Time for a boot upgrade, need some help

[Professor Doolittle]

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.

Lowa GTX mid
I've bought over a dozen pairs in the last 20 years. I backpack off trail about 100 miles per year. There's an ice/snow/winter version, too. I never have a break in period with these, total comfort right out the box.

 

[Mike6158]

Never hunted in them but I've backpacked a bit and when I found Zamberlan boots I was through looking. But... fit... as has been noted here numerous times, is what makes the boot choice.

 

[VLD Pilot]

Darn I have size 14 and it is so hard to find a good fitting boot. I have been getting Danner for the over 20 years and they have been good to my feet. Only brand that fit properly. I had the Pronghorn 20 years ago and then they changed, people didn't like, and they changed back to the original Pronghorn. I actually switched to the Military style for hunting and they are GREAT. Personal preference. I always got the Danner on special programs where the cost was less than 50% or less. Have several Logger, Pronghorn, Powderhorn

M.E.B. (Marine Expeditionary Boot)​

Try to look for Danner Deals. The once had a program that you could join and get great discounts.

Well, with feet that big, you only need boots to go up. With those feet, you can ski back down