Thread: Rugged all terrain boot recommendations

After burning through an old set of boots over 10 years, no longer made, I went and read a ton of reviews. I ended up with the "best" and "most rugged" hard hiking boots, rated across a lot of different sites: Salomon Quest 04 GTX. Happy lad, I took to the hills, bow in hand.

On the second hike, off track all fours, shale slips and miles of rock hopping up river, the sole started to give. I repaired it because I needed them in service, didn't want to wait for warranty. Then another grunt, a lot of all fours climbing, skidding, hard yakka descends. Another bit of sole lifted off. Glued it back on with good glue (Aquaseal, awesome). Just back from another overnighter, 20kg on the back, up to shoulder of Mt. Mathews, 600m alt climb through thick bush and shale, skidding and sliding down back again. Now another part of the sole on one is coming off. Boots also look so bedraggled, like they're 5 years old already. It's been that many months.

Feel like I've been sold boots for weekend trail hikers on manicured tracks and the occasional little rock hop. Not boots fit for a true Kiwi bush-bashing grunt.

So I'm looking for recommendations from hard hiking locals for boots. Not truck-to-treestand, not weekend walks, but all-terrain armour for the feet and ankles. Don't have to be "best of 2024". I'll take a model that's years old, if it's tried and true. Synthetic, leather, don't care,

Much appreciated,

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