Backpacking Boots

Recent Backpacking Boot Reviews

Meindl Island Pro MFS

Comfortable, well fitting (MFS), rugged boot suited for everything from walking about town to alpen trails and light climbing. These boots fit like they used a personal last for my foot. I think that is mostly due to the last being very close to my foot shape and the MFS they use in this model. These boots wrap your foot securely in the MFS and do not allow movement inside the boot. Almost like an extension of your foot. This is my second pair of this same model. I bought the Anthracite color first… Full review

Meindl Perfekt

Built to last Very comfortable in summer as in winter It's a shoe you can trust As I write this review I've owned my Meindls Perfekt for 13 years now. With the exception of a period of two years where I suffered from gout and bought a pair of Hanwag Alaskas because they were more forgiving on my inflamed toe. To be short, in two years the Hanwag really need repairs. The Meindls have never been repaired. Never re-soled or anything. I give em reasonable care and wear them every day. Hiking, beach… Full review

Alico Tahoe

Good boot. I have owned different Alico boots in the past. I thought the Tahoe would be too lightweight for backpacking, but after trying them I think they are almost perfect weight. The keys for me were correct size, correct sock thickness, change out innersole to a Spenco below an OTC thin orthotic and breaking them in (about 50 miles). Bottom line—these are nice boots once they are configured for you correctly. Full review

Alico Summit

Old-school, old QUALITY. Your sole will not fall off mid-hike like so many modern shoe-boots. My husband is on his second pair and wants to buy a third because he's so afraid they will stop making boots like this! You just can't find boots like this anywhere. His first pair was resoled once and it lasted as long as the original sole. I can only wear low hikers because of a vascular condition and I soooo wish they'd make these in a low rise boot. Full review

Alico Summit

Awesome old school type boots. I wore them for 6 months in an automotive dealership parts department. Now they are my hiking boots. It took a month of wear at work to break them in but it was worth it. I've only hiked about 150 miles of trail in them, but I've had no blisters. I hiked out from a waterfall walking in the stream on shale for a mile. I never slipped or had a leak. They remind me of my Vasque Venturer boots back in the '70s . Not a lightweight or midweight option like my Hi-Tec or Lytos… Full review

Asolo TPS 520 GV

Got these boots new in 2013 for hiking/hunting/tactical (SWAT) use. As of today they went in the trash, soles and side supports have completely come off. Don’t waste your hard/earned money on these crappy boots, even their website says they are prone to dry-rotting and overall degradation. Wish I had seen that years ago. Our tactical (SWAT) operators will no longer buy them and REI has been notified. Full review

Crispi Nevada GTX

I bought these two years ago, and I wore them for two seasons of hunting, which is about 5 months total, and only for hunting. They have fallen apart. I contacted Crispi and was told to get them fixed at my expense, and on my time. They wanted me to mail them to Utah to some expensive boot repair place. I even left a negative review on CRISPI PAGE WHICH WAS QUICKLY DELETED BY CRISPI. I'm leaving these reviews on every site I can since Crispi refuses to allow me to post my true review on their page. Full review

Bates Hot Weather Combat Hiker

Hot weather version of military issued mountain combat boot series (with variants). As the other reviewer stated, these run LARGE (width is normal). I had to go down a full size (unlined hot weather version of military boots tend to run larger due to reduced lining, etc. I suspect). There are several different variations of these boots by BATES, with the designation of E03612, from "A"-"D" versions. Each version up to "D" added some additional venting holes, and the soles changed from the VIBRAM… Full review

Lowa Ticam II GTX

Update following backpacking trip. July 2021.   Initial impressions only so will update later in the year following some backcountry hiking. (July 2021 Update at bottom of review.) Buying this boot online was risky for me. I needed to know I would have the 10-15mm at the front of the boot for trekking. I am a tight US 13 in all shoes in my right foot. Left foot is fine. The sizing chart at Lowa.com indicated I would be pushing my luck (5mm to spare). Interestingly, Altitude Sports(online) had a… Full review