Versatile, good protection, expensive - Lowa Cadin II GTX Mid Shoes - Men's

I have had these boots a few weeks and plan to put thousands of miles on them. Their support and protection to weight ratio is wonderful. The boots have stiff side-to-side support with good forward-backward freedom. Lowa advertises them as mountaineering boots. In my opinion they are also an excellent choice for hiking and backpacking over less than perfect trails. I plan to wear these on everything from a day pack on well-groomed National Park trails and on campus sidewalks on slush days to a heavy multi-day pack on steep rocky uncleared wilderness routes.

These boots have a stiffer full-length shank than nearly all other boots sold for hiking. I may be old-school since I don't really understand why so many people buy soft-soled boots for hiking on rough trails. Despite the full-length shank, these boots have a enough of a relaxed flex at the ball of the foot for me. They are easy on the bridge and because of the easy forward-backward ankle flex, they don't bind the lower shin like other boots that give similar ankle protection.

I cannot comment on their durability. But I've owned several Lowa boots and shoes that have been refurbished by Lowa and for $100 Lowa makes them as good as new. Lowa replaces soles, midsoles, repairs cuffs and stitching all over.

One cautionary note: Don't judge these boots the first few days you wear them. Mine were positively painful the first day or two. Especially on my ankles that have been broken and have bones that protrude more than normal. I almost returned them before the uppers conformed by my ankles. After three days, they felt perfect. I assume the rigidity that provides the excellent side-to-side support is the reason they were slow to mold to my foot.

In summary, these boots are expensive. But if you wanted one pair of boots that would be suitable for the widest possible backcountry use, I'd consider these. Notice that my location is Washington DC. That's where most of my winter hiking is done. Most of my summer hiking is in the mountains of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.