and longer lasting IMO.
 
I've got Danner Acadias and have worn them in Mountains, Hurricanes, and the plains of Kansas. They work for me but your feet have to feel comfortable first.
 
I have a pair of the coldest-rated Meindl winter boots from Cabela's. I own a lot of other boots but the Meindls are the toughest.

DancesWithKnives
 
Matterhorn 12900 I have only one pair of shoes/boots and this is it I am in them about 18-20 hours a day. have been doing that for 3+years now and they have seen fire,water,guts,blood,nails,needles, anything you can throw at them and they look just as good as the day I got them!
 
Nick's handmade logging boots from Spokane Washington.Not light but a hard use kick ass dirt stompin boot.I had mine for 10 years before rebuild.
 
Quality US made leather Danners. I have worn mine on 3 continents over the last 20 years. No idea how many miles I've walked in them. Showing their age but served me well.

Their newer overseas line or nylon I can't speak to now.

When I need new ones Danner will be the first place I look.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top