Anyone who’s ever worn uncomfortable boots on a multi-day trip will know how I feel about these babies. When you’re slogging through mud, over sharp-edged rocks, carrying a heavy pack, or just covering a lot of miles, you notice everything about your boots. Blisters go beyond being a minor inconvenience; they can absolutely ruin your trip. Lacing systems that make you re-tie your boots every half hour drive you nuts. Ultra hard soles or ultra soft soles can both make every step hurt. It’s a difficult job balancing all of those needs, without going to a custom Italian boot that costs more than your first car.

Enter the L.L Bean Gore-Tex Cresta Leather Hiker. At $179, these are a bargain at first look (UPDATE: The price, as of 5/7/2015, is $239). Gore-Tex…ahhh. Here in the Northeast, it’s not often that you get to hike for long without finding SOMETHING wet to step in. If you’re lucky, it’s a stream…if not, it’s a muddy bog that sucks you in and goes up over the top of the boots. Gore-Tex allows your feet to stay dry until you get water inside, and then lets the water back OUT if you do. And, the boot has a one-piece upper, which means fewer places for water to enter and fewer seams to fall apart.  Definitely a bonus to have that quality of construction. Oh, and while these aren’t custom, they are Italian!  That’s definitely unusual at this price point.

Next, lacing. Look carefully at that photo of my poor, abused boots. Notice that one big sort-of-eyelet thing dead center. That locks the lower lacing pressure in place when you pull the lace into it. Then, you can lace the upper section around your ankle as tight or loose as you’d like. It’s almost like having two separate laces, without the hassle. You can have it tight around your foot, loose around your ankle, vice versa, or any combination. Either way, it’s a custom fit.

Soles. Vibram. That pretty much says it all. Well, not quite. It’s not the hardest Vibram sole, and that’s a good thing…some of their soles are like black granite.  Bean has done a nice job of balancing a harder sole with good wear characteristics with enough flexibility to grip pretty much anything you’ll walk over that isn’t covered with slime. Heavy or light loads, they stay comfortable, on smooth trails or no trails.

I also have to say that I’m a fan of custom insoles. Most factory insoles are soggy bits of foam that have no support at all. With the Cresta Hiker, the actual sole is contoured INSIDE the boot. The footbed is so well designed that the foam insole they provide just serves to smooth out the fine details of matching your foot to their design.  And because it’s integral to the boot, it’s as firm as the sole itself…no wearing out on you! And no spending $30 on top of the boot price to get a comfortable, supportive insole, either.

Now, none of this matters if the boots don’t fit. But, here again, the people who designed this boot knew what they were doing. There are 3 different widths available, so this boot will fit almost anyone…even people like me, who have a wide forefoot and narrow heel. They’ve designed a heel pocket that actually holds your heel in place, which is the single most important thing. Lock in that lower lacing, and your heel is nice and snug.  With that, plus the semi-custom lacing system, you can make this boot fit with thin socks, thick socks, even two pair of socks when it gets really cold out.

Now, I’ve abused these things over all sorts of rotten terrain for a couple of years now. Every once in a while, I get out the Nikwax and slop some on to maintain the waterproofing, and that’s all I do. Like any good sidekick, they don’t complain…they just keep on working, keep on keeping my feet dry and comfortable, keep on protecting my ankles in lousy root-and-rock backcountry. This is what a boot is all about; making sure that it ISN’T the limiting factor on your trip. Recently, I did a multi-day trip where most of the hiking was with a 20 pound pack for 6-8 hours a day. I don’t need a heavy boot for that…but I chose the Crestas over my various lightweight boots. I knew that with that many hours each day, I’d rather carry the extra weight around than have my feet go sore on me.  And not once did I regret that decision! Every evening, my feet felt as fresh as they possibly could; I didn’t even change into my camp slippers immediately on getting back to the tents.

You may be able to find a boot that beats these for fit. And you may be able to find a good boot that costs less and has the same quality and features.  And you might even find a pair with the same rock-solid guarantee that Bean is famous for.   And I’m going to bet that it won’t be anytime soon that you find all of those things in the SAME pair of boots.  If you have to live with only one pair of hiking boots, I can highly recommend the L.L. Bean  Gore-Tex Cresta Leather Hikers!