New hiking boots

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two lunches
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by two lunches »

Hiking_TheRockies wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm I'm definitely considering getting the Nucleo's, do you know how long it takes to break them in and if they loosen up, or do they stay pretty stiff?
all of my La Sportiva boots have had 0 break-in period- every pair has been good to go right out of the box. my maiden voyage with the Nucleos was up Hope Pass from Sheep Gulch for Quail Mountain last fall, and i wore them the next day messing around Denny Creek, as well- no blisters or hot spots, no miserable ankle-rubbing. i would categorize them as comfortably supportive, but not stiff. same with the Trail Mids.

this is not the experience i had with either Danner or Columbia boots.
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by Hiking_TheRockies »

stephakett wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 1:42 pm
Hiking_TheRockies wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm I'm definitely considering getting the Nucleo's, do you know how long it takes to break them in and if they loosen up, or do they stay pretty stiff?
all of my La Sportiva boots have had 0 break-in period- every pair has been good to go right out of the box. my maiden voyage with the Nucleos was up Hope Pass from Sheep Gulch for Quail Mountain last fall, and i wore them the next day messing around Denny Creek, as well- no blisters or hot spots, no miserable ankle-rubbing. i would categorize them as comfortably supportive, but not stiff. same with the Trail Mids.

this is not the experience i had with either Danner or Columbia boots.
Thats helpful, thank you. I think I'll go to REI this coming weekend to try a pair on.
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ltlFish99
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by ltlFish99 »

For summer I have 2 pairs of oboz. One is a hiking shoe that has little ankle support but is very comfortable, and my first pair lasted over 1,000 miles.
The other is a boot, its thier b dry version and has full ankle support. Since it is water resistant and warmer, I use it in spring and fall when I may encounter some snow.
For winter I use the solomon x ultra winter cs.
I got mine from backcountry:
https://www.backcountry.com/salomon-x-u ... qgQAvD_BwE

They were recommended by a forum member who hikes numerous 14ers every winter and are very comfortable.
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by justiner »

Most any stiffer soled hiker will give more ankle support (as in, it resists or dorsiflexion and inversion/eversion of the ankle) than the Ultra Raptor Mid. You'll need a stiffer sole and a stiffer upper to accomplish that.

I don't believe there's anything in the LS that has the outsole of the Mutant, but is a mid. There's been models that have a built in gaiter like the Urango GTX, but that's something else entirely.
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by 719BR »

Hiking_TheRockies wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 11:28 am Hey all,

I'm having a little trouble choosing a new pair of hiking boots to get for this summer. Last summer I used a pair of Vasque hiking boots, which were sturdy and breathable, but they fell apart pretty quickly doing long Class 2 and 3 climbs (not saying all Vasque boots are bad, mine just weren't really built for scrambling). This summer I want some hiking boots that will be sturdy and breathable, but not big clunky boots (preferably less than 2 lbs total pair weight). I also want these boots to not fall apart and be able to sustain Class 2 and 3 terrain. I'm going to be doing a fair amount of Class 2 and 3 scrambling this summer, and I'd like the boots to have good grip and support.

So far, I've found two boots that I like, the Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid Hiking Boots and the La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX Hiking Boots. I'm torn between the two and cannot decide.

What are some hiking boots that you all know of that would fit my needs? Should I go for the Salomons, the Las Sportivas, or something else? I know you all probably have more experience with hiking boots than I do, so I'd appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

Links to both boots on REI
La Sportivas-https://www.rei.com/product/113110/la-s ... boots-mens
Salomons-https://www.rei.com/product/122167/salo ... boots-mens
i have and love the salomon boot. these boots are specifically meant to be light hiking boots as opposed to mountaineering boots, so i would not, however, think that they would last doing "a lot" of long sustained class 2 / class 3 stuff. once you start getting into that kind of terrain, you need a sturdier more aggressive boot. i have a different boot i wear if i am going to be doing sustained scrambling or class 3 terrain.


on the flip side, they're cheap enough (and light enough) compared to some options that if you don't mind blowing through a pair every season you can get some decent mileage out of them.
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by 12ersRule »

Oboz?? There's a reason those are an anagram of Bozo. Total clown shoes. Stay away.
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by cottonmountaineering »

justiner knows his boots

the big hiking boots are way too hot/heavy for my feet, im in the trail runner camp
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by Hiking_TheRockies »

brichardsson wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 2:13 pm
Hiking_TheRockies wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 11:28 am Hey all,

I'm having a little trouble choosing a new pair of hiking boots to get for this summer. Last summer I used a pair of Vasque hiking boots, which were sturdy and breathable, but they fell apart pretty quickly doing long Class 2 and 3 climbs (not saying all Vasque boots are bad, mine just weren't really built for scrambling). This summer I want some hiking boots that will be sturdy and breathable, but not big clunky boots (preferably less than 2 lbs total pair weight). I also want these boots to not fall apart and be able to sustain Class 2 and 3 terrain. I'm going to be doing a fair amount of Class 2 and 3 scrambling this summer, and I'd like the boots to have good grip and support.

So far, I've found two boots that I like, the Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid Hiking Boots and the La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX Hiking Boots. I'm torn between the two and cannot decide.

What are some hiking boots that you all know of that would fit my needs? Should I go for the Salomons, the Las Sportivas, or something else? I know you all probably have more experience with hiking boots than I do, so I'd appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

Links to both boots on REI
La Sportivas-https://www.rei.com/product/113110/la-s ... boots-mens
Salomons-https://www.rei.com/product/122167/salo ... boots-mens
i have and love the salomon boot. these boots are specifically meant to be light hiking boots as opposed to mountaineering boots, so i would not, however, think that they would last doing "a lot" of long sustained class 2 / class 3 stuff. once you start getting into that kind of terrain, you need a sturdier more aggressive boot. i have a different boot i wear if i am going to be doing sustained scrambling or class 3 terrain.


on the flip side, they're cheap enough (and light enough) compared to some options that if you don't mind blowing through a pair every season you can get some decent mileage out of them.
Thanks, thats super helpful. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try the LS Nucleos.
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pcsongei
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by pcsongei »

I had those same Salomon boots for about a year and a half before the soles started falling apart. Got maybe 400 miles out of them. I loved them a lot while I had them, super light weight and comfy. Maybe I just got a bad pair? I'd probably give them another shot as they were great summer hiking boots. Even though they were Goretex boots I didn't find them to be all that waterproof...
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by Conor »

I'll throw a shout out for a non-popular 14 er dot com alternative - danner. I wear their boots every day for work (10 hour days) and I own a pair of their arctic 600 for winter peaks that I got out on a short walk this year. The best part of my day is not taking my boots off, that how comfy they are. Comfy out of the box, no break in (as any reputable boot should do today) and bombproof.

I had the raptors and they are too narrow for my feet. Not sure if LS is offering wider shoes as they seem to be doing in their boots nowadays, but I wore the raptors for one little hike (S and N arapahoe) and ended up giving them away.

I landed on the saucony peregrine. A trail runner. I've backpacked in these shoes (felt a little bad about throwing a pair away in greenland) and done practically all my scrambles in them. I took a short break from the peregrine to try out some altra shoes, terribly awful and holes wore in around 100 miles. I hope to get 200 out of my shoes. I've never done approach shoes, never found the need for them...(but I have schlepped rock shoes around a bit)

While I am opining, I think the idea of ankle support is a myth. I can slightly understand the desire for some ankle protection. But, if you need support around your ankles, fix the problem with muscles. Lighter boots/shoes will always equal easier days out hiking - all else being equal. I bet you find yourself with your newfound midas strength going longer and faster. I also think goretex in any summer hiking boot is a mistake.

There will need to be some trial and error to find what works FOR YOU. A brick and mortar store is good for this. Anytime I got shoe shopping I buy from a B&M until I figure out what I like.
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by DaveLanders »

Conor wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 8:14 pm ...
While I am opining, I think the idea of ankle support is a myth. I can slightly understand the desire for some ankle protection. But, if you need support around your ankles, fix the problem with muscles. Lighter boots/shoes will always equal easier days out hiking - all else being equal. I bet you find yourself with your newfound midas strength going longer and faster.
...
Sorry, but this is wrong for a lot of people. Ankle issues are often caused by tendon and ligament problems, and muscle strengthening is limited in being able to fix these. A more familiar example would be the ACL in your knee; you can exercise all you want, but that won't fix a damaged ACL.
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Re: New hiking boots

Post by nyker »

I used to recommend Asolo Fugitive GTX hiking boots very strongly, mainly due to my owning three pair of them back to back when the first came out and they were great, had sticky soles and required little to no break in and at the time they were $99 on sale or maybe $129. I wore them out pretty quickly but I assumed it was normal to go through soles after a season. However, after pair or two lasted more than a couple seasons, I started finding that the soles and midsoles actually start to separate often often at the worst time, and no shoemaker nearby would touch them, saying they were "disposable boots" with soles not able to be replaced. I didn't' want to keep buying which was by then becoming $200 "disposable" shoes...I think they are like $250 now.

Since then, I've found Northface Hedgehog Goretex models quite good (though again lasting only a season or two of hard scrambling/hiking miles). I first discovered these by accident after my Asolo's fell apart one night where I had a climb the next morning and I was forced to buy whatever the store had that night which was TNF Hedgehogs. I assumed they would be flimsy and uncomfortable, but was surprised when they worked well, were lightweight and were pretty comfortable.
I've also had good luck with Merrell hiking shoes and La Sportiva Raptors. I have not used them but Salewa look like good boots/shoes.

My footwear is basically one of three shoes: (i) these trailrunner/hikers above, for late Spring to Fall hikes/scrambles, (ii) Sportiva Reg Evo Trango, while they still last for warmer snow climbs or (iii) Sportiva Cube/Nepals for colder snow climbs.
Last edited by nyker on Mon May 17, 2021 9:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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