I`ve stuck with three quarter or full shank boots,especially when carrying a multiday pack,round the park or off-piste.
Numerous people I know have tried their `light & tasty` runners,light boots but a few rivers,scree or a two week tramp and they`re crying out for a decent shanked boot.That`s my tuppence worth.
Frank experimented with barefoot tramping there for a while and did the odd weekend trip e.g. Black Hill Hut. Footwear is so much an individual thing.
barefoot is fine except on snow, ice, and scree.
Too many of our tracks have some of at least one of those
I have always found Hi-Tec's good as well though the model I use is the top end of their pricing.
I don't know if they necessarily are wide fitting however.
Keen is a brand that does generally fit wider than most and are usually reasonable quality. You should be able to pick a pair up for around the $200 mark I imagine. They do tend to be a mid-cut ankle height however.
Wrt to Tongariro Crossing, after experiencing it for the first time this summer I can certainly say the standard of gear and fitness for the majority of people on it is atrocious. Obviously being unfit and with poor gear is not the recommended way of doing the trip (or a very enjoyable way of doing it I am sure).
Hi, agree on the Keens. I have a pair and they are very roomy in the toe as well. The reinforced toe is great for booting ferns loose when track clearing so I wear mine for west coast track work weekends.
I won a pair of Keen Targhee Mids and they are a surprisingly good little boot. Lovely wide toe box. But the sole isn't so good on wet rocks and it's unlikely they would see the end of two seasons of regular tramping.
But I still prefer them when I want a boot that does not know how to give my feet grief on a trip...
I agree about the comfort of keen boots. The most comfortable ive owned. Pity is I didn't own them for long because the soles are really brittle and fall to piece on any rocky terrain.
