boots

go and try on as many brands as you can, and work out which brands fit your foot shape best... euro brands are more likely to be a narrow fit, some have special wide fit options if you need that. you'll be looking for a model with a reasonable rand, a rubber strip around the boot with a decent cover on the toe box to reduce wear on the leather ... depends how strong your ankles are as to how stiff you'll need the boot... but you still want a flexible forefoot, but want to avoid a boot that has a sole that you can cork screw if you try and twist it lengthways when holding it... you want a more stable platform to not twist and slip off rocks. heavier boots last longer but not everyone likes them, trudging around with a heavy waterlogged boot isnt what everyone wants to have.. don't worry about having to have gore tex, it wont keep your feet dry, esp in rivers. but a lot of models have it by default. leather lasts better on rocks, nylons easily cut by sharp edged rocks.. nubuck leather is a softer type of leather and doesnt last as long as normal leather.

Don't compare what you've got with other people and what they use. There is always someone who will do what you're doing in something lighter. They'll probably boast about it too. It doesn't mean they are helping themselves to reduce certain risks. Fit is the most important thing. Strength and support are almost as important. Brand and price should be behind all those things in terms of priority.

It is amazing how idiosyncratic people's feet are with boots. Some folks will swear by a brand others regard as a monster. I bought some Torpedo 7 boots a couple of years ago and am very happy with them, but of course what's available now is quite different from what I bought. I've kept mine going with some rand repair as the medial seam has been abraded. Not surprising when I realize how rough I am when doing trackwork e.g. sweeping rocks off tracks... My feet have the dreaded surfer's knobs and bony heels. I might have avoided the draft with those defects!

Thanks for the feedback all, appreciate it. So many options, ill keep researching. Cheers

I have the [Lowa Tibet's](https://lowa.co.nz/collections/best-sellers/products/tibet-gtx%C2%AE-wide)which I find great for off track tramping. I use them even on tracked tramps which are overkill but I dont mind

The boots I have were one of very few wide fitting boots on the market. 3/4 season Asolo. Probably a bit solid for my most recent tramping and they are not good on slimey rocks but apart from that they have been great.Also they are crampon capable. Most of my recent trips have been with people wearing trail runners In rivers a softer boot can work better but dont expect more than a few trips out of them.

My new Keen Targhees arrived last week and I did a 15km bush walk in them on Saturday mostly on gravel trails, with some mud and clay thrown in. They were roomy and comfy. Not as thick / cushioned through the forefoot as the Vasque Breeze 3 which are my other boots. The Keens seem to be higher in the heel compared to the forefoot.