New Balance 1200GT

This is a great boot for day hikes and light backpacking. Its lightweight nylon mesh and sueded upper gives amazing ventilation, while the Gore-tex liner keeps you dry. There's a polymer heel cap that adds stability, gel inserts in the midsole and an innovative "stability web" that replaces the arch support and shank found in heavier boots.

These boots fit very well right out of the box, and I couldn't bring myself to take them off, so I wore them while walking around the store and then for the rest of the day. Typical of New Balance, these boots are very well made.

The one concern I had was the rather "funky" design of the Vibrm outsole - the tread looks like it would hold a lot of mud and wear quickly. Traction is excellent in wet conditions, and the soles didn't pick up much debris....so time will tell on the wear factor.

All in all, this is a very nice boot to replace the pair of (more expensive brand name) that a notorious PA section of the Appalachian Trail killed this past summer.