Salomon Authentic 8 GTX

Very pleased with fit/comfort so far but i have yet to get out on the trail in them. I've been wearing them everywhere else I can though. Comfortable right out of the box- 1st day I wore them for 12+ hrs straight, 9 of which were spent in a woodshop (read- standing on a hard concrete floor). No ill side effects whatsoever. I've also gone for some extended rain walks testing them out in every puddle I could find, no leaks at all. I used that nik wax stuff and then some mink oil for overkill.

I'm looking forward to trying these boots w/ a loaded pack. I'm thinking they will offer alot more lateral stability than my 12 year old boots that were better suited to light duty hikes (don't go up as high over the ankle and cloth in the achillies area for too much flexibility). The Sollys come up quite high on the shin and are fairly stiff but are a pleasure to walk in for 2 reasons. 1- there is a good sized notch in the achillies area that allows for a full stride (I've also ridden my Mt. bike a few times with them 'cause it's been too cold to use my ventillated clip in shoes- no rubbing problems and I try to keep my spin up) 2- The sole of the boot is nicely rockered ;similar to alot of running shoes these days, and promotes foreward momentum.

Other thoughts- the rubber soles are soft & grippy (i mean VERY grippy, I hope longevity hasn't been compromised too much 'cause the rubber seems soft). I like the boot liner material better than some other boots that use a overly plush velore type material--felt too warm in the store and I don't believe anything that would feel that good on naked skin can hold up for more than a good season. (my hand, don't worry I wore socks when trying them on). The inside of my old boots gave out before the outsides, while this may speak as to fit they always felt comfortable as well. There is alot of rubber on the boot lower which should be good scuff protection, I'm curious to see how well it stays glued to the leather, particularly in the area where the ball of ones foot bends.

That's it so far. will post an update if they fall apart or anything bad happens but right now i'd buy them again.

Took these on an alpine trip to Borneo. Wet ascent and also roughed it on 5th class scarmbling on very rough granite. Had a mild case of Koflach shins on my right shin which I suspect was caused merely because the boots were still new.

Very comfy fit and the high cuff ( which I had had some reservations ) turned out okay, just needed some breaking in. A really good feature for those prone to twisting ankles on moraines. Contagrip sole was the stickiest rubber I've had on any boot (except climbing shoe sticky rubber)

The Gore-Tex liner not only kept feet dry in a downpour but also kept socks dry-ish. When I took them off after a 5 hour hike, there was none of that typical sweaty sock smell or damp feet. Excellent!

I'd recommend these boots for anyone taking a hard hike. Just break them in first a bit.