Lots of good advice in this thread, particular about testing new boots with the socks you intend to wear on the hunt, as well as the quality of some of the older pack frames build back in the nineties. Also count this as a vote for an external frame. I like the versatility a good one offers.
My experience says it is a mistake to get to hung up on a particular brand of boot. If there is an area that screams for physically trying on, before buying, this is it. Boot technology has come a long, long ways. There are excellent boots out there that are comfortable from the moment you put them on, and your feet will tell you. Not the least of which was a mean discovery that my feet unexpectedly changed, a lot, a few years ago. This requiring me to change my preference to a company that used a different last to build their boots around.
There are also excellent boots out on the market that will [b]Not [/b]be comfortable from the moment you put them, and never will be.
With the many choices of footwear available today, I believe "break in to be outdated, and possibly insane, to put up with poor fitting boots.
Particularly since a little time dedicated to "pre-purchase" trialing can completely avoid the problem.
I have real trouble with the concept that you should spend $400, then a lot of time & discomfort, breaking in a pair of boots. Call it progress.
Best wishes for a great hunt.
Last edited by fishdog52; 03/07/11.
