by DopeyLoser » Sat Oct 02, 2021 11:51 pm
I do consider weight when buying boots, but I consider stiffness more. I try bending the sole to assess how stiff it is. For hillwalking and scrambling, I am happy with a boot that is somewhat flexible, but certainly not a super bendy one. A metal shank helps to add stiffness.
Why have some level of stiffness in the sole of the boot? So that your feet do not have a sole-destroying experience when you walk fifteen or twenty miles in a day, especially if you're carrying a load on your back.
You can get fully rigid boots, but they are heavy and not good for much except ice climbing, IMO. Of course, you need some level of stiffness if you are going to be using crampons i.e. in winter conditions.
Ankle support is also a consideration. My personal preference is to have some.
It really is a matter of personal preference. Some people are happy with very lightweight boots or bendy shoes. I see them running up hills and wonder how they do it.
I don't really rate waterproofness at all. Most boots are probably waterproof to some degree, but I will suggest that almost no normal-style hillwalking boots are truly waterproof. If you are out all day in pouring rain and wading through bogs and burns, then by the time you are done, your boots are going to be sopping wet, inside and out. You can spend a moderate amount of money and have wet feet or more money and have feet which are just as wet.