my father was a fan of texas steers for yrs until they went out of business was the only boot he ever bought
yup 30 yrs +Boy that's a blast from the past...
Lowa Renegade GTX mid is a great boot. I've had a dozen pairs and hike with a heavy pack year round. No break in period. Lasts pretty long and under 200. They make a great winter version called the ice something that's a little taller around the ankle and insulated. Beautiful boot. Light but very powerful feeling.I have been a midwest whitetail hunter all of my life but this past year I have the bug for backpack/mountain hunting. I bought what I thought to be a decent boot in the Under Armour line up to discover it isn't enough for the load out packing elk. For the same elk hunt, my son bought Lacrosse windrose boots and said his feet felt great after packing out two bulls.
What I need help with is picking a better quality boot and not breaking the bank. Lets say the budget is 300 and under and I want non-insulated. I want something that is water proof (gtx), holds up well, has a nice toe box and doesn't require a long break-in period. Lowa, La Sportiva Nucleo and Salomon Quest have been some I have been considering because I can try them on locally at REI. Any input would be great and how they fit compared to Under Armour or Nike would be nice information.
Kennetreks here, Mountain Ex and Guide, and Safari, as do many club members. It seems two were wearing them and more found out. Contagious. Before that Galibier Verncours, which were used by some rock climbers but I haven't seen available in decades.wife and i both worn kennetrek, mountain extremes for the last 4 yrs with no complaints before that i wore herman survivor which was actually a decent boot for the money
Salomon do carry a two year warranty for craftsmanship. I wear Salomon on a daily basis and I do agree they don't last long but I take a few pics and file a warranty, they give me credit and I order another pair. Just a heads up to save some moneyI have used Salomon Quests 4Ds before, they are a good boot but don't last very long. I am currently running Zamberlan Saguaros and have gotten 2 seasons out of them so far with plenty of life left. Go try on as many pairs of different boots you can and buy what fits your feet the best.