Walking boots

Berghaus Gortex waterproof 100% gauranteed, who they kidding. Not even 8 miles in the rain and had to wring my socks out. Looking for tips on the best but reasonable priced boots for a new walker preparing to do the west highland way.

if water runs down your legs and soaks into your socks, a million dollar pair of boots won't keep your feet dry.

Were you wearing gaiters? If not, new boots won't solve your problem. I always wear gaiters (waterproof or lightweight) to keep water, leaves, sticks, etc. out of my boots. My feet are always happy at the end of the day.

Not knowing where you were hiking, one thing that can give soaked socks is overly warm, sweaty feet. Gtx doesn't really breathe all that well, especially in warm, humid weather. The waterproof, but breathable, function depends on the outside being cooler and drier than the inside. So, if you were hiking in a warm rain (as in Florida, eh, Ed?), the Gtx won't pass the perspiration very well. Same is true of traditional full leather boots coated with lots of waterproofing (Snowseal, NikWax, silicones). If the boots don't breathe, your feet get wet. Fully waterproof boots just make the problem worse.

Also, what kind of socks were you wearing? Your liner socks should be a wicking synthetic, and as Keith and Ed pointed out, you need gaiters to keep the rain from your legs from wicking into the boots. Rainpants (preferably with full side zips so you can take them on and off without removing your boots) help a lot, too, but gaiters are still needed. They don't have to be calf-height gaiters, just the ankle type.

One thing I do for my very warm feet is use a foot anti-perspirant. If I don't, even on dry days, I can have dripping wet socks after 10 miles or so. There are a couple of good books on foot care out there, one titled something like Footcare for the Backpacker (don't have it at hand to get the correct title), the other has a new edition - John Vonhof, Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes. Keeping your feet dry is very important for avoiding blisters and other problems. Very important - do not wear cotton socks. These soak up moisture from everywhere and just get wet. Use pure wool, wool/synthetic mix, or synthetic for the outer sock and a synthetic wicking liner for the inner - and make sure the socks fit properly, as well as the boot.

Yeah, I know, Marie, women are supposed to have cold feet, not warm feet. But when it comes to hiking, a lot of the women on hikes I go on have the same problem - sweaty feet that soak their socks.