So, I've been a boot guy since I started backpacking. I use a pair of Scarpas with full leather uppers of one-piece leather. These are great boots and they've served me well for nearly two years now. They are most amazing on stream crossings, for my they are impermeable to water unless submerge (which I have slipped and done once). Surprisingly they dried very quickly after the submersion, and like I said, I love them.
But, I'll be honest here, these boots cause me some serious foot discomfort about halfway through day 2, and things go very sour from there.
After reading the popularity of shoes here, I am seriously considering purchasing a hiking shoe and abandoning the boot route. In fact, I plan on visiting local retailers tomorrow to try on the Montrail Vitesse, Merrell Ventilator, and whatever else piques my interest. Unfortunately I do not foresee many hiking shoes being adequate for my backpacking conditions: very wet, muddy, and brushy conditions in southern Appalachia. It's not uncommon for me to have no choice but to walk through mud up to 4 inches thick and nasty puddling over 3 inches deep. I particularly foresee the traditional hiking shoes (ie, mesh uppers) being very uncomfortable when traversing these conditions. Am I wrong in this logic?
One thing that I am interested in, and have researched a bit today, are shoes/boots using eVENT uppers. I have found a few boot manufacturers, including Kayland, that appear to have nice boots; but I can not find any local dealers to try these on at.
I also can not find any eVENT hiking shoes. Do these not exist, or am I not looking hard enough?
One other question regarding the popular hiking shoes worn here. Are the bottoms of these type shoes permeable to water seeping in or no? I absolutely can not stand the soggy, mushy soles I get from my tennis shoes walking on wet surfaces. I certainly would not to backpack with that feeling under my feet.
