I found some serious vegan hiking boots!

[gazelle]

I wanted to share the fruits of my extensive search for vegan hiking boots that are heavier duty & suitable for backpacking. There is not much out there now fitting that description but I found a great boot: The T6 Tactical Boot by Garmont. Garmont is a quality brand found in many outdoor stores but you will not find this boot in that kind of store. The boot was based on an earlier vegan boot that has been discontinued, and this model was designed specifically for military and law enforcement use. I found the best deal at:

http://www.extremeoutfitters.us/index.asp

You will find the black ($105) and the tan ($150) models linked on this page, and there is no shipping charge for UPS standard. The boot retails elsewhere as high as $180, so these are good prices. And although I haven't used mine for backpacking yet, I can attest to the comfort and high quality. The boots have super durable Vibram soles for anyone who cares.

[Fenguin]

Garmont as a company looks pretty promising! I've been looking for vegan hiking boots, and that's definitely a contender. They also apparently make the Kiowa Vegan XCR (http://www.garmontusa.com/881052212.html) which incorporates some Gortex. Sounds like it would be nice for muck and Oregon rain.

[gazelle]

Yeah, Fenguin - the Kiowa is a nice boot. For me the only thing missing from the T6 is gore-tex or waterproofing (you can apply a spray, though). But because I backpack and hike and didn't want to buy two different styles, I had to go for the more rugged and ankle supportive T6's. If you just day hike, I think the Kiowa would be perfect.

[VeganAlstine]

I have been hiking in the Catskill for two full seasons on these Garmonts:
http://www.greatgreenshoes.com/index.php?s=cambrelle
and I love them. (no attachment to this vendor, search for best price/ethics). I'll bet other Garmonts are fine, too.

[Finlay]

This is not good advice for everybody, but have you considered just using trail runners? As long as your pack isn't too heavy, it's entirely feasible.

[jaynesh]

Does anyone know anywhere to get some cheap vegan hiking boots? I hate to spend so much money.