[Dante]

We has a pretty good thread on the pros and cons of different kinds and weights of hiking boots over on the old mtn goat forum. I thought I'd try to rekindle it here. I currently own two pair of boots: A pair of Merrell Leathers and a pair of Asolo Fusion 95 GTX. I like them both. I got the Asolos because I wanted something lighter than the Leathers which are overkill with a light pack--particularly on trails and because I wanted to extend the life of the Leathers by reserving them for heavy packs and/or off-trail trips. I won't bother to give you my opinion on the Leathers because you can't get them any more. My experience with the Asolos has been everything BACKPACKER MAGAZINE suggested when they announced these boots were an Editor's Choice. Lots of support in a relatively light boot. I only have two misgivings: First, the sole compound is not as grippy as the Vibrams on my leathers Second, there are a LOT of seams on these boots. I'll keep a coat of Seam Grip on them, but we'll have to see how they hold up to travel on talus, crusty snow and the like.

[Backpacker Joe]

Although I have three pair of Merrell Leathers, and one pair of Leather lights, I plan on buying a pair of Limmer mid weights soon. I find that my feet have gone from 9.5 to 10.0 and I only have one pair of Merrell Leathers in size 10.0. Boot link