Merrell Women's J034250 Waterproof Hiking Boots - Lightweight & Durable for Outdoor Adventures, Trail Walking & Backpacking

These are the only brand of hiking boots that I don't need a break in period for. I hike an average of 5-8 miles a day in rough terrain for work and I can put on a brand-new pair of these boots and never have any pain. They are also fully waterproof and do well on slick surfaces. I have used this brand of boots for multiple years working as a wildlife technician. This means multiple years of hiking miles on end everyday, many 14-20 hour days, hiking through creeks, over snow, up to 13,000ft in elevation, occasional running, and I will not use another brand. I recently did throw this pair away after stretching these out for two seasons. They lasted a very long time and for many miles. I eventually threw them away because 1) they were old and I needed a new pair and 2) unfortunately they're not fire proof and I was doing an overnight capture and got a little too close to the fire with my boots and they burned.