unfortunately...its Lehighs full metatarsal safety boots 12 hours a day (while im on the clock) then my Red Wings in a dark cherry for my muddin.
had a great pair of Doc Martens years ago....was thinkin about another pair soon

Favorite boots? That is a great question. First, I believe in the right tool for the job, so it's tough to pick one 'overall' favorite (I have 10 pair in regular rotation). Second, fit is 75% of the criteria for me with the remaining 25% function. I place high value on toughness and waterproofing - the Cascade Range will really test your equipment. That said, I find Danner, Vasque, Asolo, and Lowa too narrow (yes, even the wide versions). I love Scarpa (no doubt they're some of the highest quality around), but I can't wait 2 years to break something in. Merrell construction doesn't cut it for me; I shred them in one outing, I don't like the plastic elements of the uppers, and I'm certain they don't know how to sew their GoreTex in a way to make it waterproof.

After that preamble, I love my Sorels for cold weather. I love my Browning featherweight kangaroo 10" upland hunters (not for sale in Calif). I love my Raichle Mt. Trail backpacking boots.

Though they're long gone (and aren't made any longer), my favorite boots of all time were the Montrail (formerly OneSport) Moraine heavy backpacking/light mountaineering boots. They took me hundreds of miles through the Sierra Nevada, to the top of Mount Shasta, and on my first scrambles in the North Cascades. Sad day indeed when I retired them.

I like mine. The only downside to them is they’re heavy. You don’t want to wear them if you’ll be walking a long way. But it’s good exercise if you do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I have high blood pressure, and my hands, feet, and ears get cold easily. They’re the only boots I’ve tried that kept my feet warm no matter how cold it got. Actually, I’m wearing them in my “First snow of the season” pics. You can see part of them in the self pics.

Besides those, I have some standard leather US army boots, some (I believe they’re) air force boots (they have a zig-zag pattern on the sole), and some black Gore-Tex Belleville military boots. None of them fit me properly, and they hurt my feet when walking a long distance. I usually wear my New Balance shoes or my Dunham shoes because they’re more comfortable when walking several miles.

I have a pair of the original Vasque Sundowners that I've had for about 15 years now. They're on their 6th pair of soles.

Tony Lama for daily wear.
Rocky Buckstalkers for hunting (knee high rubber with 1000 gram Thinsulate, so warm - I hate having cold feet)
I have some Altama Jungle boots for knocking around.

Neat thread.

I have a pair of black 8 eyelet Doc Martins for summer on the Motorbike but the new ones are crap and made in Vietnam or china. If you can find the made in UK ones great if not I would look elsewhere.

90% of the time in winter or light use I wear a pair of Merrel Summits. They are nice and are solid leather for the uppers but really they are half way between
high tops and real boots.

For serious winter use I have a pair of canadian issue muklucks and alpaca socks.
The Muklucs have great wool liners and are water proof but are not that comfy for walking in. They are just not stiff enough. They are the perfect snowmobile boots though.



When I worked at an army surplus store I had to dig through boxcars full of old boots and match pairs etc. If a canadian soldier turned it in for a new pair I saw it. I scooped a couple nic3 pairs including the goretex Canadian issue boots that are the same as the Matterhorns but get really slippery when wet and a couple nice pairs of desert boots etc. The best pair though were a really nice brand new pair of normal Canadian combats that had been resoled very professionally with a nice pair of Vibram soles. Why someone turned these in I have no idea.

Besides boots you need good insoles and socks. If you can't afford alpaca I would recommend merino wool.

And here I thought Cardinal fans weren't allowed to have Tony Lama boots.

Gotta have the pointy ones for keeping Cubs fans in line. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I picked up a beautiful pair of Macgregor 60wool40nyon socks for 4$. The were made for the canuk military but were slightly imperfect although I can't find anything wrong with them. Usually socks this good are about 20$. They are also nice and high for big boots.