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I used to wear Bates boots a lot for hiking and other stuff and they were my go-to boots. I switched to Solomon Hiking boots and they have held up a lot better over the long run as I live in a dry desert environment.
With that, I wanted to ask what are your all's SHFT boots or footwear that you would go with. What is a solid pair that you feel would last you the longest in a SHTF situation where you are forced to possibly walk for miles daily and navigate various terrain?
Redhead makes some good work/hunting boots, Danner out of Bozeman has some of the toughest highlace boots, knee high, that I've ever seen. Plus being real leather, Tanners can be re-soled.
I wear a variety of boots since the conditions here change rapidly, but if SHTF, I can make decent moccasins, and I could put rubber soles on them using tires. Then I should get several thousand miles out of them,(depending on road hazard).
I have made squaw boots in the past, and like them, but if you make the tops out of soft leather, they fall around your ankles so you need stiff leather for the uppers.
For deep winter I like "Micky Mouse" boots, but post SHTF, muc-lucs have served the Eskimos for millennia and aren't that difficult to make if you know how to tan and work leather.
Learning how to card, spin and knit raw wool will get you some nice warm socks too.
With some basic skills, you can have serviceable footwear no matter what happens.
The same Cabelas hiking boots I recently used in Colorado, perfectly insulated for all 4 seasons.
Cuz' I'm not as crafty and motivated, like MTSilver with the moccasins.
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I go barefoot. You gotta be tough to survive!
OK seriously, I wear what the conditions call for. Flip flops or boat shoes in the summer. Ugg boots in the winter, unless I'm where there's a lot of snow, then I wear Sorel "caribou boots" with changeable wool liners and lug soles. If I'm in boggy or rainy weather we wear either the rubber work boots like concrete workers use, or yachting foul weather boots.
For construction type work I wear some kind of steel toe work boot I think I got at Walmart. Luckily I'm old and hard work is why god made day laborers, kids, and friends... so I don't wear them much and they have lasted me probably ten years so far.
For hiking I wear either a hiking-designed tennis shoe (I think my current shoes are New Balance) or some "SWAT style" combat boots with gore-tex and kevlar uppers. (Waterproof and snake proof.) I don't know who made them. They were about 100 bucks at the time. I have two pair and they have lasted me many years. I still like the old "jungle boot" with the canvas uppers.
In an urban riot, I'll take tennis shoes or my swat boots. If TSHTF and I could only have one pair it would be the swat boots again, unless it was in snow, then the Sorels win. YMMV
Get the most comfortable thing you can find that is waterproof. Seriously, even if you live in the desert. I agree that Danners are an excellent boot, but you need to break them in first.
Whatever it is, be sure to have an extra couple pair of laces for them. If a lace breaks, even the best boot is useless. And always carry a couple pair of wool socks, even for summer use.
Womens Merrell Moab 2 because they are light-weight waterproof and breathe. I would also want a pair of waterproof gaiters to wear with them, and if they could prevent snake bite that would be good too.
Why? Its what I have as far as the shoes, and what Im lookin for as far as the gaiters.
If I dont know how the apocalypse is coming down, I cant really predict what I need. Next best thing would be to prepare for what I might need for where I want to be when that happens, I guess.
keen targhee shoes. 100% waterproof, they're a lot lighter than boots. Boots get extremely heavy if you're walking 15-20 miles/day (as is common when I'm in the back country).
Womens Merrell Moab 2 because they are light-weight waterproof and breathe. I would also want a pair of waterproof gaiters to wear with them, and if they could prevent snake bite that would be good too.
Why? Its what I have as far as the shoes, and what Im lookin for as far as the gaiters.
If I dont know how the apocalypse is coming down, I cant really predict what I need. Next best thing would be to prepare for what I might need for where I want to be when that happens, I guess.
I was looking at the Merrell's b/c they are priced at around $100, whereas the Salomon's I used to wear are now $200 plus. I originally got the Salomons for $120. My view is that if something did occur and manufacturing completely stopped I'd want at least four or five pairs of some kind of shoe of this sort. I ordered the Merrell's and I hope they do well.
I looked at the Danner's and they look great. I'll most likely try them on my next round.
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