Wide sturdy boots for a beginner.

I changed from Bullers (too flexible, no good) to Hitecs, available at Rebel Sports. I'm not sure of exact price range but they are at the cheaper end. I went through several pairs and found them to be good enough, although I'm currently using Vasques which are another step up and longer lasting.

They are not ideal for tramping but often safety shops have good deals on well made boots that are ok for hiking except with the addition of a steel tow cap. I would happily do any hikes that fit your intentions in the steel caps I use for work. They have good support but are softer in the sole which can be a good thing on well formed trails. Also dont discount A1 shows or Warehouse for easy walk boots. Certainly not up to multi day full pack no track excursions but thats not what you will be doing to start off with.

Hi-tecs +1 Wait for the fortnightly Rebel Sport sale :) Keep track of what they're offering on their website.

Thanks everyone. Hi-tech was on my radar. I'll go try a pair on this weekend. Duders track to break them in sounds in order

Shouldn't need the traditional breaking-in ?. Try them on in the store with your tramping socks. I prefer a thicker sock - better cushioning & a more snug fit inside the boot. Should be good to go, straight from the box, for the rest of their life. Unless you were just referring to a first usage outing ?. Cheers !.

Yeah more their first outing.

+1 for the HiTecs too but boots are such an individual thing as mine last for years for some reason @^sheep^: Just curious why you need a high ankle support. Is it because you keep twisting your ankle and have overstretched a ligament that now needs protection? I've noticed Americans and the military are very fond of ankle support, whereas the Romans, Peruvians and Zulu soldiers had none. In fact if the Roman message runners were caught wearing sandals instead of bare feet at any time, they were executed. The Bullers are a good cheap choice but I found them heavy and I'm lazy so don't like to be handicapped by heavy footwear except for plastic climbing boots in the snow.

@^sheep^, Like you I'm pretty solid, but for past 4-5 years for all my tramping (except for snow/ice or very rough off-track) I've been using trail runners. Trail runners can be generally considered as tougher, grippier road running shoes. My current favourites are Saucony Xodus. Trail runners can survive a lot of abuse, especially once you use Seam-Grip to make a rand around the bottom half of the shoe upper. Because trail runners are much lighter than boots, I find them less tiring to wear all day, I am more agile, foot placement can be more precise, when traversing a slope i can place the entire sole on the ground surface for maximum traction. Personally I find most boots (particularly so-called lightweight fabric/suede type or light leather boots) provide me very little ankle support. Anyway an alternative viewpoint. Depending on the tramping you are intending to do, then the running shoes you have at home may do for a start.

@Honora I used to always wear shoes for work (sales rep, in workshops all day, a lot of walking) and switched to slip on boots due to the fact that's all I could get in a steel cap, dress style boot, and as soon as I did, I stopped rolling my ankle as often, and seemed to feel less tired. I tend to put weight on the outside of my feet, so I find it quite easy to roll my ankles. I probably should see a specialist to correct the issue, and once I have lost some more weight I probably will. I have lost 37 kg over the last 4 months, and I am aiming to lose about the same, hence the hiking/tramping or what ever you lot call it. @nzbazza Initially I will likely wear running shoes for the easy walking tracks. If hiking is something we enjoy, then I would like to do some more challenging tracks. I remember doing the pinnacles track in Thames as a teenager, and other than almost killing me (unfit and clearly overweight then too) it was amazing. I would ultimately like to do the Tongariro crossing, and eventually the Milford track. Both of those will require a great deal more fitness, experience, and I assume gear. But for now I will be content with small achievements like Duders, Hunua, and the Waitaks. The "easy" tracks around Auckland I assume will be fine in running shoes.