[jstarfish]

Depends on what you're hiking.

Boots protect against minor injuries and frostbite to shins, calves, toes, soles and ankles and reinforce the same if you do tear something and end up having to limp for miles (splint or not).

[onlyrealcuzzo]

Also, if it's really wet / swampy, you're gonna have a bad time without boots.