After many years of wearing Danner's, I switched to the Kayland Vertigo High boots and am ecstatic that I did.  If you can find some Kayland boots in your area, give them a try.
-Jim

I use a Salomon boot that is light and waterproof. I like the added support and rigidity for moving across slopes. They are better for elk hunting than my Keens. Also my Keens tend to make squeeking noises.

My feet thank you for all the responses.

QuoteOriginally posted by McDave:
The main difference between Keen and the others is the fit.  Keen fits people who have wide feet in the front and narrow heels.

Boy am I glad a happened to click on this.
That sounds like the perfect fit for me.
Thanks for the insight!  

I know you have a ton of answers already but I have used Asolos and Vasque on my elk hunts.  Both brands have held up well for me. I would recommend adding a pair of gators. In the morning when the grass is wet or there is a couple inches of snow they will keep everything nice and dry when wearing the shorter boots.

I own or have worn out pairs of most of these brands and as long as I got ones that fit AND I took proper care of them, they all worked fine, some take longer to breakin than others. I have had some repaired, but never rebuilt, the tops are always worn out, by the time that the soles are. The boots get all the glory, but the socks do most of the work. Make sure you wear the same socks that you will be wearing hunting when you try on boots. I wear a heavy pair of Thorlo socks and a light sock liner and if I am elk hunting I carry an extra set of socks, dusted with foot powder, in a ziplock bag. At lunchtime, I take of my boots and air them and my feet out and start out with dry comfortable feet for the after noon AND if possible I have two pairs of boots and wear them on alternate days.

QuoteOriginally posted by centaur:
My Keen experience has been that they are very comfortable, but wear out really fast. Like Shedrock, I like Merrells, but I have also had good success with HiTecs, which aren't very expensive but seem to last well.

Ditto
I have been using Merrell exclusively for the last 10 years, I love their Moc's for camp and the house and I have four different pairs of thier hiking boot all are Gortex. I believe you get what you pay for.

I have a pair of Oakley Spec-op boots. Great support and as comfortable as a good pair of sneakers. I wear them for hiking, hunting and IDPA matches 5-10 hrs with no fatigue.

Meindels made in Germany and sold by Cabela's.
For a mid top boot I wear the perfect hikers and for a 10" boot the perfect hunters.
They both work good for elk hunting. Light weight,tough and comfortable.

John

Hanwag for me... I've been wearing my gtx mountain lights for several years. I have a pair of Cheyennes that I wear daily. Of all the boots I've gone through over the years (meindels, danner, lowa, vasque, etc)  the hanwangs have been the best that I've tried personally.

Wow, nobody has mentioned Russell Mocassins.  I have a pair of their safari PH boots, and it feels like I am wearing socks with soles on them.  I can not speak for how they would be in the mountains, but when I was stationed in New Mexico, my Hi-Teck boots spent alot of time checking out every mountain I could get to.

You do alot of simple stuff when your 18 and in the middle of a dessert with no wheels, and nothing there to entertain you, except hunt down illegals and call in coordinates.  Funny that is what I did for work, and also on my free time.  It's not trad hunting, but it sure is awesome practice.

Vasque Sundowner hiking boots

I have had several pair of Asolo over the years.  I love their fit on me as I have heel slippage problems with many boots. They have always been durable and extremely comfortable.

I preferr the Vasque Bitterroot. The vasque perfect fit system is great. Worn mine over many miles of trail and never had a problem.

I'm also a fan of the Vasque Sundowners.  I've had a pair for years and they have held up very well.

Mike, I have a pair of the Russell Moccasins. They're great on level ground, but they don't do well in steep terrain. Very, very slick on dry cheat grass. I've been skiing on them. I just dragged them out of their footlocker and Sno Sealed them, as a matter of fact.

I'm on my first pair of Danners. I like them. Took a while to break them in though. I had a pair of Lowas and liked them.

They replaced a pair of REI canvass hikers, which were complete crap.

And they replaced a beloved pair of Merrels, but without protection on the toes, I went through them. God Bless Shoe Goo. But even that couldn't save them in the end.

And they replaced by all time favorites, a no-longer made pair of Nike hiking boots when they were just getting into the biz. Almost more athletic shoes than boots. Perfect for my style of hunting back then. It was a sad day when they finally dissolved.

I Googled Kenetreks, and when the Danner's wear out, I might give them a try.

Another keen fan here.

Well, I tried lots of boots and ended up going with the Keen Oregon PCT hiking boot.  The fit and comfort was great so I took you guys advice and bought what felt good to me.

Thanks again.

Another fan of Meindle Perfekt Hikers from Cabelas and German made. They have a removeble cork insole that molds to your foot and is very comfortable with an aggressive tread. $200.

What is the height of all of these different brands. I can't and won't wear a mid height hiker, 6". I have an ankle that was sprained twice badly enough that the docs said I would have been better if I had broken it, so I use an 8" or 10" boot for the support.