If they could measure a foot down to a mm and soften the joints in the exact place a particular foot likes to move then OK. If you want a custom to your foot boot that you can risk your life on a cliff then a boot that shrinks, stretches and flexes just like your foot then broken in leather. Same with our rigs. Why not buy a stock Jeep or Yota and call it good? Even they Boy Scout manual tells you to ware your boots in the stream to break them in. Synthetic boots are great for a web hiker or once a month walks but if you want to hustle down a wet loose grade with a pack on or winch cable in your hand then the best is worth the effort to break in. Synthetic boots just don't hold your footing when dancing on loose rocks like leather does. Walking around camp is one thing but the thread was about hiking. For that a leather boot is king. They are for the guy that needs lockers ,mud tires vs AT's and a winch. If that's not you than buy a synthetic high top sneaker and call it a hiking boot. That's what most do but most never really hike. It's bad azz when your legs feet and boots feel like little tractors under you! I love it. So does my doggie.Why not just buy a pair that fit right to start with and forgo all that walking in wet boots and cutting the footbed out.
If they could measure a foot down to a mm and soften the joints in the exact place a particular foot likes to move then OK. If you want a custom to your foot boot that you can risk your life on a cliff then a boot that shrinks, stretches and flexes just like your foot then broken in leather. Same with our rigs. Why not buy a stock Jeep or Yota and call it good? Even they Boy Scout manual tells you to ware your boots in the stream to break them in. Synthetic boots are great for a web hiker or once a month walks but if you want to hustle down a wet loose grade with a pack on or winch cable in your hand then the best is worth the effort to break in. Synthetic boots just don't hold your footing when dancing on loose rocks like leather does. Walking around camp is one thing but the thread was about hiking. For that a leather boot is king. They are for the guy that needs lockers ,mud tires vs AT's and a winch. If that's not you than buy a synthetic high top sneaker and call it a hiking boot. That's what most do but most never really hike. It's bad azz when your legs feet and boots feel like little tractors under you! I love it. So does my doggie.
Buy them a little tight and wear them on easy walks for a week. Next go hike in a wet creek fully submerging your nice new expensive boots and hike while wet. You will need real wool socks. I cut the footbed out of the toe because due to mostly bare foot walking my toes are used to doing extra work. Since I buy them tight a little toe room helps either way.
Pick a flavor but pick leather. They shrink, expand and soften in flex points exactly the way your individual feet are shaped and how they flex. These boots are literally like a well oiled machine on the bottom of my body.
Zamberlands have the same wool lining under the footbed as the sides. It's like a built in sock and has no seems to poke you. I only recently added the heel portion back in when I got a new dog that likes to run. The constant use of shoes ruins our feet and the arch suport makes it worse. It's like wearing knee braces when you don't need them. Your foot needs to move and bounce if you want great traction. That's why hard core rock climber shoes are so squishy soft. They need their feet and not just a sticky shoe. I like my arch and toes to work as well so I generally ditch the whole footbed once they are broken in. I can weight any part of the sole that way and not just hope the sole sticks. All the terain here is loose rocks and it helps. What helps the most is going bare foot 24/7 at home unless I'm welding or weed whacking. Probably why I hate footbeds. It's a stupid crutch they we are all addicted too.Custom boot makers will tell you to steer clear of soaking your boots and walking them dry to break in. Especially leather lined, the lining can shrink, stretch pr pull loose from the boot. And if you have to cut sections of the footbed out, youre not buying the right size.
I disagree entirely. If anything, many of the newer synthetic boots with multiple types of composite structures are far more durable than leather boots. Many alpineering and climbing boots use minimal exposed leather as it's the most delicate material in the boot. I can think of half a dozen brands that make predominantly synthetic models which are incredibly durable and supportive.Synthetic boots are great for a web hiker or once a month walks but if you want to hustle down a wet loose grade with a pack on or winch cable in your hand then the best is worth the effort to break in. Synthetic boots just don't hold your footing when dancing on loose rocks like leather does. .
I was talking about the boots that are little more then high top sneakers like Merrill and such. You are referring to mountaineering boots. I'm not sure they are in the class of a hiking boot. Some even have a hinge so they can flex. That's a lot of boot but if you were climbing a frozen mt with a very heavy pack then yes they are a step up from leather. Rei has a cheap pair. Some are well over a grand. https://www.rei.com/product/733952/...143162387560&gclid=CKu1qZfO_NICFUlNfgodf8sLrAI disagree entirely. If anything, many of the newer synthetic boots with multiple types of composite structures are far more durable than leather boots. Many alpineering and climbing boots use minimal exposed leather as it's the most delicate material in the boot. I can think of half a dozen brands that make predominantly synthetic models which are incredibly durable and supportive.
I was talking about the boots that are little more then high top sneakers like Merrill and such. You are referring to mountaineering boots. I'm not sure they are in the class of a hiking boot. Some even have a hinge so they can flex. That's a lot of boot but if you were climbing a frozen mt with a very heavy pack then yes they are a step up from leather. Rei has a cheap pair. Some are well over a grand. https://www.rei.com/product/733952/...143162387560&gclid=CKu1qZfO_NICFUlNfgodf8sLrA
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If you look at this page of what are refered to as hiking boots you get a split with a slight nod towards a majority high end leather boots. I've got synthetic Vasque on my feet now. They were awesome when new but they loose somthing very fast. The leather just gets better and better. You are sad when they are worn out because they mold to your foot.
https://www.rei.com/c/mens-hiking-footwear?r=c&origin=web&ir=category:mens-hiking-footwear&page=1
I just wish the stores actually carried all of them to try on.
Not necessarily. People want light boots without sacrifice and as glorious as Mr. Cow's skin is, modern textiles and materials can often provide a more durable, supportive, and comfortable boot and that runs the gamut from ultra-light trail runner to full blown summit boot, and everything in between.I was talking about the boots that are little more then high top sneakers like Merrill and such. You are referring to mountaineering boots. .