Can you do a video on shoes for obese folks suffering from plantar fasciitis? It’s hard to be active when walking down your driveway and back (I have a long driveway, about a few hundred feet, but still) leaves your feet screaming in pain 😣 I’m doing better now, but I still have to be VERY careful sometimes.
We have different ideas of what a traditional hiking boot is. To me the Lineman is a logging/work boot, not something designed for hiking/backpacking. For traditional hiking/backpacking I think the Danner Mountain Light from a few months ago would have been better of what has been cut in half. If you are looking for the top of the line, look at Limmer.
@@adventuretarian8191 I have a pair of Vasque Sundowners that need to get resoled. Once they are beyond rebuilding a trip up to North Conway is definitely in the cards.
Would be interested in more hiking boot vids. Merrell, Columbia, Vasque, Adidas, Danner, Hoka, Keen, ECT, ECT. Comparisons between brands, or between a single brands leather traditional hiker and their new tech heavy synthetic counterparts. Keep up the good work.
@@stefanoberli5920 Agreed! I think one of the most interesting things happening in footwear right now is the split between heritage/long lasting, handmade footwear and more disposable single use, but lighter and cheaper footwear. It would be interesting to see a breakdown of the cost/wears and the effect each one has on the market, economy, things like that. A real big contrast between the two philosophies in modern footwear.
@@stefanoberli5920 Also would love to see Lundhags. Probably very rare to see outside of Sweden, but they're made to last decades and they often do. They like to use very thick full grain leather as well.
@@user-il9ze9py8cyou literally cannot go backpacking or bushwhack with the nicks shown in this video. Not a chance in hell. Obviously rose anvil has never gone backpacking or even hiking for more than a few miles, let alone bush whacking .
@@alex_ottomano it sounds like you're never met a serious hiking sandal acolyte. They are crazy, and to be fair after a while they are wearing thick leather on their feet- thick living human leather.
@@zackstewart4109 haha I mean similar to the hardcore barefoot shoe people I'd imagine. I like to run very rocky, jagged, steep trails so I'm staying far away from sandals and go for grip and stability. All the power to them though!
Those are not lineman's boots. More of a forestry/ firefighter boot, although I don't believe the collaboration boots are NFPA rated. I am a utility forester, and we put more miles on these kinds of boots in the worst imaginable terrain than most hikers ever see. The comfort of these types of boots would shock you. All they give up to a boot like the Keen is weight and shock. When you hike every day, the weight loses significance. Cushion is no issue in the woods. Cushion in districts where we follow lines from woodlands or prairie into town are a different matter though. Our employers require an NFPA boot. Wearing a pair of Hotshots on pavement all day can hurt. Keens are a great shoe if your terrain and load will be moderate. I used to sell shoes, and they were a real problem solver for customers who were leaving for hiking trips in the next few days. There is no break-in. They provide adequate support for casual hikers. The only real issue I have with Keens, Merril, et al, is durability. The upper and outsole will outlive the EVA midsole. The cushion is gone before the rest of the shoe wears out. For lots of folks, it doesn't matter. The demands placed on the shoe are minimal. For someone who works and plays in wild places a lot, the cost of a stitchdown boot is spread over years and may be less costly than a synthetic boot in the long run. It is important to note that there are lighter and lower options available. You can usually get a custom height, softer leather, and choice of outsole from companies like Nick's Once you wear boots like these, it is very hard to part with $170.00 for a boot that will fail in a year or less, presuming that you are very active. Just my two bits from the trenches. Cheers!
I wrote a comment some videos ago which got a lot of likes, that hiking boots comparison would be awesome. I would love to see Keen vs Meindl vs Zamberlan vs Stelvio vs Scarpa, etc, etc...
I think the two biggest cons about a leather boot is weight and waterproofing. 3mm thick leather and a big giant slab of veg tan underfoot is not going to dry for several days, whereas a fast and light hiking boot can get wet and dry much easier.
@@emty9668 but those are purpose-built hiking boots. Big difference between those and these workboots from the video that have a huge thick heap of leather underfoot that does take forever and ever to dry out.
@@_bats_That’s why you buy yourself a Peet Shoe Dryer. Almost 20 years ago I worked a winter as a skilift mechanic, pulling up to 17 hour days and having a few beers in the lodge after work. The Peet had my Sorels dry and warm every morning.
I mean......not to rain on your parade but its 2023 and pretty much most decent sneakers run around $100 - $150 these days on average. Everything is over priced, no exceptions
What of the design team? The logistics surrounding export from said country? Marketing? Materials? Research and development of said materials? There’s so many things aside from labor that factor into cost, that being said as with any big company, there are overpaid CEOs and senior staff as well as shareholders that establish price and increase cost
I work in a hospital, middle upper level mgmt always makes most of the profit from the actual employees that perform the care/task. Ethics are are cheaper to deal with some good shell game advertisements and brochures essentially marketing. Business models ? JK boots ❤ I like not the typical business model. Totally upfront on a consistent higher level.
IMO, neither of these are hiking boots. The Keens are light, high-top trail runners. They are meant to be comfortable, but disposable - like 500 miles or so. The Nick's are work boots. They offer great support and durability for long days working in harsh conditions. But are not ideal for moving long distances, just too heavy and not breathable.
My circa 2009 Keens finally gave out last summer! Best pair of general walking/hiking/work shoes I've ever had. Been on the lookout for another pair similarly styled without the WP treatment since that's too hot for my feet, but either way Keen is a great company and so glad they were in to helping you with this video!
These two are near the extreme ends of hiking boots. Tough and leather vs. light and cushy. Somewhere in between is where I head for. But as was said, where, when and weather determine the best hiking boot. No two places or seasons are the same.
These are really light duty hiking boots. It would be great to se some medium to heavy duty ones. Some of them are made of leather and have good Vibram soles so I think they would take away even more advantages from the traditional hiking boots.
I love my PNW boots and on mixed terrain, they can be great for walking all day. For walking all day on paved/hard surfaces, the lack of shock absorption really starts to make itself known. However, for actual offroad hiking, they're really not ideal. I've been up and down a fair number of mountains in my White's and the cons are pretty serious: the weight really, really gets to you after a lot of miles, the lack of shock absorption is hell on your knees on downhills, and the ridiculously thick leather underfoot takes forever to dry. I wore a pair of White's Bounty Hunters through a bunch of bogs and crap in heavy rain and they took nearly a week to completely dry out. For light day hikes, boots like the Keens are fine. But when I do serious hiking, I have a pair of ripple-soled Italian Fracap hikers that are my go-to. They weigh probably a quarter of what my White's do but are wholecut leather with a fully gusseted tongue so do well in wet conditions, and the foam wedge between my heel and the outsole gives them great shock absorption. I'm sure more hiking and less fashion-oriented boots with similar patterns by other makers are even better. tl;dr even if you want traditional, get hiking boots, not work boots.
One of the biggest problems with the traditional boots is how long leather takes to dry out. If it pours one day and your boots get soaked it'll suck the next day to walk in wet boots and wet socks, and you can really easily get athlete's foot. The hard outsole isn't ideal too, especially on steep slopes where they'll slip a ton. I spent 3 weeks on the catamount trail in a pair of Red Wings and I wouldn't do it again.
I used to wear "performance" synthetic hiking boots and then changed to leather for the durability for off trail stuff. The upgrade in comfort was next level. When leather breaks in it fits the foot so well. I've also started walking barefoot a lot too and the "shock" of hitting the ground just seems to be because people heel strike way too much when they walk. So I call bullshit on "comfort vs leather".
My Lowa Camino GTX are so comfortable on my feet - more comfortable than any hiking shoe or trail runner I’ve tried - that the weight compared to trail runners doesn’t matter. It’s a lot like my 4+lb Osprey pack vs a
It's the expert English Language purists whose feathers ruffle when they listen to made up words like funner ( more fun than fun ) or y'all, kinda, lika, sorta n'stuff, fortunately we don't have to pay attention to them.
@@justsomeguy5470 you're studying English, aren't you ? Well there ain't no point in you studying the language if you ain't gonna have an ample vocabulary, btw, ain't is the contraction of are not.
I've worked at several outdoor stores selling hiking boots of aal types, but have never seen any boot close to the nicks leather boot being sols as a hiking shoe. The type B mountain boots come closest, but are still much more modern in terms of contruction and materials. Another thing to consider about a super soft foamy shoe is weight. It is comfortable because it molds to your foor and steps, but for the same reason the foam will collapse under your foot if you're a heavy person, and/or are carrying a heavy pack. Your feet are not used to carrying and stabalizing the extra weight of a backpack, so a soft shoe will make a twisted ankle and tired feet more likely. That why lots of foam is popular in trailrunners and sturdier heavier materials are better for mountain trekking.
It's been about 10 years that I use a pair of hiking sandals for hiking. I find that these are the most comfortable shoes for long walks, even with a backpack. I've walked hundreds of km in sandals on all sorts of terrains, including mountain. The pros are: - the most breathable shoes - don't smell - the feet never get hot or tired even after 5 straight hours of walk - they don't need to be waterproof, as the feet dry up pretty quickly. In fact I don't remove them when crossing streams, I simply go through the streams and enjoy the refreshing water. - zero maintenance - inexpensive and small footprint in the luggage The cons: - don't maintain the ankles, so if you have fragile ankles, wear boots instead - not suitable for very cold regions or temperatures approaching 0°C - sometimes, a stone can get under your foot, but it's easy to remove Make sure you choose hiking shoes that are 3/4 inch longer than your toes, protecting them.
I was hiking at the weekend wore my jimmy greens razorback with an upgraded insole and they were fantastic no sweaty feet or wet feet great boots for hiking
But You are not comparing hiking boot to hiking boot. Leather hiking boot is made from one peace of leather, no stitches, more waterproof than any plastic membrane, it also has soft midsole, but the boot is rigid to support the foot on rugged terrain. Hiking sneakers are only for well established trails.
I got my first pair of Keen boots about a year ago. I'm never going to buy a different brand again. I even just ordered a pair of sandles for at home. Love'em.
I would love to see some of what could be considered more specialty hiking brands boots that may include leather. These could be from Salewa, La Sportiva, or Scarpa. There's a lot of brands that are really well made but not seen as often in the general stores.
Yay hiking shoe vids! The scary thing is I think you were light on the break-in for leather boots. It takes 200hours to get them softened up, but it takes months of daily wear to get that custom glove fit on full leather workboots.
Ive owned 6-8 pair of Keens in the last 10 years. About half have been casual sandals/hikers i typically wear on vacation (one was actually made in the USA), the others have been work boots/shoes I've worn at my warehouse job, on my feet for 8+ hours a day, typically get 2-3 years out of a pair, previously wore Timberlands at my job, but quality went downhill.
Right lol I get that it’s a sponsored video but why put “best hiking boot” in a video when you’ll literally never see anyone who spends time on trail using them 😂 just cut a pair of Solomon’s in half
Most Hiking and Mountaineering boots are hybrids. Many have thick, full grain leather (Scarpa SL1 = 2.8mm thick) but have foam midsoles (usually PU foam) and aggressive outsoles. The midsole and outsole are normally combined into a single unit but these can usually still be re-soled. That means you gain cushioning and support with less weight than traditional boots but still get the benefits of a thick leather upper. Unfortunately most use Goretex as marketing makes this desirable. I don't really know of any "outdoor activity " brands that make an all traditional boot any more. I'll add that these boots are often used for mountaineering off trail and over very rough ground and with crampons in snow and ice.
@@1maico1 Yes and so do Meindl, Zamberlan and Scarpa . Unfortunately there are fewer models available and in the UK often the importers don't bother with them. Yu seem to have a better choice in Europe ( from viewing the big German internet sites).
I bought a pair of Ridgemont heritage boots. I didn't have super high expectations. On sale on preorder(l (they do the pre order sales every so often) they were like $90. These have exceed expectations. Going on 2 years of semi regular wear and they are just starting to come apart. For a "disposable" hiking boot they are woth a look.
I used to hike with my dad doing the GR Long Distance Footpaths (Europe) and both my dad and me never would go for synthetic materials; we always prefer full leather boots. Yes, it takes a while to break them in but then they're super comfortable, durable and safe (when you come across big stones and rocks you want some protection). However, these Keens seem fine for people doing few hour long walks.
Purchased keen hiking boots last September $185, 3 months later the side split, pro bass gave me another, 4 months later leaking , pro bass said, no way, had to file warranty claim with keen, im getting tired. Keen gave me credit to spend in keen store online, added $35 to purchase $200 hiking boots made in US, warranty 3o days. Yes keen makes many different styles, YOU CAN KEEP THEM.
The holes in the sole that expose the foam on the bottom is an immediate no go for me. I learned long ago that hiking in the woods of the PNW will have small twigs poking through in to the bottoms of my feet in no time.
I have two pairs of Lowas hiking boots - one taller and brown and the other black and not as tall. I also have a pair of Lowa sneakers which are waterproof (I was told that all Lowas are waterproof), the sneakers can get a little hotter as they are not as breathable.
A key factor for me is how well do they keep your toes from being mashed on mountain downhills? With my Nick's, built to my fit, Ridgeline hiking boots I haven't experienced mashed toes yet... the boot's arch and sturdy vamp hold my foot in place in the boot. This compared to "modern" hiking boots that left me all but crippled from my toes being mashed.
Unrelated request: I’ve seen a lot of Brunt marketing on social media lately and they’ve really taken aim at Thorogood and Redwing in their ads. Could we get a revisit or a wider look at Brunt in the context of their ads? I recently rewatched your tear down on the mic toe and my main takeaway was that they were mediocre but not terrible at the price point but for 50-60 more the Thorogood was a better option and at the Brunt price point a Rock Rooster or Carolina was a good option. Is that still true? Has Brunt improved is their marketing BS?
Something that should be noted. With mass produced shoes, you'll have massive problems when you have special feet, if their a super wide, narrow, big instep and so on. Next to impossible for my duck footed family to really find much that fits us well. A handmade boot can customise the last, thus you can solve all these issues.
@@debluetailfly 100% Tried countless "wide" shoes that are not even wide. Heck some brands have wider "normal" widths on some models compared to another models wide one. It's actual hell and what has made me begin making my own shoes. US are lucky for having many classical bout makers in JK boots, Nicks and so on. For they can change the lasts to fit your foot properly. Sadly a bit too expensive to import over to here in the EU. Did it once. Which meant 275-ish dollars in import and shipping fees. Found like two shoes that are "acceptable", one normal work Boot and one minimal one. But they are still, not wide enough for true comfort.
@@WolfMimirMori If you are trying making your own shoes, check out www.youtube.com/@harryrogers\ He did a series on making shoes. I think he also wrote a book about it. He hasn't made a video in 5 months, hope he is ok. He is in England. He was already a leather worker, so he had a lot of tools already. Shoemaking was a new adventure for him.
What I really don’t get is how I’ll need to wear different sizes between boot manufacturers and even among models by the same mfr. What’s the sense of making sizes if they’re not standard? Widths are a little more of a grey area, but still vary more than I think they should.
@@philsmith2444 The issue is lasts. There are so many lasts, many manufacturers have their own patented lasts and so on. So it becomes like clothes, no real universal system as everything do their thing differently.
I think modern synthetic outdoor clothes outperform anything traditional by a large margin. You want to be as light and dry as possible even at the cost of some durability.
It just depends what you're doing. If you're in the field for months or in harsh terrain you have to strongly consider the durability of your footwear. No shoe is good if it falls apart on you in the bush.
I like that he didn't just hate on the Keens and gave a really even and quality comparison for someone who may not know a lot about either of these types of boots Also I think Weston's favorite word is juxtaposition
Forgive me if you’ve already done some of these, but I would love to see a traditional hiker shootout with things like the Eddie Bauer K6, Danner Light (I and II), Danner Grouse, and Russell Mocs. I need a new pair of boots for hiking and don’t want to go back to my chunky Merrell Moab’s. They ugly. Also, doing a breakdown of the Nicks Ridgeline would be cool.
Waterproofness is a bit of a myth. If you cross streams or if there's heavy downpour the water will get in anyway. What matters to me is whether the shoe can dry quickly after I'm done with the hike. Ironically, those heavier waterproof shoes take longer to dry.
My GTX Lowas are completely waterproof unless I get into water over the top. I beeswax them, but that’s so the leather doesn’t wet out and freeze when I wear them snowshoeing (down to maybe 15F/-10C), not to keep my feet dry.
I'd love to see some specialty hiking boots cut in half. Like Zamberlan, Bestard (Mountaineering and hiking shoes from Spain), Meindl etc. In order to be able to see how they differ from PNW boots (which are very hard to come by in Europe).
I like my Keen hiking because they are good on average trails. They’re not for intense hikes and that’s not what they are for. They are really supportive and comfortable. They aren’t expensive and often can be found on sale. As for buying ethically, it’s something worth trying, but even I have Nike and designer goods made in Asian countries. It’s impossible to not face that. Im sure many men would love ethically made shoes, but when you realize how much those cost, very few can afford them. Loro Piana soft shoes start at $900, Italy isn’t cheap.
Used to love Keens (uneek, koven) but their foam soles thread wear down so quickly (maybe good for a season ot two, after that it gets slippery). Tried NXIS (quite similar looking to these in the video) and the plasticy layer reinforcing WP around the toe area cracked in many places after a year (4-5 months of actual wear). They approved a warranty claim, but beware their warranty policy on their website: they will provide store credit for the full price of the shoe, no matter at what price point you bought them, but stire credit will only enable you to buy product at full price - no matter what price you bought them at originally and no matter their current sale. In my case the sales taxes on the full price 'killed' the original sale i had gotten them at. (Regular price is 210, I purchased them for 159, had I used the store credit to buy a replacement, I would have paid 195, all the while their current sale price is 126, much closer to the actual value of this shoe, i might say.) As you can tell, I find this way of making me pay for the replacement unfair. They could have just asked for shipping cost so something. On another note... Have you ever compared the quality of footwear between gendered models? It's really hard to get good winter boots (good slip resistance) for women. Ive come across models (muck) where the men's version is actually decent, but the women's is less wuality for more money. Just a suggestion.
Very helpful and informative. One aspect I'm interested in is how fire-resistant the boots are . It may seem obvious, but the light boots could be fireproof to a certain degree as well.
I kind of agree, but that lug sole is so stiff and wide it makes them a liability on even so much as a 2" rock. Your ankle has to just twist, which is an injury waiting to happen. Excellent for lowland tracks and soft ground, but I'd never take them up a mountain.
this is kind of a silly comparison since they're not in the same price bracket and most people don't use logger style boots for heavy hiking. You made valid points with the keens, but it makes it look like the keens are far more superior than other, more traditional boots, than they actually are (the sponsor does give me an extra bias to that).
Well, you don't have to have all that stitching on a leather hiking/work boot that leak like a sieve. I've got a pair of Hanwag special forces that are leather lined not Goretex. They are 100% waterproof. They have a cushioned sole unit originally designed so you can run on the road with a pack on. The vamp is one piece. Some boots go one better and have no side seam at all but join at the back.
Soviet troops in Afghanistan in 1980 were quickly swapping their army boots for Adidas and ASICS sneakers to run in mountains. Stiffness, weight, lack of breathability were the main issues. Even though those sneakers had no rockplates....
Don't think these would do great in the Alps. Neither of them. To me, those leather boots are more like workboots. For hiking boots, we mostly use Dachstein, Lowa, Meindl, Haix, such stuff. Sometimes also Salomon or Salewa.
Thanks for another great video! Been wondering about the Zionic! Their product page has a video that indicates full-length plate, but the product details makes no mention of it. Keen's new WK400 rocker walking shoes reportedly use a full-length nylon plate. What was the material for the Zionic plate, Nylon, or TPU perhaps?🧐
Love my quests, I have the same pair since 2015, altough they are a bit on the heavier side. My latest affair is with Aku Spiders - really good boots, made in Italy too, cheers
KEENs are nice but the soles wear out pretty fast and the quality is hit or miss. I am curious about the traditional though and how they truly compare. Probably put in an order in a few months.
You say that the Keens will wear out your leg muscles, but it will make them stronger over time. Unlike the leather boots that will keep them compressed so you don’t use them hardly at all.
Still waiting for that Yeezy 500 quality test !!!!!!!!!!!! Really though, love your videos and you taught me alot about shoe quality! and boots, even though i dont use those xD
My Nick's were over $600 and always caked up in pounds of mud or slipping on loose rocky terrain. My Altra trail runners have better grip, weigh much less, and cost about $100. I love the Nick's but I hardly wear them anymore.
I love these videos! Always great info and very interesting! Also love my Keens! But coming in a close 2nd and gaining ground are Oboz! But like you say nothing beats a traditional boot for heavy hiking!
Hiking in central Turkey, one of my friends, who was wearing glorified sneakers, slipped, rolled her ankle and broke several small bones in her ankle and foot. We took my boots off and got her foot into them before she swelled up so bad that she wouldn’t fit (I had a pair of Limmer lightweights). We had several miles of heavy topography to get to a road. I supported her out while wearing my camp slippers. By the time we were back to civilization, I had a pretty good sprain and numerous blisters; my friend ended up needing multiple surgeries to mostly right her foot. I won’t hike anything, other than basic hiking trails, without footwear with decent ankle suppler.
But the trail runner crowd says boots don’t provide ankle support, and that it’s better to have strong ankles. While strong ankles are good to have, the fact is our ankles aren’t designed to have that kind of force applied to them. Nature doesn’t care, if an early Homo sapiens rolled his ankle and couldn’t walk he starved to death. We’ve figured out things like doctors, braces, and other supporting mechanisms, including over the ankle boots. The trail runner crowd will put on boots that come up to their ankle bones and say “see? Boots don’t work!”, but that’s because they want to wear trail runners. They’ll point to some study showing that boots don’t provide ankle support (probably tested with mids), and when you say that weightlifting belts provide support for weightlifters’ backs, people who have to lift things at work wear those belts for back support, boxers and MMA tape their wrists for support, even necks can benefit from braces in certain situations, but out of all the joints in a human body the only one that you CAN’T help by supporting it is the ankle they pretty much say “yup.” Look, you prefer trail runners to heavier shoes or boots? Hike your own hike, I’ll hike mine. Which I often do in low hiking shoes because my bad knees mean I have to be VERY careful and deliberate with my foot placement. But none of them are as comfortable on my feet as my over-the-ankle Lowa hiking boots.
It would be nice to see some tear downs of some of the European hiking brands like Grisport. It is hard to find videos comparing North American brands to European ones.
The main problem in the tropics with "synthetic" shoes is that the glue fails & the plastic perishes. I have tried various brands including Keen & Merril and they fall apart. My sewn together leather boots from Cabelas have lasted over years & years of my life as a Game Warden.
I have a nice Idea about a boot series for you. I was thinking, maybe you look into traditional european hiking boots and thier Brands like the series you did about dr. Martens. Featuring brands like Lundhags, Hanwang, Meindl, Haix, Haglöfs. I would like to see them cut open.
it’d be nice if you covered fur/hide material. I know peta is hating on it however fur/animal material has allowed mankind to evolve. Mink, Beaver (i’m most interested in this because top quality cowboy hats are made from this), the difference between the belly fur vs the rest of the body, etc. Thank you for the leveled up video production I’ve been watching some of the older videos. Good job everyone.
If your boots ever make it into a standard line, I am 100% getting behind them. Fact is, more things can happen than 'wearing out', like theft, damage beyond repair, etc... being able to replace is key.
Wonderful video! More hiking boots would be very interesting in my opinion. They seem to also have overlaps between real leather and more modern materials.
