Boots for wet ground

In ground this wet, the question is not whether water gets in. It is how fast it gets out.

Much of the walking in western Norway crosses bog, wet rock slabs and root systems, often all three within a hundred metres. That changes what a boot needs to do.

Membrane or drainage

A waterproof membrane keeps splash and light rain out. It also stops water leaving once it has come in over the cuff, which in bog it will. A non-membrane boot in synthetic materials gets wet immediately and then drains and dries as you walk. Neither is correct in general: membrane suits cold showery days on defined paths, drainage suits sustained bog in mild weather.

Wet rock

Grip on wet rock is dominated by rubber compound, not tread pattern. Softer compounds deform into surface irregularities and hold better on smooth wet stone, and wear faster in exchange. Deep aggressive lugs are for mud and loose ground and do very little on a wet slab, where what you want is contact area.

Sizing

Size for the descent, not the shop. Feet swell over a long day and a nine-hundred-metre descent drives the toes forward on every step. If your longest toe touches the end when you kick the heel back and lean forward, you will lose the toenail. Roughly a thumb's width of space, with the sock you will actually wear.

Ankle height

High cuffs do not meaningfully prevent ankle sprains; the evidence for that is weak. What they do is keep grit and heather out and add a little warmth. Choose on that basis rather than on a safety claim.

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