Garmont

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Garmont

6 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 3, 2025

  New buy it for life shoes or hiking shoes

  Garmont. They are heavy, but holy hell they are the most comfortable boots I’ve owned. Hiked god know how many miles, and worked in worked in them daily. Just bought a new pair after 3 years, but I still wear the old ones. They just have zero tread left.

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• #2Aug 11, 2025

  Asolo is garbage and their customer service sucks donkey d!ck; what's my next boot brand?

  Unless you get the army surplus danners they gave us in basic. Jesus were those bad. I bought a pair of Garmonts and never looked back. Just my opinion as someone who has had to hike a lot. They stood up to it for 4 years before needing a new pair. Even then it was only because they were too dirty to clean and people above said "ew".

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• #3Jun 6, 2025

  Best wide shoes for heavy folks (8+ hours standing)

  Rather than looking at running shoes, try looking at hiking/trail running shows- these will typically have a higher density/sturdier sole because they are designed to move over rough terrain for long distances. This will significantly increase the longevity of the shoe compared to running shoes which typically have lighter, lower density soles and are really not suited to prolonged use by heavier individuals. These hiling/trail running shoes will also typically have wider options available, some brands to look out for; Garmont, Scarpa, New Balance, La Sportiva, Merrell, Danner, Salomon. Avoid On Cloud like the fucking plague, they are terrible shoes. Also, combine the shoes with a good foot bed, like Superfeet, which will offer much better support and help regulate posture and foot alignment, increasing overall comfort and longevity of the shoe.

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• #4Jun 6, 2025

  Best wide shoes for heavy folks (8+ hours standing)

  This is actually something I’m an ‘expert’ on just from so much personal experience. As long distance runner and former infantryman who has tried damn near every shoe, boot, insole, and sock you could imagine, (I’ve literally spent thousands on this) and also dealt with just about every common foot issue you can imagine, I’ve come to learn that everyone has different shoe/sock/boot preferences which they swear by, because everyone’s feet are sooo different.This is because there are so many different parts of foot which that make them unique - supination/pronation, toe length and really the geometry of every bone in your foot varies from person to person, foot width, fat padding depth, etc etc. I could give a whole spiel on all of the factors from everything I’ve learned, but the key takeaway from this bit is that there is TONS of variation. I’m saying all of this to give support to this recommendation: TLDR: Go to a running shoe store such as Fleet Feet and try on as many shoes the worker helping you there will bring out for you. You don’t need to be a runner to get good shoes from those places, they will have tons of options well suited for walking as well. Most of those running shoe stores will do some type of measurement/analysis on your feet and your gait to help you find a good match. Tbh those analysis are probably 50% snake oil gimmicks, but it does work. I would also recommend getting custom insoles from them as well. Don’t feel pressured into buying it then and there, you can go to other stores and try on shoes there as well if nothing there is suiting you. The most important thing is finding a shoe that works well for you. The other really important thing to prevent foot pain is the physical therapy side of things. You can do simple, easy exercises sitting/standing still that will help you tremendously. Look up “Squat University” on YouTube and search for his foot related vids, he’s a physical therapist who gives amazing insight, PT exercises and how to do them, and is easy to understand as a layman. He talks a lot about regaining toe splay which is super important for foot function, and unfortunately the vast majority of people have lost due to the fact that almost all shoes have way too narrow of a toe box. The analogy is that we have been doing something akin to Chinese foot binding for our entire lives by using these modern shoe designs and have thus wrecked our foot physiology. Just to touch on my experience with some of the brands I’ve seen mentioned in the comments or that I have experience with worth mentioning: Hoka: definitely the softest feeling sole I’ve run in. However, and you may not experience this only walking, but it wore down quickly and also felt like it lost its ‘bounce’ relatively quickly; within 300 miles or so. It felt a bit like running on sand after that point. Wasn’t a huge fan tbh, but again, they might suit you perfectly, it’s impossible for me to say either way. Brooks: good feeling shoes that gives a lot of stability and support to your entire foot. Some would argue that this can be worse for you in the long run since your feet start to conform to and thus rely on the support/structure provided by the shoe, instead of allowing your feet to build the muscles and shape to function properly. Merrells: the ones I’ve used have been relatively comfy for me, but very narrow, especially in the toe box. Wouldn’t recommend them if you are looking for something wider. Altra: Not sure if anyone has called out altra yet, but these are marketed as having a very wide toe box, which they do. I have a pair of their hiking shoes and boots, and the boots are my favorite I’ve ever owned for when I want something light weight. As far as boots go (just in case you were looking for boots as well) Danner: the ones I’ve used have a nice wide toe box, a flat and thin sole, and very little support. However, I find them super comfy, almost like wearing moccasins, where it feels like there’s nothing on your feet because they have so much freedom of movement, if that makes sense. I actually ended up doing most of SFAS in these (which I would NOT recommend due to them not having a lot of sole padding/thickness) due to my other boots tearing, but I survived. Garmont: the ‘NFS’ model were the go-to uniform compliant boots for almost everyone for a while especially for things like rucking. I’ve noticed a lot of the combat arms type folks using a different new boot now though, but can’t remember what they are at the moment. Lowa: my favorite heavier duty boot for doing things that benefit from having a thick sole and a lot of support. They are very comfortable for me. However, they are relatively narrow and have a narrow toe box though, I have a narrow foot and I wear the wide versions. Hopefully this text wall benefits you, or anyone else that happens to stumble across this in the future, at least a little bit. Good luck in your search!

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• #5Jun 6, 2025

  Best wide shoes for heavy folks (8+ hours standing)

  This is actually something I’m an ‘expert’ on just from so much personal experience. As long distance runner and former infantryman who has tried damn near every shoe, boot, insole, and sock you could imagine, (I’ve literally spent thousands on this) and also dealt with just about every common foot issue you can imagine, I’ve come to learn that **everyone has different shoe/sock/boot preferences which they swear by, because everyone’s feet are sooo different**.This is because there are so many different parts of foot which that make them unique - supination/pronation, toe length and really the geometry of every bone in your foot varies from person to person, foot width, fat padding depth, etc etc. I could give a whole spiel on all of the factors from everything I’ve learned, but the key takeaway from this bit is that there is TONS of variation. I’m saying all of this to give support to this recommendation: TLDR: Go to a running shoe store such as Fleet Feet and try on as many shoes the worker helping you there will bring out for you. **You don’t need to be a runner to get good shoes from those places, they will have tons of options well suited for walking as well**. Most of those running shoe stores will do some type of measurement/analysis on your feet and your gait to help you find a good match. Tbh those analysis are probably 50% snake oil gimmicks, but it does work. I would also recommend getting custom insoles from them as well. Don’t feel pressured into buying it then and there, you can go to other stores and try on shoes there as well if nothing there is suiting you. The most important thing is finding a shoe that works well for you. The other really important thing to prevent foot pain is the physical therapy side of things. You can do simple, easy exercises sitting/standing still that will help you *tremendously.* Look up “Squat University” on YouTube and search for his foot related vids, he’s a physical therapist who gives amazing insight, PT exercises and how to do them, and is easy to understand as a layman. He talks a lot about regaining toe splay which is super important for foot function, and unfortunately the vast majority of people have lost due to the fact that almost all shoes have way too narrow of a toe box. The analogy is that we have been doing something akin to Chinese foot binding for our entire lives by using these modern shoe designs and have thus wrecked our foot physiology. Just to touch on my experience with some of the brands I’ve seen mentioned in the comments or that I have experience with worth mentioning: Hoka: definitely the softest feeling sole I’ve run in. However, and you may not experience this only walking, but it wore down quickly and also felt like it lost its ‘bounce’ relatively quickly; within 300 miles or so. It felt a bit like running on sand after that point. Wasn’t a huge fan tbh, but again, they might suit you perfectly, it’s impossible for me to say either way. Brooks: good feeling shoes that gives a lot of stability and support to your entire foot. Some would argue that this can be worse for you in the long run since your feet start to conform to and thus rely on the support/structure provided by the shoe, instead of allowing your feet to build the muscles and shape to function properly. Merrells: the ones I’ve used have been relatively comfy for me, but *very* narrow, especially in the toe box. Wouldn’t recommend them if you are looking for something wider. Altra: Not sure if anyone has called out altra yet, but these are marketed as having a very wide toe box, which they do. I have a pair of their hiking shoes and boots, and the boots are my favorite I’ve ever owned for when I want something light weight. As far as boots go (just in case you were looking for boots as well) Danner: the ones I’ve used have a nice wide toe box, a flat and thin sole, and very little support. However, I find them super comfy, almost like wearing moccasins, where it feels like there’s nothing on your feet because they have so much freedom of movement, if that makes sense. I actually ended up doing most of SFAS in these (which I would NOT recommend due to them not having a lot of sole padding/thickness) due to my other boots tearing, but I survived. Garmont: the ‘NFS’ model were the go-to uniform compliant boots for almost everyone for a while especially for things like rucking. I’ve noticed a lot of the combat arms type folks using a different new boot now though, but can’t remember what they are at the moment. Lowa: my favorite heavier duty boot for doing things that benefit from having a thick sole and a lot of support. They are very comfortable for me. However, they are relatively narrow and have a narrow toe box though, I have a narrow foot and I wear the wide versions. Hopefully this text wall benefits you, or anyone else that happens to stumble across this in the future, at least a little bit. Good luck in your search!

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• #6Feb 6, 2025

  Hiking shoes - all my footwear gets a worn out heel from the inside and I am desperate to find something that lasts.

  If you mean the insole is wearing out, yeah, just get something with a replaceable insole. If you mean the bottom sole is wearing out on the inside of your step, it's because you're pronating your foot. Pretty much everyone either pronates (bends foot inward) or supinates (bends foot outward). You don't need a podiatrist if you're not in pain. It's just a thing that happens. For good boots, look at Garmont Bifidas or Belleville Ultralights. I've used both for over 300 miles each and still no noticeable wear on either (in the sole or the boot itself). A sole made out of EVA foam will be more cushiony, but wear out sooner. Polyurethane will last way longer, because it's a lot more rigid, but that also makes it a bit less comfy. But some boots will blend both, so you just need to find where your balance is.

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