I bought a pair of the Gore-Tex Cresta Hikers for my husband's birthday. He is an avid hiker and backpacker. He absolutely loved them. He found them to be incredibly well-made and so comfortable he wore them to work to break them in. At work he got lots of comments on them. They are very stylish looking as well as rugged. I almost purchased some that were about half the price. But after reading the reviews I decided to go with these. And I am very happy that I did.
I am a pretty experienced hiker. I was a little dubious about buying a pair of hiking boots from LL Bean and not one of the name-brand hiking boot manufacturers -- Vasque, Montrail, etc.
Let me tell you, I am now a believer.
These boots have served me so well on so many trails for several years now. I have wide, flat feet; fit is often a problem for me. But these were great out of the box. Nice roomy toebox, well-constructed, and a great price.
One nit -- the speed lacing eyelets (I think that's what you call them...) at the top of the boot have bent over time, so they should probably use sturdier metal for those.
Great well made boot. Runs narrow in the toe area even with the EE width. The all leather in this same boot has lots of area in the toes. Great boot at a great price!
I am an Asst. Scoutmaster/Camping Director for our troop and the fellow in charge of hiking/backpacking activities. I needed a pair of dedicated hiking boots that can handle rain, cold, terrain, and provide appropriate support. The Cresta hikers are quality boots, made in Italy. I needed a narrow size and they are offerred in narrow sizes. They are substantial boots and I'll need to break them in a bit, but I expect them to serve me well when my troop and I go backpack camping. Another post will follow after I've put more mileage on them
