These boots are made for walking….and hiking and climbing and winter and….

A Journey of a thousand miles may begin with a single step, but there’s plenty that follow it, so having some good boots is requirement to a happy trip.  Nothing is worse then spending all day on your feet and having you’re feet ache, day in and day out.  So with that in mind and owning nothing but a pair of runners, New Balance’s 857 (henceforth NB), i set out to get me some hiking boots.

After continously failing to find anything that fits my massive size 14 4E feet at work, i made my way to several other stores, trying various brands.  But in the end it was NB once again who i found to have some nice shoes.

The Boot

NB 1200 (MO1200GT)

• GORE-TEX® XCR® offers advanced waterproof protection and durability
• C-CAP® midsole provides cushioning and support
• ABZORB® SBS in both heel and forefoot provides 5-10% more effective cushioning than original ABZORB® with no compression set
• Rock Stop™ embedded into forefoot provides protection from sharp rocks and debris
• STABILITY WEB® delivers midfoot support and reduces the weight of the shoe
• Vibram® outsole provides maximum surface contact and multi-directional traction
• Gusseted Tongue fully attached to shoe keeps debris out
• Asymmetrical Comfort Cuff Collar provides comfort and support
• Removable full-length insert of ABZORB® cushioning provides added comfort
• TPU (Thermoplastic Urethane) Reinforced
  Heel Counter provides maximum stability, a
  more secure fit, and additional heel protection

There’s all the gory marketing details for those interested.  The 1200 is actually an older model, replaced by the aptly named 1201.  But the fit and feel was here for me, and amazingly i actually went up another size, for my boots are 15 2E.  It seems like a big jump, but honestly i felt i had the room I needed in these, and not in the smaller and newer boots.  And thanks to an old work connection I got them for a great price.  Now NB fans will know they make the heavier and tougher 1500 boot now as well.  I do like the 1500, but again… a little pressure on my small toe made me think twice.  The 1200s should be tough enough for most of what I am going to be doing, and anything really taxing, I’m looking at you Killi…. I’ll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

So hopefully these will be my faithful companions, and we’ll find out how they perform over the winter.