Hiking boot recommendations

Ive used the Merrell Moab's a lot and really liked them. However, I could only really get a year of use out of a pair before they started tearing.

Pro: Cheaper, good support, comfortable

Con: short life, water proof was whack

I could only recommend as a decent immediate pair if that's what you need

Personally looking into a good lifelong pair of leather boots now

I would strongly suggest a pair of full grain all leather boots WITHOUT a waterproof liner (e.g. Gore-Tex, Sympatex...).

These are supposed to keep your feet wet, but unlike the marketing tells you, they will eventually fail. I've lived through this many times. On top of that, manufacturers make use of the supposed waterproofness of these liners to reduce boot weight - and cost - by reducing the amount of leather in the boot (e.g. Lowa Zephyrs). This might be beneficial for the user, as we all would like a boot to be as lightweight as possible, but waterproof liners take forever to dry out once they do get wet. And the material used instead of leather, usually Cordura, will never be waterproof by itself, only the liner.

Another thing to consider is that waterproof liners will make your feet sweat more as the liner also acts as unnecessary insulation. In warmer weather this will give you blisters, in colder weather this will give you cold feet once you stop walking. After all, the liners might be somewhat breathable, but your feet will always be able to breathe better without them.

I have 3 years of military experience. The first two years I used Gore-Tex lined boots. Last year i got myself a pair of Altberg Ops boots. I'm not british, so unfortunately I wasn't issued them, but they are without any hesitation the best pair of boots I have ever owned. Why? They have no waterproof liner, but are the most waterproof boots I have ever worn. As a matter of fact, these boots have only seen water on the inside when I had to cross knee high water. And without a useless liner, the boots would dry afterwards, resulting in envious looks from my Gore-Tex owning brothers-in-arms in cold, wet boots.

The only case for lined boots would be in a winter climate, where you would be marching through deep snow almost constantly. In this case, the added water resistance of a liner can be beneficial.

There is no secret, just good quality leather and care products. I don't think Altbergs are easy to buy in the US, but I'm sure other brands make similar boots. Full leather boots might be a bit heavier. But without a liner, they aren't any less waterproof and they dry way faster.

As some would say: "Reject modernity, embrace tradition"

I personally love Lowa Zephyrs. I've used Danner Reckonings for a number of years now in the Marines to much success. Going from freezing cold mountains to long days in tall grass during the rain. In my experience most Danner boots are great options.

I'm on the westcoast - so rain and mud are a major concern for me. I've tried a few different types of boots, Danner hiking boots, saloman gtx forces or whatever they're called, and the most recently, the Lowa zephyrs. Out of the three, I can whole heartedly recommend Lowa's zephyr boots. I've been running them pretty hard for the last 8 months, and they've held up great. They still keep the water out while being super breathable, and now that they're well broken in, they're the most comfortable option I own. They're pretty light, but lined with gortex, so supposed to be waterproof, while staying breathable and quick drying (allegedly) but I would recommend doing your own research on this. The other bombproof option I hear about are the Hanwag boots. I don't own them, and have never tried them on, so this is just another potential option.

Hope this helps. Cheers.