Up to you, but I chose the none GTX version and Im happy with its performance. Its completely waterproof due to its high-quality suede construction and permeable eVent technology. These are not insulated, so id recommend them for warm weather over cold weather, however, if you keep moving, they perform fairly well in chilly temperatures too. These are essentially permeable synthetic fabrics that block water but allow air to pass through. No online reviews will take the place of someone well studied! Watch the water bead up and slide right off and in a few seconds, youll forget you ever had a little dip in that creek crossing. Tough to beat and even tougher to destroy (believe me, Ive tried). Basically, if you click on a product link on this site and buy that product we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you want something to navigate trails quickly and nimbly at a good price, these are your go-to trail runners. When taking on that 4000m+ mountain trek, a few grams here and a few grams there adds up quickly and will certainly make the trip much more difficult. Waterproof boots, in my experience, have always been heavier than their non-water repelling brothers. There isnt much special in terms of innovative technology or crazy features. All Rights Reserved. These are built for the backpackers and campers that are willing to step outside of their comfort zone without risking their health. From some searches I see it may have been a $70 to $98 item in the store which isn't all that bad, but only as a casual boot or occasional hiker. I got a Sierra Trading Post gift card for Christmas and decided to get yet another pair of boots. This site contains affiliate links. Browse Eddie Bauer's top-rated footwear and more. I wont go too much in depth here, but there are a lot of really neat lacing systems hitting the market today. Water resistance just means it has water repelling properties that may work in varying degrees. I've already noticed the surface of the boot lugs showing wear in just a month. For more information about us or joining the team, check out the About Us tab. Thats not surprising, I guess, considering the HQ for Arcteryx is in North Vancouver! These wicks are usually some kind of nylon material and also work with sweat. Aside from that, these are the best shoes to use in tandem with everyday life. Yes, I do personally own these and I do use them often! average rating Trail running boots are purpose-built to be the lightest form factor possible while maintaining a much higher level of ruggedness and grip than your traditional running shoe. Add your own review Mostly everything dubbed waterproof is misleading marketing! Learn More. Its tough to really describe how incredible these boots are and since they arent priced to break the bank, I highly suggest you give them an honest go! Now, to the cons of waterproofing. The Vibram Vialta is an excellent grip and perfect for long range treks because it offers stiffness and shock absorption. My Review: These are killer boots at an excellent price. Since you wont be wearing them for longer than a day at a time, weight and mobility will take priority over long duration comfort and rugged durability. My Review: By far the best full size cold weather boots on the list, the Kenetrek Mountain Extremes have a very heavy reputation and rightfully so. They come with a fairly aggressive Virbram grip and a full steel shank that, while sacrificing a little comfort, provides for excellent support and grip in unstable conditions. My Review: The Salomon line is widely recognized as a top tier footwear supplier since 1947 purpose-built for serious hikers and the Speedcross 4 certainly helps to uphold this standard. Kenetrek is an Italian brand created by people who have spent their entire lives roaming the mountainous regions of Italy and that really shows here. Split-grain leather is just fancy terminology for a combination of leather and a second or perhaps even third material. They must not have sold many considering the web presence is almost non-existent. As a final note before we bust into some reviews, expect to spend some money. You will likely waste money on boots you end up not liking and thats just part of the process. Breathability is incredibly important as low levels of breathability will cause your feet to sweat significantly more, making the inside of your boot wet and rendering the waterproofing useless anyways! If youre not loading up a pack with everything you need to survive for a multi-day off the grid adventure, you likely wont need anything above this level. The heel has a plastic guard where you might put the toe of another foot when removing them. Synthetics such as nylon, nylon mesh, polyester, and synthetic leathers greatly reduce the cost to manufacture boots at the sacrifice of durability and water resistance. Fancy long range boots might have carbon-based additives that increase the hardness but thats really all you get to choose from. Built for the multi-day backpacking enthusiasts, boots developed for mid-range (2-5 day hikes) are typically created with a sacrificial middle ground in mind. Ahh, I finally realized a con that is worth mentioning. The leather surface I gave a thin application of mink oil on day one. My Review: A lot of us recognize Timberland for their fashionable boots more so than their rugged capabilities but make no mistake, Timberland has something to offer on both sides of the spectrum and has long been a favorite brand of mine. The soles have so much mold release that when wet and on any ice or even an epoxy shop floor I've taken two falls and come close to falling a few other times. Youll be spending lots of time together, you need to get to know your boots on an intimate level! So far, it seems that a leather liner in tandem with a mesh or nylon woven platform is the most cost effective and highest performing middle ground so far. I knew these were cheap when I bought them, but wondered how cheap they could be considering the source. You get one: Breathability or waterproof. Cheap boots are garbage boots and can quickly go from a good deal to a bad liability. Remember, buying the wrong boots doesnt give you any excuses on the trail as the trail doesnt care! First, the obvious pro is that a little splash here and there isnt going to ruin your trip. They have had one 3-mile hike in a foot of snow, weeks of work wear in and out of trucks, on ground in snow airing up tires , digging out a few cars, plus a few dozen yard and snow blower sessions to test them out. My Review: These full-grain leather boots are absolutely remarkable, but they are a bit pricey. Yeah, I know, theyre in the short range category, but I figured Id mention that just in case. Is it worth it? Breaking boots in simply means youre loosening up the leather and stitching and getting the sole to move about before taking it out and putting on some hard miles. All of these are going to be completely dependant on you and you alone. Dont be a sucker, go big and take off layers of socks as the trip progresses. These are just roomy enough for that. These are for our risk-taking adrenaline junkies willing to push the boundaries of both their physical and mental capabilities. Theyre sexy, theyre lightweight, theyre tough, and theyre reasonably priced. To me, the Vasque Talus boots offer one of the best in class middle grounds between comfort and rugged ability. Buying these gives you some wiggle room in what youll be prepared for and with an excellent level of build quality, these are guaranteed to take a beating and keep on going. Dual-density EVA midsoles make these some of the most comfortable mid range boots on the market today that are under $200. Before spending your hard earned cash, and believe me, to get a good set of hiking boots youll be spending some serious coin, you first need to decide whats most important to you and what you need the most. Through the process of trekking thousands of miles and developing hundreds of blisters, I learned most of the information Im going to share with you in this guide the hard way. There arent many full-size boots that can dry out in a day, but trail runners certainly excel in this category. Ive seen guys not be able to walk for literally days after hikes because their feet were so torn up. No matter how expensive they are, what cutting edge technology they embrace, how sick they look, or what features they contain, a bad fit is a bad boot. Please share your experience. They are expensive and they are a little heavy at 640 grams, but these were made to go the distance and handle whatever you throw at them. The outsole of your boot is what you see when you turn the boot over. A poor fit is a poor fit and will not become any better after breaking them in. This essentially means that the boot loosens up and starts to form fit your feet specifically. Ask a Marine or experienced hiker what their most vital piece of non-firearm related gear is and one answer that will come up often is boots. The rubber grips are also noticeably great on steep elevation while still being usable in your everyday life. Still, the same basic rules apply within hiking boots as they do in combat and tactical boots. This is a rather small feature thats been popping up more frequently lately. There are actually two versions. Polyurethane is primarily firm and provides a very nice stable platform for the foot to rest on. They look similar, but the materials used are different and the weight difference is very real. A gusseted tongue that doesnt move around but also doesnt squeeze the top of your foot is a huge plus. Leather, textile upperTextile liningEVA midsoleRubber outsole Waterproof membranes enable special technology such as Gore-Tex or eVent to repel water at great efficiency so watch out for boots equipped with these as they seem to offer the most water repellency. Most of these new systems are patented, so each brand will have something different. I dont want to have to tell you this, but I think its important to note. If you type breaking in boots on Google youll find a bunch of garbage about how you can freeze them and put them on, soak them and walk in them, etc to break them in faster. As a special little bonus, theyre giving away HDO Sport knit caps on Amazon with every purchase of a set of boots! Have you ever been to Italy? The owner of this website does not guarantee offers on this site, and all offers should be viewed as recommendations only. Pro tip #2: This is probably obvious, but just to make sure no one forgets, consider your orthotic mechanisms and/or aftermarket insoles if you have them as they will greatly change how the boot fits and what size you may need. Manufacturers have been testing combinations for a long time to find a good middle ground between durability, weight, and breathability. So, should you get boots that are waterproof or not? My Review: Oh boy, are these things light and breezy! Im just kidding, these are the most reviewed for a good reason. Take a hike with these men's waterproof Eddie Bauer Vashon ankle boots. Have your feet measured professionally and ensure youre buying the right size within the size. Hey, you get what you pay for though, and no doubt Danner produces value underneath that price tag. The quick lace system makes fine-tuning a breeze and these shoes fit better than pretty much anything Ive ever worn. Before setting off on anything intensive, I highly recommend you to wear your boots while theyre still clean inside your house for a day or two. Another con to waterproofing is a rather large one and is the reason why I have opted to purchase non-water proof boots the last five or so times Ive purchased new boots. Since I dont know much about crampons, you may be better off reading from a guide such as the one found here if you plan to do extreme mountaineering, snow-covered slope trekking, frozen waterfalls, or glacier trekking. Before we get started, its important to note the difference between waterproof and water resistant. These particular boots have won some interesting awards including the Best Backpacking Boots by Mens Health. My main piece of advice, though, when considering fit, is to go big or go home. I have had them for a month. These have been in just about every sporting goods store Ive ever visited and its no wonder why they have over 2000 reviews on Amazon. The foam insole was already crushed in heels in that time. No exceptions! These are built to last and carry you the furthest, but typically sacrifice weight and comfort to do so. No, Im not talking about how much you spend or how much you plan to trek, Im talking about buying a size that is slightly more than what you need. The three primary components well cover are the boot upper, boot midsole, and the boot outsole. Still, im not sure theyd be the best option for extreme distances and serious alpine treks, but they are more than suitable for what most people would find themselves in. As a matter of fact, Ive been seeing tons of people wear trail runners simply because they find them comfortable and the style more favorable than regular tennis shoes! These are excellent for long trips and heavy packs and will stand the test of time. It gets better, as these boots come equipped with the Virbram WrapThread outsoles, which are highly aggressive and offer incredible stability on unstable wash outs and low level alpine hiking. There are many brands in that price range which may be tougher. The most redeeming quality is they were comfortable until the insole heel area smashed and they are actually very waterproof up to the first lace hook. My Review: These are an utter and complete package for even the most rugged and daring hikers alive. For this article, though, waterproof will stand as a blanket term for products that have outstanding water resistance, just to keep things simple, just remember, there are no boots that are completely 100% waterproof forever. Not exactly what you think of when you hear hiking boots, trail runners would actually suffice for more than a lot of people think. The toe rand rubber or plastic is actually not too bad considering the use I gave them in such a short time. Theyre so good I dont even know where to start! First and probably the most obvious is the weight difference. Waterproof boots are as good as keeping water out as they are at keeping water in. New hikers often think they need a heavy duty boot when in reality they would be better served by a trail runner or mid-range trekker. Other fit related discussion points include arch support, heel-to-toe drop, and ankle support. They feel tough and perform fantastically, even in extreme terrain. They arent the lightest or the cheapest but I think theyre a great trade-off between weight, price, and functionality.