Love your feet. Make sure you make the right choice when you buy your next pair of boots. Ask yourself these five questions before you buy:

1. Leather or synthetic?
In the past, all hiking boots were made from leather, but these days synthetic fabric ones are more popular. Why? Synthetics are lighter, softer and more breathable than leather, and easier to break in. There’s a downside, however. They don’t last as long as leather boots. Look at how many serious hikers still prefer to spend more on a good ol’ pair of cowhide boots.

2. High or low?
The one issue that divides hikers (no, it’s not the merits of two-minute noodles versus Toppers) is high-top versus low-cut boots. High-top boots support your ankles and prevent you picking up stones, but some hikers find them restrictive. Enter low-cut hikers, which are popular because they feel like ordinary shoes on your feet – you walk more comfortably. Which you choose depends a lot on the hiking terrain. On good paths low-cut is fine, but on rougher trails you’ll appreciate the extra support, especially if you are shouldering a heavy load.

3. Soft or rigid?
When you buy a new pair of boots, always bend and twist the sole to see how rigid it is. A softer sole is lighter and will feel more comfortable, but offers less support. The tougher the route, the harder and sturdier the sole should be.

4. What about Gore-Tex?
Gore-Tex is a waterproof, breathable material. It is mostly used for raincoats, but increasingly is being used as a lining by boot manufacturers too. It makes the boots watertight, but on a hot day it can make your feet sweat. It’s also expensive, but worth the money for a Kili ascent. For most local trails, though, we say it’s overkill.

5. And for women?
Good news for women is that you no longer have to put up with ill-fitting boots. Most manufacturers now offer woman-specific designs to cater for narrower female feet. (Imelda, take note. – Ed.)

Stitching
Watch out for excessive stitching. Thread is inclined to come loose, causing the boot to fall apart; and stitching is also a possible entry point for water.

Sole
Boots with uppers and soles in one piece might look cool, but you can’t resole them once the tread has worn off.

The tongue
Buy a boot with a tongue stitched to the sides of the boot. This prevents water, stones and sand from getting into the boot. (Important when mowing the lawn. – Ed.)

Toe protection
If your nickname is Tank or you’re not as nimble as a ballerina, choose a pair of boots with a big rubber bumper or edge around the toebox.

Hi-Tec V-Lite Fasthike
Ready for anything
Cheap, comfortable and tough… That’s how we have come to know Hi-Tec’s shoes over the past two decades – the Toyota Cressida of hiking shoes. 
These days Hi-Tec is targeting the serious hiker with its more expensive shoes. The Fasthike is cut low and made of durable material called nubuck leather (it’s a soft, brushed leather). 
Hi-Tec says the V-Lite is waterproof and has an internal back bone (the so-called Stabilaflex support between the sole and the inner sole). It is supposed to be rigid enough to hold the feet stable over stones, but flexible enough to be comfortable. These shoes are made for the veld, but are also trendy enough for the movies on a Saturday night.
Price: R650 from Cape Union Mart.
Contact: 0860 034 000; www.capeunionmart.co.za
Go! says: Good for a day walks or an overnight hike with a light pack.

5.10 Camp Four
For scrambling
A marketing man must have thought long and hard to come up with this name for a shoe sole: Stealth. Hmm. Not bad – a word that you mention in the same breath as a bomber.
The Stealth sole is made of the same rubber used on rock-climbing boots, and it has the same grip as a disgraced civil servant on his severance package.
At the back of the Camp Four is a so-called heel cage, which protects the ankle and is said to provide the same support as a higher-cut boot.
Price: R795 from Mountain Mail Order.
Contact: 021 790 6026; www.mountainmailorder.co.za
Go! says: This sole is the soul of these shoes.

K-Way Diablo
For a beginner climber
This might be an entry-level pair of boots, but it has foot-friendly features, including real nubuck leather uppers and a waterproof membrane. It’s good value for money.
Price: R500 from Cape Union Mart.
Contact: 0860 034 000; www.capeunionmart.co.za
Go! says: These boots’ medium-stiff soles make them suitable for shorter trails, but if you plan longer trips on rougher trails, get a pair with more rigid soles.

Aku Lhasa Gtx
For the serious hiker
These Italian boots have a lining of Gore-Tex, leather uppers and Vibram soles (a tough-as-nails material developed in Italy 70 years ago in collaboration with Leopoldo Pirelli of Pirelli tyres). Most similar boots cost more than R1000. These are soft and light, and suitable for multi-day trails.
Price: R825 from The Cairn.
Contact: 021 671 4385; www.thecairn.co.za
Go! says: Perfect for local hiking, especially in wet or cool weather.

La Sportiva Tibet
Shoe and sole in one
Seams are the weak point of any boot. That’s why La Sportiva has cut the Tibet from a single piece of tough, 2,6mm-thick nubuck leather. Vibram soles provide plenty of grip, and the Gore-Tex lining ensures your toes stay dry and warm in bad weather.
Price: About R1900.
Contact: Outward Ventures 021 683 3638; www.outward.co.za
Go! says: These are serious mountain boots – ideal for Kili or a Himalayan trek. They are certainly too hot and heavy for local trails.

“I have a pair of La Sportiva Tibet Gore-Tex boots. I prefer hiking boots to be slightly on the large side – a little bit of slip does no harm and actually reduces the chance of blisters, especially on the back of the heels.” – Jonathan Tillett

“I prefer ordinary takkies. My North Face ones with Gore-Tex are comfortable, light and breathable. In winter I prefer my Montrail Torre GTX boots. They support my ankles better and are waterproof.
“Don’t just buy the first pair of boots you see. Different brands have different designs. Most American brands work well for wider feet. The Canadian Salomons, on the other hand, work better for narrower feet. Ditto for Adidas and most Italian manufacturers.
“Go easy on the dubbin – it made the leather on my hiking boots too soft and it ended up stretching.” – Leon Kriel

“I hiked with leather hiking boots a couple of times and got blisters the size of old 50c coins. My Women’s Chameleon Arc Stretch Merrell worked perfectly – until the sand from the Fish River Canyon got into the lining. I’ve since switched to Columbia takkies. The laces don’t last, but I’ve done the Strandloper, Drakensberg, Jonkershoek, Oorlogskloof and Tafelberg in them, without any ankle injuries.” – Esma le Roux

“I wore Hi-Tec leather boots to climb Kilimanjaro (see Go! #21, March 2008). Any boots will cause discomfort if you don’t wear really good socks, and if you pick up mud or grit. I wore gaiters and one pair of TK4 socks and inners for six days. When I got home they ran to the washing machine on their own.” – William Barker

“Crispi is the only brand of hiking boots I ever owned that lasted for longer than a year. The ankle support is excellent, as are the Vibram soles.” – Dawie Verwey

“When you buy boots, find out if you can have them re-soled. My Karrimor KSB boots are amazing shoes – I’ve worn them for 13 years and have had them re-soled three times.” – Jaco Janse van Rensburg