Hiking boot advice?

I work at REI. GO THERE! We have great employees that know a ton about hiking boots. It depends entirely on what your foot shape is and what specific characteristics you are looking for, they will have you try on at least 3 boots, probably more. If one is not nearby, I can tell you a little about those boots. The Asolo is an awesome boot, a stiffer light hiker that can be used for short backpacking trips (3-5 days). It is not all leather so it is not as durable as all leather boots and will not keep your foot as warm in cold conditions. I don't know much about the raichle boot, but it looks heavy duty, probably much stiffer, much better for backpacking, it will take a couple weeks to break in. It will probably keep your feet a lot warmer and looks very durable. Those are both great boots, but you NEED to try them on before you buy them, or if you do buy them, buy them from REI so you can return them (we have a great return policy). The best advice I can give you is to drop by and try a few boots on.

spend money on a good pair of boots, and your feet will thank you.

get a pair of white's smokejumpers:

http://drewsboots.com/firelogg.htm

pricey, but worth it. when you break them in they will feel like slippers. they're completely rebuildable/resoleable for a reasonable price.

there's a reason why wildland firefighters - guys who spend more time in boots than anyone else on the planet, swear by these boots.

I know hot shot boots are nice, I worked for the NPS for a while and a few guys swore by them. I don't really like the exaggerated heel, however, and I am in college so I can't pony up that cash for a backpacking boot used a few weeks a year. Unfortunately, there is no REI outlet nearby. We have a Scheels but they don't have much. When I go back to college in a few days I'll hit the stores up around town and see what I can try on-I doubt they will have Raichles or Asolos, however. I do have a narrower foot, if that helps, but I've been able to wear most boots without a problem (Had two pairs of Danners before the Hi-Tecs).

The best advice -- don't get boots at all. Get trail shoes or running shoes. BREATHABLE shoes. Forget about trying to get waterproof stuff, goretex all that. Your feet are gong to get wet, period. Accept it and get a shoe that dries quickly. The huge reduction in weight will more than pay for itself.

Please, and I think you would already know this, but do not follow the above advice. If you're really planning on doing 5-15 day hikes with a heavy pack, wearing tennis shoes is about the worst thing that you could do and saving a couple of pounds per shoe isn't going to be a factor worth considering.

A good, well-fitted pair of hiking boots is a must and a gore-tex boot will keep your feet dry as long as you're not wading through a river or something. If you know that you'll be doing a lot of minor stream crossings and hiking on relatively rough trails, you might want to look into a pair of gaiters (gore-tex for more water protection) to go with the boots.

Check these out:

http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442581618&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488340015&fromTemplate=search%2Fresults.jsp&bmUID=1124677577107#specs

I have a pair of these and have used them for some pretty rough climbs/hike in the White Mountains of NH. I was looking for lightweight, waterproof boots that fit like a glove right out of the box. The first time I wore them I spent 13 hrs with a 25 lb pack on my back climbing some very rocky and steep terrain and they performed great! Not a single blister or hot spot. The Goretex lining kept my feet dry despite numerous small stream crossings.

For $115 they are a pretty good deal. Although they have the EMS logo on them I actually think they are made by Merrill.