Boots for 46ing - What's your pick ?

[teclo]

Hi Everyone:

I am a long-time Keen fanatic, mostly because of the footbed and toe cover on many of their shoes. I live in the Fingerlakes and I tend to wear Newport II sandals for most of my day hiking and water sporting here because they are so comfortable and supportive, and offer me some water resistance as well.

Now I'm looking to begin some 46 climbing, and I have concerns about the lack of ankle support from my go-to standard Newports. So I'm sort of in the market for a mid-height ankle boot that can lend me some support in the mid-sole as well.

I've looked at a few pairs of Keens but I'm really not seeing the quality I would like to see in them, and several of the pairs I've tried haven't been great in the support. Keen's quality seems to vary wildly between models (at the same price point too).

In the past I've had merrills and found those to be very good as well, but I'm curious what do you all like to wear for climbing and mid peak bagging in the ADK ?

[NorthBay]

I'm partial to my Zamberlans, they have had some miles put on them elsewhere prior to heading to the peaks, other than a bit of crud and dirt they are as good as the day I bought them.

I tried 2-3 different pair of Asolos and just couldn't get a good fit out of them. My daughter seems to like hers though.

Try as many out as you can and get the best fit for you...everybody is different when it comes to boots.

[ADKpete]

Welcome Teclo,
I see from your avatar that you're in the finger lakes, you should try to get over to Bass Pro Shops. They have quite a large selection of equipment you can try on for fit & feel. I personally like Colombians for hiking -not too heavy, water resistant, & offer good support for my ankles.

[TakeAHike]

I just bought a pair of Merrell Perimeter boots this past December and can say that I love everything about them so far. I put ~20 miles of flat terrain in them to break them in (just something I have always done with new boots) to make sure I was confident with how they handled and have tackled 3 peaks this spring in them. They are lightweight, have great support, very waterproof, grip well in snow & wet rock conditions and most importantly fit my feet wonderfully. Best advice I can give to you is to go to a store with a knowledgeable staff that can direct your feet into the correct boot - what works for my feet very well may not for yours.

Regardless of how well my boots fit I still love the feeling of sitting on the tailgate of the truck after a long days hike and slipping my feet out into the fresh air!

[WinterWarlock]

If you look on this forum, and on ADKHighPeaks, our sister forum, you'll find as many different answers as you will find folks answering the question. Bottom line - there is no real 'best' solution other than the one that you find most comfortable on your feet. I, and several others like PA Ridgerunner, MuddyBottom, and Abida, have eventually (after several other attempts) that Asolo Fugitives work well...for us, they have good sticky traction, aren't ridiculously heavy (although there are many lighter options), and seem to hold up to mud, water, etc pretty well.

Go to EMS or the Mountaineer in Keene Valley, and try on a few and walk around for a bit in the store with them...

Just as important - your sock choice. For me, a thin polypropylene liner with a thicker wool sock has prevented me from ever getting a blister. The one time I did get a blister it was because the boot split along the seam, and wet sand got in and rubbed my foot raw...other than that, this system has served me well.

[PA Ridgerunner]

The best advice I can offer is to get something that fits you. Sorry, WW...I could never get an Asolo that fit, but Fran does like hers. Her only complaint was that they aren't as grippy as she would like. I've worn LLBean backpacking boots that fit well and were a good boot. I wore Montrail GTX Torre's for most of the 46. They were a nice, comfortable boot, but not well made -- lots of issues with the seams coming apart. (EMS was great about replacing the first pair. I didn't bother them with the second pair, as they had a lot of mileage on them.) Both the Montrails and LLBeans were backpacking boots, and were very heavy. I replaced the Montrails with Vasque Breeze GTX which are much lighter and have a great fit. Haven't worn them enough to give a solid recommendation. I love my Keen Revel winter boots...warm, light weight, excellent tread, great fit for my wide foot with high instep. Only issue with these is that the curve toward the big toe is a little exaggerated, so it took some time to get used to fitting traction devices to them...but now I have that figured out, so no problem.

All of the boots mentioned had good support and good tread that gave me confidence on slabs.

[WinterWarlock]

Originally Posted by PA Ridgerunner

The best advice I can offer is to get something that fits you. Sorry, WW...I could never get an Asolo that fit, but Fran does like hers. Her only complaint was that they aren't as grippy as she would like. I've worn LLBean backpacking boots that fit well and were a good boot. I wore Montrail GTX Torre's for most of the 46. They were a nice, comfortable boot, but not well made -- lots of issues with the seams coming apart. Both the Montrails and LLBeans were backpacking boots, and were very heavy. I replaced the Montrails with Vasque Breeze GTX which are much lighter and have a great fit. Haven't worn them enough to give a solid recommendation. I love my Keen Revel winter boots...warm, light weight, excellent tread, great fit for my wide foot with high instep. Only issue with these is that the curve toward the big toe is a little exaggerated, so it took some time to get used to fitting traction devices to them...but now I have that figured out, so no problem.

All of the boots mentioned had good support and good tread that gave me confidence on slabs.

Yep - that's right, sorry...I do remember you had other ones, and your better half had the better boots.

Two points for Teclo - one, Snickers, I believe, wears Keen boots, so check with her. And two, the ones that ripped for me were Raichles, so I would avoid those as I don't think they stand up well.

[rdl]

As mentioned previously, fit is most important.

I've sacrificed durability for comfort -- I'm on my third pair of lightweight Montrails that typically last me about 18 months before the seems rip out. The fit is excellent and EMS has replaced each at no charge(kudos to their return policy). The model of Montrail boot that I have is no longer made(maybe due to high return rates) and I'm going to try a pair of Salomon's next.

My preference is the lighter the better, the Montrails are 15 oz each.

[wiiawiwb]

You'll get a number of people, myself included, who have ditched boots in favor of lightweight trailrunners. You'll find some spirited discussions about how much ankle support boots really provide on the backpackinglight forum.

I have knee issues so boots are simply out of the question. All they would do is transfer the stress during an ankle turn to my knees. That I can do without.

[snoeboarder]

I might pick up a pair of good trail runners and give them a try. The ones I've had were bargain bin but they did the trick for a couple summers, they weren't the most durable (New Balance & Reebok). I currently own my 1st decent hiking boot, the Asolo Fugitive GTX. Mom is a 46-R and wanted me to try a few boots out for a B-Day gift, who was I to say no. I tried a couple pairs of Keen but I couldn't get past the toe cap. I am really liking my Asolo's. I wear them around town in the winter. Honestly, I've hiked one high peak but I love being at camp in Thendara and doing short hikes in the Ha-Da-Ron-Dah / RT12 area. I plan to accomplish more hikes this summer and really put them to use. My other treads for exploring the Dacks are Cooper ATR's on my Jeep.

[viewseeker]

im with PARR... Get what fits and try many... I hikes all 46 in summer in one pair of hi-teks.. waterproof and good comfort, they have changed some though, but at $60 or less on sale, I would still buy, I own 3 different HI-TEk boots, they fit me...I have one set that is breathable, which is twice the cost as the IV ones, which stayed waterproof for many years, i see no difference, keep them clean and silicone treated and youll have it covered.... hiking those trails i see using them 2yrs before they wear out but at that price, you get new pair every yr if you want

[Gray Ghost]

Finished my 46 in a pair of gore-tex boots by LL Bean that they sadly discontinued. Take a Hike--I bought those same Merrells last December as well and while they run a little big, a nice thick wool sock makes them perfect and I love them.

[chairrock]

Might also try Rt.96 Power and Paddle down towards Candor/Owego.Besides a nice selection of boots/shoes they are a Stihl dealer!

[b00tz]

Well, I'm not a 46'er, just a 1 1/2'er, but I've put some miles on trail. I bought my first pair of danners almost 2 years ago. They've won brand loyalty from me!

[PA Ridgerunner]

Originally Posted by chairrock

Might also try Rt.96 Power and Paddle down towards Candor/Owego.Besides a nice selection of boots/shoes they are a Stihl dealer!

Thanks for the tip! I'm always looking for alternative local places to buy boots and such. And I just about have myself convinced that I need a chainsaw!

[WinterWarlock]

Originally Posted by PA Ridgerunner

Thanks for the tip! I'm always looking for alternative local places to buy boots and such. And I just about have myself convinced that I need a chainsaw!

Just call me when you need a chainsaw brother - I'll bring mine down to ya!

[viewseeker]

Originally Posted by PA Ridgerunner

Thanks for the tip! I'm always looking for alternative local places to buy boots and such. And I just about have myself convinced that I need a chainsaw!

Originally Posted by WinterWarlock

Just call me when you need a chainsaw brother - I'll bring mine down to ya!

Like you two need to play with Chainsaws....

[chairrock]

Also, in the Finger Lakes area, is Davidsons Shoes, on "Main Street" in downtown Canindaiqua.A little pricey but most of the major brands.