Pumbaa,
The boot depends on the situation. (Just like all outdoor gear)
In very cold, very dry weather, it is perfectly acceptable to wear a non-breathable boot, like a high-altitude plastic mountaineering boot.
In very hot, wet weather, jungle boots are the norm.
Unfortunately, neither boot is appropriate for temperate wet weather. When it's too cold to wear jungle boots, but too wet to wear non-breathable boots, then you have no choice, you'll have to wear lined boots.
I have a trick that I've used on my feet:
Before you start out in the morning, powder your foot OR spray them with an anti-perspirant spray. You can buy these things at your local Pharmacy. Put on a clean, dry pair of wool socks.
If you have a few minutes on a lunch break, take off your boots and socks, and let them breathe for as long as you can.
At the end of the day, take off the socks you've worn that day, re-apply foot powder or spray, dry your feet and put on a pair of gore-tex socks. Seal-Skinz aren't overly expensive. That way, if your boots are wet, your gore-tex socks should keep you dry as long as you don't go out for a night march.
Put your damp socks in your sleeping bag, or inside your shirt when you bed down for the night. The next morning, take off the gore-tex socks, and put on the previous days socks. They might still be slightly damp, but there's no sense getting two pairs of socks wet.
And it works!!!
Adam
