If I had only one good pair of hiking boots, they'd be Gore-tex lined. I wear the Gore-tex most of the time, in most conditions. I do have unlined boots that I wear in hot dry conditions.
If you are hiking when you want your feet to stay dry in mud, rain, puddle jumping then Gore-tex or another good sock liner membrane is essential for cloth and leather boots. Either way, good socks and timely sock changes are needed. A great deal of foot pain and discomfort is operator error, not boot failure.
If you are primarily using the boots for hot weather and dry conditions, then Gore-tex is not your friend as breathable is a very loosely used term. Any waterproof barrier will dramatically reduce a a cloth and leather boots ability to breathe. That being said, when it's really hot, a breathable boot doesn't magically result in cool feet.
