Can 25 bucks buy a decent pair of boots? Dunno. Maybe the question is whether the $25 I spent bought a decent pair of boots. Now I know that the boot snobs in their Raichles, La Sportivas and Vasques boots are laughing their laces off, but WHAT IF they don't suck? What if they last half as long for a quarter of the money?

These boots were purchased at Del Rio's finest shoe store, Payless, for $22.99 + tax. State Street Brand, the model name is refreshing: "Tan Rugged Hiker." Rugged? We'll see about that!

About me: I'm a big fat fucker with bad feet and knees, so if the boots can possibly suck I will find out immediately. I'll be testing them in the local desert trails and caverns.

I'm inaugerating them tomorrow at Seminole Canyon State Park where I plan to check out the neolithic cave paintings.

I don't know if they allow photography but if they do I'll post some pix tomorrow.

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Next Day
Sorry but I got called to teach Friday so I couldn't hike, but I decided to wear them anyway. I should have worn thicker socks because my feet kind of rattled around in the boots, but they were comfortable. I noticed a bunion on my left pinky toe getting sore, but that's what "breaking-in" means, right? The last good boots I had were US Army issue combat boots, they were a little small, but after letting them dry on my feet a few times after getting them soaked, they fit like a glove. Contrary to conventional wisdom I wore them with thin cotton athletic socks. I never got a blister. Not one. I feel a little guilty -- I treated those boots like shit and they treated me like a king. I got my first outdoor nookie in those boots and now I don't even know where they are, though at the time I swore to get them bronzed.

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First Impressions

I went out to Seminole Canyon today for a short trek, only about a mile or so, to get a sense of how the boots are going to work out. Now I'll be doing an article on the park later, but just so you know, the terrain is rocky and a little uneven, but still fairly groomed on the trail itself. Since it was my first time out there, I was by myself, and it was a little cold and late in the day, I decided to stay on the trail in case I broke my frickin' ankle or something. The boots held up fine, the thicker socks helped the fit, and I didn't notice the bunion. I did stumble once, and the boot gave me enough support to keep me from twisting my ankle.

So, they didn't fall apart in the first mile. I'll keep you posted.

Update 1/25/2004

It has been raining for a week. Unusual for a place that averages 18 inches of rain per year. These boots may be ugly ducklings, but they have no affinity for the water. The soles are not "grippy" on hard surfaces, and are downright dangerous on linoleum. I don't know how that translates to the trail, but I would not be comfortable taking these boots on any sort of rocky grade right now. Of course it could be that I just need to wear the first few microns of "street" off the soles. I've worn them on-road and indoors lately and they may have picked up floor wax, parking lot oil and such that needs to wear off. What the hell do I know? Nothing except I almost went ass-over-teakettle yesterday at the cinema.