machine23 wrote:whats the better comfy brand for caving, mud, muck, water, whatever i could run into in a cave. i know about merrell. and i know to look for gore-tex waterproof material. but is there anything else i should look for?
Boots are a big topic with cavers. There is no perfect boot. Different people look for different features. Some things are regional. This post is long so I hope I don't bore you but I've experimented a good bit with various boots during my 13 years of caving.
I know in the late 90's when I went on a week long caving adventure with a group in the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico we were told to wear boots with a non-marking sole (like gum soles). Until that time my favorite caving boots had been military issue jungle boots (cloth and leather with drain holes) but for the New Mexico trip I bought some tan "work boots" with gum soles and they are now my favorite caving boots. (edited to clarify - I'm not wearing the same pair of boots but the same style.) If I know I have a long hike over rough terrain I will sometimes wear hiking boots to get to the cave and change at the entrance.
Water proof gortex boots are only waterproof if you keep the tops of the boots above the water level. If you are in waist deep water the water will be in your boots. That is why I liked the jungle boots . . . the water would drain out. The work boots don't have drain holes but they aren't insulated like most hiking boots so they don't hold the water in too much. If I know I'm going to be in a wet cave I usually wear neoprene booties instead of socks. (Again for the hike to the cave I may wear hiking socks and change at the entrance.)
I find that generally the cheap "k-mart of walmart brands" of boys work boots hold up pretty well to caving. Having a small female foot I find a size 5 from the boys department usually works out pretty good for me. If you buy them in the men's dept they will probably cost a bit more than I pay for mine. Avoid steel toes (you generally don't need that kind of protection caving).
I have caved in a pair of Vasque boots (they had a light weight lining) that I found in a thrift store that worked out pretty well, but I didn't think they had the traction I get from the work boots (or the jungle boots when I used to wear them).
I've never used the "Joop" boot that Wendy mentioned. I do know several cavers who like to cave in "Wellies". If you get in deep water in them they really hold the water. I tried caving in "Wellies" a time or two but didn't feel I had enough ankle support.
A lot of people I know retire their old hiking boots to caving boots when they buy new hiking boots. I'd say experiment and see what works for you.