Gear Review: The Boots (Cresta Hikers from LL Bean's)

I know I've talked about my boots, the full-leather version of Bean's Goretex Cresta Hikers, several times before, but I am still  amazed that they lasted the entire trip!  

I have to point out that I was one of the very few thru-hikers to wear heavy hiking boots the entire trip. They ARE quite heavy, about 3 lbs; most long-distance hikers choose a much lighter option. I didn't have any problems with blisters or ankle/leg issues though, and, most important to me, my feet stayed dry most of the time. (The times my feet did get wet were when the tops of my socks got wet, either from rain or wet grass or bushes, and water wicked down from my socks into my boots. Ugh.)

 The inserts that go in the bottom of the inside of the boots wore out about halfway; I

bought replacements at an outfitter in Pennsylvania. The stitching on the back of both 

boots started to give out somewhere in New Hampshire or Maine, as you can see in 

the last picture, and I got new laces for them somewhere in Vermont. The tread on the 

bottom is pretty well worn out, and they could be very slippery on wet rocks and bog 

boards in the rain. Overall, though, I was very happy with them. They definitely 

proved themselves, over the course of 2200 miles or more, to be AT-tough!