[pct-l] Hiking Boots

[Joe McDougall]

In my own humble opinion, it really depends upon your foot geometry, load weight and daily distance, and frankly, there are few to no footwear sales people that have the experience to give you the perfect fit for all circumstances - especially thru hiking.  A boot that works for 5 - 10 mile days may not perform well on those 20 - 25 mile days.  I've tried everything from the Lowa Baffin (which look great in my closet) to $29 High Techs.  The issues that drive my personal boot-fit decision are (1) friction between my heel and the back of the boot (most influenced by the height of the collar), (2) toe strikes going down hill after 10 - 20 miles, and (3) stress on the balls of my feet from rocks.  Find out what your issues are.  Embrace them and search for a boot/shoe that accommodates them.  

I resolve my boot issues by (1) never going higher than a "mid", (2) always getting a 1/2 size larger than what appears perfect in the store (still avoiding something that seems "too big"), and (3) sticking with shoes that have, at a minimum, a TPU (plastic) or rockstrike plate.  For the distance I do, preferably 20+ miles, I now go with the fortified trailrunner looking boots (although I have done as much as 34 miles in a day in my Danner Radical 452).  My current favorites are the Montrail Namche and older Montrail Hardrocks (2008 or older, not the new ones).  I think both have a similar chassis to the Montrail Continental Divide.  I have the 2009 Hardrock mids, but the chassis has changed enough that I will look elsewhere for my next boot.  Perhaps the North Face Adversary Mid w/ snakeplates or the Salomon Fastpacker.

Good luck,
Joe