Hiking Shoes

[vivi]

I'm in the market for new hiking shoes.

What I'm looking for:

- Mid height
- Waterproof
- Non-insulated
- Leather uppers
- Vibram soles
- Under $200

I've been using mostly Merrells the past decade and I'd like to branch out.

Any suggestions for models to look into or shops I should browse? Haven't found anything locally I like, so I've been browsing online.

[Xplorer]

I LOVE my Lowa Renegades.

[JRinFL]

Ozti recommends these shoes.

[DSH007]

Danner Mountain 600s seem to meet your criteria. Very, very comfortable with great traction due to the tread-pattern and a little bit of an "old school" vibe.. haha I really like the look of them anyways.. I have the standard brown/red pair, but there are other variations if the bright red soles aren't your thing..

They do get a little warm for my feet in the summer months. When it gets really hot out, I switch over to the South Rim 600s, essentially the same boot with thinner uppers, no waterproofing, and greater breathability.. Both are excellent.

https://www.danner.com/productfamily/mountain-600/

If you're interested, I'd shop around for deals vs buying directly from Danner.. I've seen them well under $180 from other retailers (REI, backcountry, etc)..

[Naperville]

Hi-Tec (NO Vibram soles). I'll leave this post up, but will say their quality is NOT high.

https://hi-tec.com/collections/outdoor- ... ght-hiking

They sell them at Amazon too
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/7DBA ... 9573380011

[Mushroom]

I've been using the Keen Targhee Mids for years now. After a few years and countless miles through New England and Colorado, I had finally blown out the sides of my original pair and bought the leather version this past summer. They're exactly what you're looking for minus the Vibram soles.

They're a really comfortable shoe for me. I like them because they're roomy in the toe box and kind of a wide shoe in general. The waterproofing works well, I've used them in snow and my feet stay dry.

The retailers I use most are REI, Moosejaw.com, Backcountry.com, and Eastern Mountain Sports. (EMS)

I've used Moosejaw online the most because they have a good selection of products and quality brands and I like their loyalty program. Though I will often use the others I listed because they all tend to carry brands or products that one of the others does not. Good to have options. :)

[abbazaba]

Check out Solomon. I've had great success with every shoe/boot of theirs, and I put a lot of miles on them in the rough stuff here in New England. My preference has been low hiking sneaker type or winter boots though, so I can't give you a specific model that fits your criteria.

[JD Spydo]

Danner Mountain 600s seem to meet your criteria. Very, very comfortable with great traction due to the tread-pattern and a little bit of an "old school" vibe.. haha I really like the look of them anyways.. I have the standard brown/red pair, but there are other variations if the bright red soles aren't your thing..

They do get a little warm for my feet in the summer months. When it gets really hot out, I switch over to the South Rim 600s, essentially the same boot with thinner uppers, no waterproofing, and greater breathability.. Both are excellent.

https://www.danner.com/productfamily/mountain-600/

If you're interested, I'd shop around for deals vs buying directly from Danner.. I've seen them well under $180 from other retailers (REI, backcountry, etc)..

There is a guy whose radio broadcast I try to listen to daily. His name is John Moore and he is a former Green Beret for the US Army. He has talked about Danner boots for a long time going like they are the very, very best you can get on the planet. And I'm sure that Danner makes a great product>> and I have no doubt they would have a great hiking shoe. Because that guy has had a lot of raw experience using high grade footwear of all types.

I just got a practically brand new pair of Redwing Boots ( model 3528) at a local thrift store for a song. I really love Redwing's shoes and boots. I've had 3 pairs of Redwing boots and shoes over the years and I just love the way they fit my feet. So I would have no doubt that they would also have a very good hiking shoe as well. I would be confident that Danner also would make an excellent hiking shoe.

It's been a few years ago and I'm not even sure the Rockport company is even still in business. But a very good, trusted friend of mine just swore by Rockport Hiking shoes. The Rockport hiking shoes he had really looked like high quality footwear. Those are a few that I can think of.

[ChrisinHove]

I have wide feet and have been a big fan of Meindl for some years.

[vivi]

Danner Mountain 600s seem to meet your criteria. Very, very comfortable with great traction due to the tread-pattern and a little bit of an "old school" vibe.. haha I really like the look of them anyways.. I have the standard brown/red pair, but there are other variations if the bright red soles aren't your thing..

They do get a little warm for my feet in the summer months. When it gets really hot out, I switch over to the South Rim 600s, essentially the same boot with thinner uppers, no waterproofing, and greater breathability.. Both are excellent.

https://www.danner.com/productfamily/mountain-600/

If you're interested, I'd shop around for deals vs buying directly from Danner.. I've seen them well under $180 from other retailers (REI, backcountry, etc)..

Old school is the look I'm going for. Simple full leather uppers and "normal" looking soles.

I had a friend that swore by danner while he was deployed. I'll take a look at those models.

The shoes I get are more for fall / "winter" / spring. I have a variety of trail trunners I use during the nicer parts of the year.

I LOVE my Lowa Renegades.

Those look nice. I'm gonna look around and see if I can find them cheaper than their website lists them at.

Hi-Tec (NO Vibram soles). I'll leave this post up, but will say their quality is NOT high.

https://hi-tec.com/collections/outdoor- ... ght-hiking

They sell them at Amazon too
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/7DBA ... 9573380011

I've actually tried them out for disc golf. Not bad for the $$ but I'm looking for something higher quality / not made in china.

They had some vibram soled shoes under $50 last time I looked at their line.

[Naperville]

I took a look at the Danner Boots and they are very nice.

[kerrcobra]

I don't have a reco, but I wanted to reply to subscribe and follow this thread. I need to find some nicer pairs of boots. I have Dr. Martens, some cowboy boots and some H-D Wolverine boots which are excellent, but I'm looking for something different now.

[Ankerson]

Danner makes some really good products. :)

[DSH007]

Danner Mountain 600s seem to meet your criteria. Very, very comfortable with great traction due to the tread-pattern and a little bit of an "old school" vibe.. haha I really like the look of them anyways.. I have the standard brown/red pair, but there are other variations if the bright red soles aren't your thing..

They do get a little warm for my feet in the summer months. When it gets really hot out, I switch over to the South Rim 600s, essentially the same boot with thinner uppers, no waterproofing, and greater breathability.. Both are excellent.

https://www.danner.com/productfamily/mountain-600/

If you're interested, I'd shop around for deals vs buying directly from Danner.. I've seen them well under $180 from other retailers (REI, backcountry, etc)..

There is a guy whose radio broadcast I try to listen to daily. His name is John Moore and he is a former Green Beret for the US Army. He has talked about Danner boots for a long time going like they are the very, very best you can get on the planet. And I'm sure that Danner makes a great product>> and I have no doubt they would have a great hiking shoe. Because that guy has had a lot of raw experience using high grade footwear of all types.

I just got a practically brand new pair of Redwing Boots ( model 3528) at a local thrift store for a song. I really love Redwing's shoes and boots. I've had 3 pairs of Redwing boots and shoes over the years and I just love the way they fit my feet. So I would have no doubt that they would also have a very good hiking shoe as well. I would be confident that Danner also would make an excellent hiking shoe.

It's been a few years ago and I'm not even sure the Rockport company is even still in business. But a very good, trusted friend of mine just swore by Rockport Hiking shoes. The Rockport hiking shoes he had really looked like high quality footwear. Those are a few that I can think of.

I've heard that a lot of the special forces guys really like Danner.. I assume they're talking the high-priced US-made boots.. but the ones that I have are pretty nice too for what they are.

I've heard great things about Redwing too, though I think they're a bit more "work" boots than I normally wear for walking around in the woods..

[DSH007]

Danner Mountain 600s seem to meet your criteria. Very, very comfortable with great traction due to the tread-pattern and a little bit of an "old school" vibe.. haha I really like the look of them anyways.. I have the standard brown/red pair, but there are other variations if the bright red soles aren't your thing..

They do get a little warm for my feet in the summer months. When it gets really hot out, I switch over to the South Rim 600s, essentially the same boot with thinner uppers, no waterproofing, and greater breathability.. Both are excellent.

https://www.danner.com/productfamily/mountain-600/

If you're interested, I'd shop around for deals vs buying directly from Danner.. I've seen them well under $180 from other retailers (REI, backcountry, etc)..

Old school is the look I'm going for. Simple full leather uppers and "normal" looking soles.

I had a friend that swore by danner while he was deployed. I'll take a look at those models.

The shoes I get are more for fall / "winter" / spring. I have a variety of trail trunners I use during the nicer parts of the year.

I LOVE my Lowa Renegades.

Those look nice. I'm gonna look around and see if I can find them cheaper than their website lists them at.

Hi-Tec (NO Vibram soles). I'll leave this post up, but will say their quality is NOT high.

https://hi-tec.com/collections/outdoor- ... ght-hiking

They sell them at Amazon too
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/7DBA ... 9573380011

I've actually tried them out for disc golf. Not bad for the $$ but I'm looking for something higher quality / not made in china.

They had some vibram soled shoes under $50 last time I looked at their line.

The Mtn 600s fill this role nicely for me. I've been out in ~zero degree weather in them.. with a decent pair of wool socks, my feet were perfectly comfortable..

[remnar]

I don't have a specific recomendation but I have been very happy with boots from Danner, Salomon and La Sportiva. I haven't worn this model but it seems to tick a lot of your boxes.

https://www.sportiva.com/tx4-mid-gtx.html

[Cambertree]

Check out the Bavarian brand, Meindl, Vivi.

https://meindlusa.com

I got some Sambar boots for hunting, a few years ago. They were so good, I replaced all my other shoes with the same brand.

They might not be under $200USD but they have lasted far longer than any other shoes I’ve had.

The comfort and quality is on a higher level than most of the brands mentioned here IMHO.

[Mushroom]

I LOVE my Lowa Renegades.

These look really nice! I might give those a try next time I'm in the market.

[Xplorer]

I LOVE my Lowa Renegades.

These look really nice! I might give those a try next time I'm in the market.

I went through 2 pair in 9 years and I've had my 3rd pair for about a year. I use them mostly on multi-day backpacking trips into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and on desert-terrain day hikes in So. Cal, Nevada and Arizona. They're comfortable like running shoes but with enough support to carry a 50lb pack while walking over rocks. The first 2 pair eventually had the soles de-laminate after about 4 or 5 years of use. My most recent pair has an improved sole bonding design and I'm hopeful this fixes the eventual de-lamination issue I experienced in the past..but frankly with all the miles I put on them, after 4 or more years I don't really care if I have to replace them. All said, the Danner Mountain 600 didn't exist when I got hooked on my Lowa Renegades and if I were to consider something different I think I would at least try on the Danners and consider them as well.

[vivi]

I've been browsing the **** out of every website I can, and based on the deals I can find for my size these are the boots I'm currently considering:

Keen kerraig mid backpacking boot



La Sportiva Eclipse GTX



Asolo Thyrus:



Merrell Moab Prime



I can get all of these in my size in the $120-150 range.

I cannot try on any of these models locally from what I've seen. I still have one more bootery to check out locally before I decide.

Leaning towards the Asolo. They look very comfortable. The Keens would be nice for more back country trips with a heavier pack, but since I tend to pack light they might be overkill for most trips.