If you are a serious hiker you probably know that the choice you make in hiking boots can be the difference in having a fun hike or being miserable. If you go for a cheap pair of hiking boots from your local discount store I can almost assure you that you will end up miserable, whether from foot pain or because the didn't keep out moisture and your feet are soaking wet and cold. Like most other footwear on the market there is an almost unlimited variety of styles you can choose when buying hiking boots. You should look at reviews of hiking boots and go for a pair that is reputed for their stability, light weight, and one piece construction. As I mentioned above you also want to be sure that the footwear you choose have a waterproof liner and are also repellant outside as well. When you are hiking you run into terrain and situations that are not normally experienced which is why it is so crucial that you take the purchase of a quality pair of hiking boots so seriously.

You may be on pavement part of the time, walking on ice, walking through streams, climbing hills or small mountains and more. How often do you see these types of situations in regular every day life, unless you are a forest ranger or something? Like when buying other footwear, you need to think about the shape of your foot and how you are going to use the shoe when buying footwear specific for hiking. If you are going for long hikes on relatively even terrain you will want a different type of boot as opposed to what you will want if you are doing more climbing in hilly areas. Since you will be spending a great deal of time in your hiking boots you definitely want them to be comfortable. Don't take your buddy's advice, just because a certain brand feels good to him doesn't mean they will feel the same for you. Don't go for cheap, discount hiking boots if you are a serious hiker, I promise you will be disappointed and uncomfortable.

If you are going to be going for long hikes on a regular basis I would urge you to invest the money for a well made pair. You may even want to consider having a pair custom made. Before buying a hiking boot, make sure that you know exactly what types of environments and situations you will be using it in.

There is a wide variety of styles and boots to choose from for any situation you may want to put yourself in. If you are going to be using designated trails you can probably get away with lesser expensive footwear but if you are going to be going off the beaten path, spend the money.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as hiking boots at http://www.westernandworkboots.com