<p>If anyone is looking for a great deal on hiking boots, LL BEAN is having a 20% off sale on LLBEAN brand camping and hiking gear this weekend. Their LLBEAN branded packs, tents, sleeping bags, and so forth are fine quality, but you can buy other brands at comparable prices.</p>
<p>The same is not true for a couple of models of their hiking boots that are made by an Italian boot company, [AKU[/url</a>].</p>
<p>Unlike the ubiquitous Chinese footwear from most of the outdoor brands, these are European made hiking boots – some made in Italy, some in Romania.</p>
<p>The [url=<a href=“http://www.llbean.com/llb/search/?freeText=goretex+hiking+boots&init=1&sort_field=Relevance#/llb/search/?freeText=goretex+cresta+hiker&init=1&sort_field=Relevance]Cresta”>Search results for "goretex hiking boots" | L.L.Bean]Cresta</a> Hikers](<a href=“http://www.aku.it/us/prodotti.html]AKU[/url”>http://www.aku.it/us/prodotti.html) are made for day hiking and light trekking over rugged terrain. They aren’t super stiff like mountaineering or backpacking boots. Soft leather. Pretty much the ol’ school hiking boots of old. Comparable boots from Asola and Scarpa are typically $250 to $300. GoreTex with Vibram soles. Completely water proof. I’ve dunked them in a bucket of water and nothing gets inside. These things are awesome. At $152 for the leather/fabric version and $160 for the full leather version, this is a steal. And, they are available in wide widths, which is not easy to find. this is my standard hiking boot for NH trails and I see people wearing them all the time.</p>
<p>The [Mountain</a> Treads](<a href=“http://www.llbean.com/llb/search/?freeText=goretex+hiking+boots&init=1&sort_field=Relevance#/llb/search/?freeText=mountain+tread&init=1&sort_field=Relevance]Mountain”>http://www.llbean.com/llb/search/?freeText=goretex+hiking+boots&init=1&sort_field=Relevance#/llb/search/?freeText=mountain+tread&init=1&sort_field=Relevance) are low cut Italian made suede and fabric hikers intended for less rugged terrain or general all-purpose outdoor activity. These are a definite step up from trail running shoes, but great for walking on trails with roots and rocks and stuff, or as an all-purpose waterproof shoe for slushy nasty weather days. I wear these if I’m not going to be scrambling up crazy rocky trails. Non-intuitively, they seem to take a little more breaking in than the leather Cresta Hikers. At the sale price, they aren’t that much more expensive than the Chinese low cut hikers from Timberland and North Face and Keen and Merrill – but way more heavy duty.</p>