Posted: 5/28/2008 6:01:40 PM EDT
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I need a super-light weight pair of 8" summer boots with speed laces, water proof is good but not necessary, I am tough on shoes and boots so don't want to spend lots of bucks on them, I am in the south so it gets hot here and if SHTF I will have a pretty good hike to get home. Recommendations from the hive is appreciated. |
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I don't know about super lightweight boots..... I do know i love these so much i have 5 pairs a couple pairs are insulated versions. They required zero break in and are just great...... link |
Wrong idea. if you're tough on boots you want to buy the best you can. Yeah, you'll wear through 'em but they'll last longer (and your feet will be happier) in quality boots. Particularly for SHTF, you don't want your sole (hah!) mode of transportation to be some cheap-ass boot thats going to come part when the zombies show up. |
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I agree if you are tough on shoes you need to spend the money for a tougher boot. A 8 inch with waterproofing isn't going to be cool on your feet in the summer time either. Your asking a bit much I think. Us Cav has lots of good boots for clearance right now, but the Columbia's which are more hiking boots than military are priced really cheap right now and aren't that bad a shoe. Columbia US Cav Botach has some real nice prices on boots though, Footwear clearance If your buying them for shtf too, than definitely get a high quality boot and spend the money. Like these, Matterhorn 7000's for $89.95 |
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Well about the best low cost boots are the old standard, Military boots. Bates are pretty darn inexpensive but a decent comfortable boot. I used MIL boots for decades but now use hiking boots mostly, two brands. I like Merrell and Danner. The Danners are built like tanks but have a break in period while the Merrells tend to be great right out of the box. Both have the features I like such as fast on and off (fast lace but secure) and can be bought ventilated or Gortex waterproof. I find the Merrels more comfortable. Danner tends to use better lace features like swivel metal eyes and both depending on the boot have the lower corner lace latch. I like this feature. It allows you to pull the strings tight, latch them down, then do a fast cross over into the bigger "U" shape metal eyes. Its very fast and you get a tight lace. I don't think I could go back to lace them hole to hole all the way up again. It just takes too damn long and when you do a lot of outdoor stuff, you are taking and putting your boots on a lot. I like these things so much, I wear them even for business now. Wouldn't have dreamed of that years back but they are much more accepted now in the manufacturing world. An interesting hybrid I bought was Nike Hikers which is a cross tennis shoe and real hiking boot. They are a light upper but thick sole with pretty decent ankle support. Problem with those is finding them in anything but yuppie psychedelic colors. Mine are all brown and haven't seen any like them since. Still, they are light as hell but still have enough sole to be comfortable on concrete all day and ankle support. Another brand, I may try is Vasquez. They seem to be built very well and get good reviews. Tj |
You my friend are a dangerous person.  A person who likes boots could go broke with those links. There's some heck of deals in that second link like the Mattahorn 4010 Kahki Gortex lined for $80. Tj |
I wore mil boots for years but they just don't cut it for me any longer and like you I have gotten use to speed laces so regular eyelet boots are not an option. The problem I have had ordering boots is they vary in size so much I don't know what size to order. At my age I need comfort, the old knees and back ain't what they use to be. Thanks for the links and help guys. |
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I have a pair of Coyote Brown Blackhawk Warrior Wear Boots. Very comfortable. Seem well made (I've only had them a few months). My Bro-in-law (Army E7, been to Iraq, etc) said that they were 10,000% nicer than his issue boots. I tod him if he gets redeployed I would by him a pair. LINK I would recommend them. However, if you want the best deal imaginable, Botach has the Altama 4950 USMC Combat Boot on sale for $20. They are normally $130. Hope you are a size 8, 9, or 10! LINK |
Yep, that person could go broke, but they are some really great prices and atleast that persons feet would never be bootless. 
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Im with you have two pairs of Danner. Wont buy anything but Danner. |
Merrell's seem to run a half size small for me, so keep that in mind if you order them online. Vasque seem right on the money size wise. I've had a few pairs of each. |
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I have a pair of the danner mountain lite II boots and they are not cheap and they thump the floor pretty well so I don't consider them that light. They are impressing me enough that I am about to the point where I will buy a 2nd identical pair, the 2nd pair will be bought off the net at the cheapest price I can find. I bought the first pair from a store that had different sizes in stock so I could play around for an hour and see what fit and what did not. My feet used to fit redwings but with redwings sizes I now somewhat am straddling sizes a bit and just can't get very comfortable with them. The game of messing around with redwings and going from having 2 pair fit very well and wear out to my 3rd pair not fitting well and being annoying taught me to buy in person for the first pair. With merrel stuff I don't always need their wide size, with danner I need the wide size and to some extent their different boots seem to be sized differently if messing with their cheap stuff and then jumping to their expensive stuff. As much as I want to head back into the really lightweight hiking boots I just prefer a more solid setup. The mountain lite II boots are low cut, 6 inches I think but I forget. They are a simple design without a lot of extra stitching and I am spoiled by the ease of getting in and out of them so I am pretty well set on just getting another pair of them in a month or so and alternating between the 2 pairs until the soles wear out and I need to send them to get new soles. |
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My Danners didn't work out so well for me, but I love my Bellevilles. I wear 790's pretty much all the time. They are uninsulated but Gore-Tex lined and are reasonably lightweight. They also make lighter boots (390's?) that are not Gore-Tex lined. They are the most comfortable boots I have ever worn and they are pretty much all I wear besides my duty boots (Matterhorn ICB's which are also very good boots). -K |
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I have a pair of Belleville 790ST. Most comfortable boot I've ever worn. Steel toe because I work in them. They're water-proof, But I don't think 'summer boot' and 'water-proof' are synonomous. I could be wrong........... Here's a link.....www.bellevilleshoe.com/stylesall.php?categ=1 You may get them a little cheaper somewhere other than belleville's web-site. a-bare |
| The SWAT desert tan boots lasted me about a year in Afghanistan. I only got rid of them because I was leaving and didn't want ship them. They are relatively light and cool. They cost some where around $60-70. In my opinion, since I'm tough on boots and sometimes work with grease/oil they are nice. If they get trashed, I just throw them out and buy another pair. |
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I know Mil boots were suggested but I would go with Jungle boots, they are NOT watterproof, they are made to drain and dry out. After a very short period they feel like nice slippers and they last pretty well. They have the cloth sides to breath to help keep your feet cool and if you lace them tight they will do the job you are asking. They are also priced fairly cheap as boots go. |
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Yeah, I prefer fully breathable boots for summer wear also. I am on the bench as far as Bates goes.... I had a pair fall apart on me pretty quick. Nice and comfy, they just fell apart way too quick. Unfortunatly I liked them so much I bought a waterproof pair for winter wear and I will have to see how those hold up. Merrill makes some great "sneaker boot" type footwear. I dont know what Vasque is making now for boots.... but back in the day they made premier heavy duty hiking boots! |
I got to agree with you on the Jungles. There are lots of nice modern boots out there, but I just don't see a reason to buy more myself since I've still got so many high quality service boots that are still in very good condition even though some have been resoled, but very good condition just the same and my black jungle boots are one of them. Waterproofing is nice but I've always found having walked through lots of swamp area, rivers and streams that once the water is above the calf level which it always seems to be the water proofing means bunk and all it does later is keep the water in where the Jungles drain it and dry out much faster. There pretty damn comfortable too. I have bought a bunch of light hikers over the years still and have a pair of the Cocoran tactical boots that Botach is selling for $59, but the Jungles are actually one of the best all around boots for hot weather and sometimes wet circumstances. By the way, I don't recommend the Corcoran's with their nylon lacing system. these: Corcoran tact boots Mine did come apart at a loop already and I had to sew it back up. They are really comfortable though and light as hell. Basically same as wearing GSG9's. Which Botach does have some of and on sale too. Addidas GSG9's |
Hold up to what's a good question. The Columbia's will hold up to certain use, but there not a military use boot and most boots and shoes don't take the same amount of abuse as a true designed military boot. Lowa's always made a nice boot and I'd buy a pair of these in hightop myself if they lower the price even more to a better deal. Lowa GTX suede's |
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I know it's not 8", but I have these and wear them 5-6 days a week. I have had them for over 2 years now and they still have lots of tread. The only thing on them that is worn is the laces, but they are the originals and still work. link |
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I have been running the Garmont XCR Flash (I think??). Great boot. Maybe a little shorter than what you are looking for. They are goretex. I started using them as a soft backpacking boot for when my mountaineering boots were a bit much. I ended up using them as an everyday they were so cofortable. I live in WA. That alone gives me the ability to judge how waterproof they are- they are defintely waterproof. I am moving to AZ soon and am looking at the Garmont T6- it has a similar lacing system to the XCR Flash, but is more hot weather designed. On another note- when it comes to military boot vs. hiking style boot- there is a reason why mil boots are converging with out type boots. The comfort is rediculously more in a commercial hiking boot. You see the same thing with other military gear as well- take the Marine Corps pack made by Arcteryx. I like the new stuff- better all around. Embrace it. (Note: this endorsement is from a guy that wears combat boots everyday) |
I have a great pair of brown smooth leather Nikes, wish I could find new ones like them as they were great for everyday/casual wear. I agree with you on the Danner break in. I got a pair of 452s to try out, thinking that they would be ready to go... I think I'm still breaking them in like a month later. I really liked their stitchdown heavier boots so I thought I would give these a try. Another boot to try would be Asolo... most comfortable boots I ever owned. Had a couple of premature failures though, thats why I just went with Danner... the Asolo FSN 95 seems to be pretty popular with the .mil go-fast types though so apparently they hold up better than my older ones. |
If I remember right, when I bought my pronghorns there was an uninsulated version, not sure if they were pronghorns or something else but they looked the same. The pronghorns are to hot for summer wear. |
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I bought the Danner TFX 8" rough-out leather boots. They have a Goretex model, and a non-Goretex model of this boot....I bought the non-GTX model because I hate how hot GTX boots are. These Danners are pretty lightweight for an 8" boot, and required almost no break-in period for me. They seem to breath ok, at least better than GTX boots - I also have the Danner 453's, which while virtually bomb-proof, are hot as hell because of the GTX. In another forum, someone posted that he compared any boot with GTX to wearing plastic baggies on your feet....they may be waterproof (until water comes over the top of the boot!), but my feet sweat like wearing baggies in GTX boots. I learned that the hard way 21 years ago when in the Army, when my Danner Ft Lewis boots got wet from the water draining from my rain-soaked pants into my boots....the boots never dried out during the rest of that week out in the field. I also swear by my non-GTX Merrells. I have a pair of the Chameleon Stretch shoes, which weigh nothing, and you can actually feel the breeze through the mesh panels. For light hiking and extensive general walking, these are outstanding. I also got a pair of the Chameleon mid, in non-GTX...same deal as the others. I ordered these from an outdoor sporting goods store (Sportsman's Warehouse) here in San Antonio, TX, since they said they could get me the non-GTX models....all I saw on Merrell's website were GTX models of this boot. If only I could find someplace that has my size in the old school original-issue green jungle boots (and that won't charge an arm and leg!). My last pair finally gave up the ghost about 3 years ago (I wore those when I was in, but I ETS'd 14 years ago!). I've followed links to several mil surplus stores selling original green jungle boots, but they are all out of my size.... |
+1 on Rocky boots. I have a pair and they are really nice and USA made. |
I have had bad luck with Rockies, but they do cover failed materials nicely so I give them a big thumbs up for customer service. |
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Here is what I learned from buying boots. 1. You dont want a waterproof boot in Texas heat. Get a boot that dries out fast when it gets wet or your feet will suffocate and you will get too hot. 2. Danners are WAY narrow. I now have a pair of Danner Ft Lewis in size 12M that I just cant wear becasue they are WAY too narrow. 3. In Texas you dont need insulated boots even in the winter. You do need water proof boots. |
I have to agree with DevL. Having been in a vast array of climates and spent quite a bit in TX. The only time I have thought I needed Gore-tex is in WA state. As summer comes up, I would say that a hot weather boot would be better in the summer here. I have never felt the need for insulation-ever. Even at 10,000 feet and in snow. Gaiters and good socks will do wonders. I still use a green wool sock as my base sock. Poly-pro liners as needed. |
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I got a pair of Altama Black Jungle for $29.95 from Botach. Botach as a company sucks and thy still owe me $99 for a flashlight order I made with them over two moths ago. But Altama and Danner are great boots if you have the money get some Danners I think they are the best boot you can buy!! |
The leather in these boots are 2.0-2.2mm thick and are USA made. You can get thicker leather 2.2-2.4mm made in boots made in the PRC. Campmor has these boots the cheapest at $220+s&h, every else it is $240. |
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My initial thought for the OP's description of the boot needed was an Altama jungle boot. Cheap, speed laces, super light weight, comfortable for MILES, choice of soles, durable, dry out quickly. I've worn everything under the sun, including: Danner, Thorogood, Bates, Belleville, Red Wing, Vasque, Altama, USGI, etc. My uses have included military, police work, fire/ems, hiking, backpacking, outdoor work. Danner, Vasque, and Altama are my top choices. |
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If you have not tried them before try on a pair of Merrell boots. Way more comfortable than military style boots. www.merrell.com/Gallery/NZ/Mens-Active-Footwear/Hiking.aspx |
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I picked up a pair of rocky's 2 months ago,,and LOVE EM cannot tell you which flavor, just 8" LEATHER AND FABRIC BOOT I have diabetic neuropathy and find them very comfortable..normally I am good for about 4 hours in other boots or shoes,,these I can wear for 10 hours and more at times with out major discomfort..picked them up on evil bay for under 40 bucks shipped. |
Damn it!!! This frickin boot thread got me looking at all the boots and the clearance prices at Botach again and made me buy a pair of the Beretta boots for $29.95 and I don't need em,...I just wanted em. Yes, I own and like Beretta's so I wanted the boots as I liked them.  It is a good price, but I was fighting the urge till now.Beretta 8 inch Watch boots |