These Boots are Made for Walking
Heavyweight Boot Review
By Rhett Olson

When you take to the backcountry for an extended hike you more than likely take a lot of food and gear with you. When you're four days from the nearest road, it isn't the time to run out of food, or find out you needed heavier clothing. All that extra gear means more pounds to carry and more stress to your feet and ankles. With all of that weight, extra support for your feet and ankles is almost mandatory.

So where do you get it? In a heavyweight boot, i.e. boots for extended hiking as opposed to boots that weigh a lot. Of course, the extra support and rugged construction of an extended hiking boot also mean these boots weigh more than their day hiking counterparts.

Letís face it, finding a good heavyweight boot can be a difficult task. The price alone can add stress to your pocket book. Given that your willing to part with a couple of crisp hundred dollar bills to ensure happy feet, next come the key questions of fit and comfort. A good heavy boot often takes a while to really break in, so your test walk around the outdoor store may not be the most accurate gauge of comfort. So how do you make your choice?

To help you solve this dilemma GearReview.com rounded up five boots in the heavyweight category, laced 'em on our Field Crew's feet and sent the reviewers out into the mountains and deserts for days at a time. After breaking in the boots and hiking for almost a year, our Field Test staff is ready to pass on what we found. Keep in mind that every foot is different, so some testers had different opinions when it came to fit. But hopefully their blistered feet will help you find the boot that suits your needs.

Montrail Moraine AT
Price: $225 Average Weight (per pair): 4 lbs

Montrail went to great lengths to make sure the Moraine AT had a superb fit. Researchers gathered foot measurements from hundreds of athletes, compiled them in a database, and used them to create the perfect fit. The 'Integrafit' gives plenty of room in the toe box, yet keeps your foot firmly locked back into the heel and minimizes the time needed for break in. Jeff said the Moraine AT ìis a good fitting stiff boot. Steve said he also enjoyed the comfortable fit, but thought the toebox could be a little larger for his wider-than-average feet. The rest of the testers felt the toebox was very roomy. And, as Montrail claimed, the break in time for this boot was remarkably short, and despite the few expected blisters, painless.

The Moraine AT offers all of the support needed for a long haul with a full load. This comes from the Vibram sole, the microporous rubber midsole, and the molded leather insole. Our reviewers shouldered their expedition packs, strapped on the Moraines and went for days on end without any problems. The bootís full-grain leather upper culminates at the two-piece tongue. A padded tongue rests beneath the leather, allowing the user to adjust it for comfort then secure it in place with a small piece of Velcro.

Other bonuses include a cambrelle lining, stainless steel lacing eyes, aggressive tread, rubber-protected toe and compatibility with hybrid and strap-on crampons. Testers found the boot's stiffness adequate for light snow travel but would not recommend them for technical mountaineering.

Conclusion
Comfortable fit and quick break in will allow you to contemplate your surroundings rather than pains while you are on your backcountry excursion.

Contact Montrail at (800) 826-1598 or on the Internet at http://www.montrail.com.

Dolomite Explorer Mehra
Price: $280 Average Weight (per pair): 4lbs 2oz

The yellow (or anthracite) ankle padding and shoe laces make the Explorer Mehra bold in form, echoing the boldness in function. The boot's Nubuk leather upper and Gore-tex bootie make it a great choice for use on the snow and ice. There is also a rubber rand that extends high up the sides and heel of the boot giving extra protection against wet feet.

A removable leather footbed hides the 7mm nylon insole that is reinforced by steel. This makes the boot fairly stiff. Jeff mentioned the stiffness contributed to a good performance while participating in simple rock climbing and scrambling.

Jeff said he loves the Explorer. I share the same sentiment. It took weeks of wearing them around, and several trips before I could really get them broken in. However, once broken, they fit my foot like a glove

I did encounter a problem with the boot's tongue. A padded tongue beneath the outer leather layer is attached in one spot on top of the foot and can therefore move around. A Velcro piece allows you to secure the tongue's placement where comfortable. While making adjustments, I pulled the tongue out of the boot. On two different pair. I was disappointed with the attachment of the tongue. Conversely, none of the other testers had this happen.

Conclusion
A great boot for both extended hiking and light mountaineering. Very stiff sole made crampon work very comfortable. We question the construction of the tongue attachment.

Contact Dolomite at (800) 257-2008 or online at http://www.dolomiteusa.com.

Merrrell Liberty Ridge
Price: $245 Average Weight (per pair): 4lbs 2oz

With step-in crampon compatibility, 3mm full grain reversed leather, tapered nylon midsole and steel shank, the Liberty Ridge makes the perfect backpacking/mountaineering hybrid. The firm-leather upper gives enough to make extended walking comfortable, yet the upper in combination with the stiff sole offer mounds of support while scrambling or working with crampons on the snow.

To test their performance for mountaineering , Jeff took the boots on his ascent of Mt. Hood, Oregon. Break-in time for Jeff was minimal. He noted, 'as the leather became wet, the boots lost the support I needed to maintain ledging on a steep incline with crampons.' Because of this, his ankles were sore after his descent from the summit.

Conversely, the Liberty Ridge's performance was hailed by Steve in less technical hiking. He commented that the boots were one of the easiest to break in and were very comfortable. Steve and I took the boots on a late-spring peak ascent, hoping to cross the snow fields on the peak. The first five miles included a well-beaten trail, then changed to a rock-laden path. Despite the usual blister on my right heel, the boots were very comfortable. Steve had no problems. Upon reaching the snow, we stepped into our crampons and continued to the top. The boots gave all the support and comfort we needed.

Conclusion
Testers found that the Liberty Ridge gave both solid support and stability to the step on the rock and snow. They loved its dual nature and highly recommend them for your less extreme, snowy summit bids. The boot lacks the stiffness needed for technical mountaineering.

Contact Merrell at (888) 637-7001 or on the Internet at http://www.merrellboots.com.

Raichle Mountain Trekker
Price: $213 Average Weight (per pair): 3lbs 8oz

The name of these boots is an adequate descriptor. Of all the boots tested, reviewers found they were most suited for trekking long distances, especially in the mountains.

Raichle used what they call the ìRolling II Systemî to make these boots highly "walker friendly". Essentially, the sole is bent up similar to a running shoe giving the bottom of the shoe a rounded feel. The sole, together with the footbed help to make your next step naturally easy. Testers said the Rolling II System did seem to make shifting weight from the heel to the toe seemingly effortless.

The 2.4mm Nubuk leather gives extended coverage of the ankles, which at first I thought would rub after walking long distances. However, I found the heavy padding at the top and the Achilles notch squelched my fears of hotspots around the ankles.

Other features of the Mountain Trekker are a hinged padded tongue, gunmetal lacing eyes, rubber rand and midsole, Vibram soles and a full leather lining. It also utilizes a full nylon shank that offers lots of support at minimum weight. The boot is strap-on crampon compatible, however testers using the boot with crampons said the roundness of the sole and overall narrowness of the boot make it less desirable for travel on snow and ice than the other boots.

Some tester found the boots to run a little narrow. By moving up a half size from their normal size they were able to get a good fit.

Conclusion
For those long heavy pulls, the Mountain Trekker is the boot of choice. The ìRolling II Systemî gives just enough umph to keep you moving.

Contact Raichle at (800) 431-2204 or on the Internet at http://www.raichle.com.

Rhett Olson is a Contributing Editor for GearReview.com and is currently working on a hiking guidebook for Mountaineers Books.