The most important thing with any boot is initial fit. The old school of thought on "breaking in" boots has been pretty much discredited, your feet adjust , more than the boot. Get a pair that is SHAPED LIKE YOUR FEET. Your boots should be comfortable when laced up, but not cranked down hard. Your instep should be cradled and tight enough to prevent your toes from impacting with the front on a down hill, or kicking brush. You MUST fit your boots with the type of socks you will be wearing in the field. Loose boots don't cause blisters, rubbing does. Lots of people wore the old jungle boot loose, often WITHOUT laces at all, and hiked (HUMPED) hundreds of miles with minimal blisters. That said, your feet shouldn't "slosh around" and rub on the inside of the boot. I bet your sneakers are loose and comfortable. you want something like that. Your feet Will swell some from hard walking (especially if you don't do it often) so you need room for this. Altitude also makes your feet swell. There is a small amount of "breaking in your feet" as you do more with them. Your skin needs to adapt to the new demands on it. It does Toughen up, like calluses on your hands. I have seen More problems from tight boots or bade shape choices than anything else. DO NOT "buy a label", buy boots. I recommend Danners because MOST people (not all) can get the right width from them. Their product is so consistent and well fit for me that I can mailorder them (Which I actively discourage, unless you KNOW). They will do custom pairs if you have dew claws or different sized feet (every one does but some people are in the extreme). I love Merrall mountain boots, the heavy duty black ones with the blue lace, the craftsmanship..... I will never own a pair unless they change their Last (boot framer) shape. They just aren't shaped like my feet. If you have a good initial fit , your feet adapt faster as you and your boots settle into co-existance. Lastly, good workmanship and materials make all the difference. Good gear is worth paying for, it dosn't have to be expensive to be good, but you aren't going to get $80 worth of leather in $60 boots and the raw goods cost what they cost. My high altitude boots run about $56 a toe and are cheap insurance. I know someone who paid about $160,000 (out of pocket, insurance covered $2200) to have two toes rebuilt after a frost bite injury in the Alps. This is an extreme example but it illustrates my point. So I wear $200 boots. I have a pair of Acadias that has a measured (not estimated) 4500 miles on them (resoled twice at $40 each time) they are 12 years old and going strong. Take the time to learn to fit your own boots so your not a "Gumby" (i.e. $4000 1911, K-mart boots, cartoon brain). If anyone has more questions I'll be glad to answer if I can.
This was originally posted on a U.S. web forum (Hoodlums) but in the U.K. you would get similar results from Lowa. I liked the old U.S.jungle boots, the new ones from Altama are junk. The soles crack FAST, they have major quality control issues, and are even being investigated for contract violations. I have mixed feelings for Direct Molded Sole (DMS) boots in general, because I have had mixed results. Many good companies do make good ones now, but the resole cost limits their useful life span. If like many of us over here, you have discovered the joy of Ultra Light gear, look at a pair of "approach shoes" instead of more traditional full leather boots. Remember though, a lot of people have lived lifetimes bare foot or in sandals, It depends on what you want your boots to do. Do research.
Muddyboots