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Backpacker Magazine – June 2008
Get maximum support, traction, and protection without wafflestomper weight or break-in. Welcome to the new breed of all-terrain, any-load boots.
Big-Load Support | Fast & Light | Best for Hard Miles | All-Day Comfort | Best Fit | Bargain
BARGAIN
Hi-Tec Peak II
Overall 3.5
The Peak II's price approaches dayhiker territory, but these boots can handle a weeklong trek. They have sneaker-comfort out of the box, with enough support for loads up to 40 pounds. They're best for hikers who favor trails over bushwhacking, due to less lateral stability and sole stiffness and a slightly lower ankle cut compared to other models here. The leather-lined collar cradled testers' ankles, and an ample cutout in the Achilles heel made them comfortable even for our two female testers (women tend to have lower, larger calf muscles). Testers loved the wide toebox, which accommodated end-of-day swelling, and the locking laces kept feet securely in place to minimize friction. After a wintry hike in New Hampshire, one tester reported good traction even on snow and ice. The Peak II's eVent membrane kept feet dry and proved supremely breathable. And the footbed had the best arch support in the test. Bummer: The tongue is cut oddly short–it tended to slide down below the laces, requiring frequent retying. Best for high-volume, wide feet. $150; 3 lbs. 8 oz.; men's 7–12, 13. (800) 521-1698; hi-tec.com.
Big-Load Support | Fast & Light | Best for Hard Miles | All-Day Comfort | Best Fit | Bargain

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READERS COMMENTS
Does anyone have any input on the difference between the Scarpa Barun GTX and the Scarpa Ladakh?
I'm looking to purchase a pair or either one of these and was wondering if anyone knew pros and cons when comparing them to each other.
Thanks in advance.
Still stupid all 6 of these boots have the same readers comments
I'm a size 12.5 and have a hard time finding boots. 12's fit good but can jam the toes on a down hill, 13 too loose and rub. Anybody make a narrow 13 or long 12 or how bout a nice 12.5?
Hey....just bought these boots from Zappos.com on advice of this site. I've worn them all day with a 2 mile walk through the neighborhood. I'm leaving for Utah's Zion National Park this Sunday and intend on wearing them.....so far...so good. It's funny as I've made plenty of fun of people who buy boots and wear them the next day out on the trail but the boots I had intended on wearing were bruising a toe. I guess will get a "come to Jesus" test in the coming week. I'll report back.
This is stupid, Hey Backpacker.com try reading your READERS COMMENTS section, if I went to buy a pair of boots by how well a reader found them I would have been screwed, for every single one of the boots listed (Big-Load Support | Fast & Light | Best for Hard Miles | All-Day Comfort | Best Fit | Bargain) they all have the same READERS COMMENTS. Good thing I have a great pair of boots from Asolo.
My size is 15-D. Where can I find some good hiking boots? Please send answer to: jayad135@yahoo.com
My comment was in regards to the Hi-Tec Peak II.
I actually just bought a pair about two weeks ago at the Army surplus store on Hampdon and Broadway in Denver.
They are great so far. I know boots pretty well as I am a Wilderness Ranger with the U.S. Forest Service. I go through a lot of boot. I am pretty impressed with these guys so far. The only gripe I have is they are not full grain leather all the way around. There is a seam near the instep. This was a problem on some boots I bought last year in Tibet because the seam ended up splitting after a lot of use.
We'll see.
But, they are available in the US!!! And for the price they are a great deal.
This looked like the right boot for me, then I learned that they are not available in my neck of the woods. I kinda feel cheated.
It might be nice if this shoe was offered in the US......
I found that this boot was available online only in the US in Maine....I would like to try this on at a store prior to my purchase. I have high arches and narrow feet, which severely limits the choices of shoes, much less boots, that I am able to wear. I suffered through 6.5 years in the USMC with gov't issued boots....if I have to buy them now, I would rather purchase something that was readily available to the general public....I would like to have reviews of readily available footware in the future.
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