Hiking boot recommendations?

[steveocubed]

Quick question -- one of my close friends wants to go hiking in the Nevada desert as part of his bachelor party (yeah... haha luckily he also wants to do the whole Vegas thing too so it evens out). I'm not really a hiker and am also an East coast guy. I also don't own any boots and figured might as well go with Oakley since I trust them with my eyeballs pretty regularly.

Any recommendations for fairly affordable Oakley hiking boots that would serve well in Nevada terrain, not look too ugly when worn with other stuff, and is in a fairly affordable price range?

 

[SNAFU]

haven't tried the oakley boots, but there are a few others you can look into.

I've got Merrell's, Blackhawk, Lowa and a few others

The Blackhawks were good with little to no break in needed but I found them a little wide for me and I had them laced up almost as tight as possible. Pic from just after I got them

The Merrell's have been pretty good but needed a little bit of break in as they caused a bit of a hot spot on the outside of my heal but they're nice and light (didn't have a pic on hand of the merrel so here's a google image)

The Lowa's are my newest pair and I got them for uniform wear, only had them about 6 weeks so can't comment on durability yet but they've been really comfortable spending 10-12 hours a day in them. haven't needed much break in either. Lowa Zephyr

With all that said I don't think you'd have an issue with something like the SI Assault boot but i'd probably look at the 6"


Fit is going to be important so if you have to opportunity to try them on I would. Also make sure you break them in and spend a good amount of time walking in them BEFORE your trip so you can identify any potential issues etc before you're in the middle of nowhere. If you need to break them in there are plenty of suggestions/tutorials out there on different methods.

Good luck and have a blast on the trip

 

[Lexkempo]

Quick question -- one of my close friends wants to go hiking in the Nevada desert as part of his bachelor party (yeah... haha luckily he also wants to do the whole Vegas thing too so it evens out). I'm not really a hiker and am also an East coast guy. I also don't own any boots and figured might as well go with Oakley since I trust them with my eyeballs pretty regularly.

Any recommendations for fairly affordable Oakley hiking boots that would serve well in Nevada terrain, not look too ugly when worn with other stuff, and is in a fairly affordable price range?

I haven't heard anything really good about O boots... I'd look into companies dedicated to making boots...

Like @SNAFU said...

Bates
Original SWAT
Merrel
Haix

 

[steveocubed]

Do you guys have suggestions on the most comfortable boot? Haha I tend to have pretty delicate and annoying feet which is why I wear running shoes with that lunarlon cushioning in it. The LOWA'S look good. Thanks SNAFU for taking the time and giving me a quick rundown on the different options you own.

 

[Lexkempo]

Do you guys have suggestions on the most comfortable boot? Haha I tend to have pretty delicate and annoying feet which is why I wear running shoes with that lunarlon cushioning in it. The LOWA'S look good. Thanks SNAFU for taking the time and giving me a quick rundown on the different options you own.

You'd have to head to a shop and give your princess feet a test try... There are too many variables to consider!

 

[Carrera1963]

For fairly basic walking boots, I've been using variations on Berghaus Explorers since they first launched however many years ago. I have full-on Alpine boots for serious stuff, but any of the Explorers can cope with every pretty serious 3 season stuff - anything short of proper mountaineering really. Gore-tex lined too, but not too hot for summer.

 

[Ecko]

I wear Oakley boots daily for work. I am in them near 12 hours a day. I find then very comfortable to the point my feet do not hurt at the end of the day. I find they work best in dry areas more than wet as they are not waterproof. They do dry quickly after getting wet. I own 4 pairs of boots and wear them often.

 

[Rustpot]

I haven't been super impressed with the Oakley Assault boots. They're simple, comfortable, but not really as good as some of the $150 boots I've seen. I've had 2 pairs, one I wore out. I like them, but for a serious terrain boot I'd go with a purpose built like a Salomon, Keen, Columbia, or one of the many other boot companies out there.

 

[kronin323]

Also make sure you break them in and spend a good amount of time walking in them BEFORE your trip so you can identify any potential issues etc before you're in the middle of nowhere. If you need to break them in there are plenty of suggestions/tutorials out there on different methods.

+1 on the "breaking in" advice - going on a long hiking trip with brand new boots is a recipe for disaster...

And bring along some moleskin, something like this:

Amazon.com: Dr. Scholl's Moleskin Plus 24" x 4 5/8" Padding Roll, 1 Count: Health & Personal Care