Boots for starters

I wouldn't buy on line. You want to try the boots on and walk around in them for a while. You should be able to get something pretty good in a shop for $300. Comfort is the number one thing you want in a boot. Second is good foot protection. I like nice stiff soles (best in rocky stream beds) and the first thing I do when I look at boots is see how bendy they are. You want good grip from your heel around across the top of your foot and plenty of room for your toes. After buying boots take them home and wear them around the house for a day or two. Then if you have second thoughts you can take them back. Another thing is a good grippy tread with a good heel step. Some modern boots have no heel step. In NZ your boots will be wet most of the time and you will often be in rivers and slippery conditions. Boots for me usually only last 2 years maximum before they fall apart. If you are planning to climb in snow then you might have to look at something upmarket but generally I have found boots around $200-300 that are fairly stiff to meet most of my requirements these days. The ones I have had for the last year only cost me $160 new.

With a little bit of discovery you can probably buy these in NZ for the same or less. Trade me is full of boots that where bought on line overseas only to find they dont fit when they arrive. I would go to a local outdoor store and find someone who knows something about boots and tramping.

Another thing... Do a search for "boots" in the search text field on the left hand side of this screen. You will see that there are lots of threads on boots that are worth exploring.

It's already been mentioned that there are other threads on boots, but to add my 2c worth...... Skellerup Hikers. They are cheap (about $125) and awesome tramping boots. A few people laugh at my skelly "gumboots" but I've been everywhere in all sorts of terrain with them and they've never missed a beat. A hell of a lot of possum trappers and hunters wear them in the bush too, which is a good sign. You probably have figured out that there's a huge range of opinions when it comes to what makes a good tramping boot- I like a light, strong boot with a more flexible rubber sole for example. Best bet is to try a few different pairs on and see what you like. Expensive is not always best, and comfort is the most important factor.

LOL. Someone was telling me that those Skellerup Hikers were made on a last that is about 100 years old and in no way resembles anyones human foot. I guess if you can stand the smell in hot weather or the rocks sticking into your foot, then they are OK. You didn't mention that the usual practice is to poke a couple of holes in the instep with a piece of hot wire so that the water can drain out.

I had the hikers too. Cheap and long lasting but yes, you can feel the rocks as they have thin soles so I used wear an extra insole. In winter, in shallow snow (on low angled terrain), they are very cold. At times like that, I was wishing I'd worn my sandals as the feet stay a lot warmer, especially if you've been sloshing through a creek. So now I have the Hi-Tec Ion Masks which are as waterproof as the gummies! I still don't like water trapped in boots though and in these Ion Masks, the water stays in so I use the sandals on trips that involve immersions. Boots are definitely an individual thing. I know one guy who actually manages to break in Sportiva Makalus instead of the other way round like the rest of us...

Yup the skellerup hiker is not much of a snow boot. I have to wear 2 pairs of socks if I'm spending much time on snow. If it's steep snow they're absolutely useless at kicking steps. I don't know about the thin soles thing. Yeah sure you can feel the rocks under your feet but it's not like they hurt or anything. And the smell? I suppose you have a point. I never seem to go anywhere these days that doesn't involve a few river crossings so my socks and feet are squeaky clean at the end of the day. They do hold water but in my experience any waterproof boot fills up and stays full until you take them off. If you melt holes in your hikers your feet get wet when you stomp in puddles. Where's the fun in that! Pmke I saw your name in tataweka hut the other day.....

Good one for Tataweka Hut. Must get back up there. Fruitbat would be keen. Did you go up valley any further? Back to boots. I wonder why we put up with smelly socks. I have always wondered if a tablespoon of cold water surf in the boots before you begin tramping each day would mean they would come out squeaky clean and smelling of roses at the end of the day.

I was in your situation a few months ago and started a thread here too (thanks very much for everyone's replies in that thread by the way, I was going to post a thanks in the thread after I bought everything but didn't want to dig up an old thread!) I started off looking at the Salomon range also, mainly because of their light weight. Kathmandu has the Fastpacker and Cosmic (basically a lighter, less durable version of the Quest) so if you really do want those Quests you would be pretty safe as far as sizing goes if you tried on the Cosmics in a Kathmandu store and made sure the size you want fits properly etc However the name of the game is simply spending an afternoon trying on various boots at various outdoors stores to find what fits you best. I decided against the Salomon's in the end as I'm on a budget, and as a general rule, lighter boots are generally less durable (and not as versatile as they're less suited for longer tramps where more support is needed). I ended up getting the Asolo TPS 535 V, and couldn't be happier. Full leather and barely heavier than the Quests (1440g for the Asolos, 1270g for the Quests), and leather beats synthetic materials for durability. Also, don't buy into the whole marketing facade of goretex; in New Zealand conditions, your feet will often get wet irrespective of goretex, and the goretex layer actually restricts breathability and holds the water in more once it gets inside the boot. Goretex doesn't really do much past bumping up the price, and with wax leather boots will have pretty much the same resistance to water as goretex anyway. After wearing my Asolos around the house quite a bit and to uni twice I went on an overnight trip up a mountain and they were perfect, no blisters and my feet were warm and dry in spite of walking through snow all day. While everyone else complained about putting on cold boots in the morning, my feet were warm again after half an hour. Of course, your feet may not be suited to them so the main thing to do is shop around. I got my Asolos for $330 on sale at Bivouac, you may be able to find some other stores with them on sale but they're normally 450. http://www.bivouac.co.nz/footwear/mens-footwear/mens-boots/asolo-mens-tps-535-v-full-grain-leather-wide-boot.html I also got a pair of Oboz Firebrands for light daytrips, they're good too. Not as waterproof as the Asolos (even though they have a waterproof membrane) but they're lighter and low cut (like regular shoes) so useful for a wide range of things. I got them as seconds for $99 from the Kathmandu clearance store because the stitching on one of the toes had come undone...it cost $12 to fix. If you have a Kathmandu seconds store in your town (I'm in Chch) it is worth checking out as I effectively got a brand new pair of $270 shoes for $111. Don't get any Kathmandu branded shoes though, I hear they're really badly made. Also, gaiters aren't necessary but definitely helpful in keeping snow/water/stones/dirt out of your boots, so you might want to consider getting some of them depending on where you want to go. Good luck!