GARMONT T8 Suede Leather Boots, 12.5

Garmont Boots Rock! I use both the T8 NFS 670 (this item) and the Bifida Boots. They are made very well, and the leather and synthetic materials form a very nice product. Both boots are different animals and do require break in. Once they have more or less adapted to your feet, they are very comfortable. In fact, I’d say they are the best ones out there. A certain style of sock will need to match your boot and foot and it may need to be thicker or thinner depending on how things feel. You will need to figure all that out. I wear a size 11 boot. The T8 (Sized 11) came in almost a little on the tighter side, but after breaking in they fit very well, like an extension of your foot, and that's what you need. No slipping, no sliding etc. The Bifida on the other hand fit a 1/2 size larger for me, so had to return and now have a 10-1/2. It then had a slightly different feel than the T8s. You will definitely notice the thicker tread which is great for rocky trail / road areas, and the rear part of the heel is slightly higher than the rest of the boot. At first with the Bifidas, there was this issue with a strange feel towards the back of the insole. It was like my heel was being placed on the back top edge of the insert. It dug into my heel for a little bit, and it felt weird. I pulled the insole out, wore the boot, and the tight feel showed me that the boot was the right size. I put the insoles back in and just grunted through it all. After hiking and fast walking about 20 miles altogether on varied terrain, they now fit as good as the T8s, in fact maybe a little better. The T8s did not have any issue with the insoles, and are more like a very nice leather high top that you could run in and not get shin splints or blisters (if they are fitting properly). The Bifidas have a thicker bitchin’ Vibram tread to the bottom and handle rocky trails and muddy areas just fine. But that said, be aware that both aren't in the same class as hiking boots. For cases where you are out in the middle of nowhere near medium to larger sized rocks that can cause your ankle to roll, wear hiking boots instead, where your ankle will be completely immobilized (or close to that). I wish Garmont made a hiking boot that was made of the same type of materials. I’d choose that over the other commercial offerings.