Boots?

Lowa Tibets https://www.lowaboots.com/mens/backpacking-hunting/tibet-gtx%C2%AE Expensive ($700) but are built like a behemoth

I would be really cautious about Lowa tibet. I've had two pairs - one lasted seven years and the other half as long. Not sure if thats declining QC or the fact that I used the latter pair more often in stony environs around arthurs pass. These boots are sturdy and comfy but you need to be prepared to put in more time in maintaining them than a newborn baby - as they are nubuck - which requires scrupulous care of various (official Lowa) products after each use. Notwithstanding that I did all that, the uppers still cracked to the point where my 2nd pair of boots wasnt usable at a point. My next boots were a second-hand pair of Meindl (real leather - easy care!) and i certainly havent looked back. Buy nubuck with extreme caution.

' I would be really cautious about Lowa tibet. I've had two pairs - one lasted seven years and the other half as long. Not sure if thats declining QC' I've never had this boot but it's not fair to bag any brand or model in that way. There are far too many factors involved. A boot can sit in storage, in a retail shop or with a wholesaler. Most of the time you wouldn't know how old the boot actually is. Just like if you let a boot sit in the cupboard for two years after using them a bit. The glues that bond the sole to the upper stiffen over time. Then, with a bit of use, the bond fractures. It is common for a boot to delaminate and the sole falls off the boot. The leather can shrink and separate from the rand. Leather is skin and needs treatment to keep it supple. As for nubuck. That is leather that has been brushed for the finish. Most boots using nubuck are considering the look, to make it more multi functional perhaps, for the traveller. Of more relavance would be the thickness. Nubuck may often be thinner than that chosen for a full grain leather boot.

In some areas going for water proof boots just isn't practical unless you only are only going to be on high class tracks with bridges. I do a lot of off track walking with plenty of creek and river crossing so don't look for boots that will keep the water out but look for and or modify boots to let the water out. Over decades I've kept records of how well boots last. One mid priced pair that I'm getting a reasonable run out of at the moment are Jack Wolfskins. Gri Sport I've found don't last long enough in wet and rocky conditions! Kathmandu branded boots are also poor for durability. Teeva were ok for a cheaper boot! Scarpa leather boots with a full rand though expensive seem the most durable. I run a couple of pair of good Scarpa's with one of them drilled to let the water out and choose which pair of boots to wear based on the terrain expected to be encountered.