For a boot to be long lasting, it has to be repairable, e.g. a Goodyear or storm welt or stitch down. Glued together shoes will never be BIFL because the soles are a wear item, particularly for hiking, because the rubber is often softer to better grip trails, but that trades off for less durability.

Anything with foam in it is a no-go because foam breaks down over time. For waterproofing, there's a few different types. Rubberized boots are truly waterproof, and fairly durable, but they don't breath at all, so you probably don't want that for hiking. Performance waterproof boots will often have a gortex lining, so the leather can get wet, but that water doesn't penetrate. That works really well, but the membranes break down over time, so they aren't perfect. The last option is if the leather itself is waterproofed. This also makes it much less breathable, but it is more durable, and you can "repair" it by making sure to keep up with conditioners, etc.

I think if I were in your place, I'd look for leather boots with a storm welt, and then I'd wax all around the base and over the toe area. That will get those areas mostly waterproof, but you could leave the top of the upper unwaxed so it stays breathable. You'd have that area covered by your pants, or ideally gaiters, so water can't get in.

I'm not sure about brands in the UK, though.

If you want to go down a rabbit hole, Rose Anvil is the place I'd go to learn about boots.

My kinda question. Other than durability and comfort what kind of qualities are you after? Waterproof? Breathable? What kind of material?

altberg are my go to https://www.altberg.co.uk/

You can often find them for less on ebay, I think they are current UK military issue.

I personally wear the "sneeker" series.

I just recently went on a search for the perfect BIFL Barefoot-style hiking boot, as I find those to be the most comfortable. The most promising boot was the Jim Green Barefoot Ranger. The quality was excellent, and due to it having entirely stich-down construction, it would be trivial for a cobbler to replace the sole. Unfortunately my feet are very wide, so even with the Barefoot version having a wider than normal design, it was ultimately uncomfortable, and I had to send them back.

For people with normal feet, though, It would be a great BIFL hiking/walking boot if you like the zero-drop barefoot style, as would Jim Green's non-barefoot boots. They tend to have the best price for the quality of materials as well.

There are many more options available in normal, non-barefoot styles of boot. As others have said, look for stitch-down or goodyear welt construction, and if well cared for, the leather parts of the boot should last a decade or more.

I have actual BIFL boots, but for hiking I settled on a pair of Danner 8" TFX GTX back in 2014. They still get plenty of use after years of backcountry expeditions.

Danner

*The expeditionary boots are 'recraftable' but I have no experience with them.

I've been on a personal crusade to find any kind of footwear that is truly BIFL material and have always come up empty. They are just too stressed and made of materials that don't last. Even uncomfortable wooden shoes (like clogs or geta) wear out rather quickly.

I just go for cheap and comfortable now because even spending more money has not gotten me a shoe of any style that lasts longer than a cheaper one.

I'd go to a renowned outdoor store, let them take a peek at you feet and have them recommend a model/make. If you want BIFL make sure the soles are replaceable. I love my leather+goretex memoryfoam Meindls

I like my Meindl boots. Had them a really long time. They might need re-soling next year, but otherwise they are pretty bifl

Vegetation Shoes (the UK company). are great

I've beaten the hell out of them every day for 5 years, including many 2-3 night backpacking trips, and they're going on strong.

Its not real leather so it lasts much longer too

My Zamberlan leather boots are going strong after about 10 years. Wouldn't recommend anything but leather for walking in the peak district. Gore tex will let water in.

I'd be interested in how to keep them from getting stinky. I've got some very good, waterproof leather boots, but they get so musty. I've tried Lysol. I've tried Dr. Scholls powder spray. I've tried water with vinegar. I've changed insoles. Nothing helps. You'd think I slogged through a knee deep swamp and left them to dry inside a closed box, but no, I just wear them in Florida and leave them to dry out inside my house.

I thought I knew how to take care of boots, but I guess not. That's apparently a huge part of keeping them for a long time.

I have never owned any but I constantly hear that Red Wing boots are some of the best.

https://www.zappos.com/red-wing-work-boots

https://www.redwingshoes.com

What kind of brands have you had in the past?

I don't backpack just casual hiking occasionally, hunting, walking around while four wheeling.

I currently have a pair of Asolo boots. They're great for my narrow foot and arch support is good. They have held up quite well for occasional hikes over the past ... 15+ years?

Some of their boots can be resoled. At least one of their models has leather uppers. I imagine most are waterproof.

I feel like hiking boots follow the "get what you pay for" heuristic for the most part.

Hopefully others have more recent knowledge and better advice than me, though.

I have no specific recommendations for brands but you'll want to make sure to get a pair of boots with a goodyear welt. They're easy to re-sole. I don't care for buying animal products but I'm not sure that you could avoid buying leather if longevity and repairability is one of your top priorities. I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong on that last bit

I've had my eye on these , pricey, but definitely BIFL.

My roommate is nutty about Rocky Rangers. Can't say I know enough to say anything about them but there's that.

I wear a logger style boot with a thick leather upper and replacable sole. My first pair lasted 20 years and would have lasted longer but I got sloppy with caring for them after a series of very wet work days. The leather upper split right where my motorcycle clutch lever would hit and the moisture finished the job.

The secret to BIFL for leather is preventative maintenance. Proper waterproofing and cleaning aren’t optional. I keep a shoe brush near my closet and take care to knock off the daily dust before putting them away.

Buying a hard leather work boot is like entering a marriage. They take forever to break in but a properly cared for broken-in pair is worth the trouble.

You never go wrong with Hanwag pure leather boots. They are properly stiched and are designed to have theirs soles changed when woren down. When the leather is well taken care of they are completely waterproof and will actually last you a lifetime.

Damn i just realized that they now also produce goretex shoes. AWOID GORETEX BY ALL COST goretex is essentially a scam and it doesn't work or last. It's a terrible terrible product. My girlfriend and I have had collectively over 10 different pairs of shoes with goretex and none of them were waterproof. Even just wet grass made all of them soaked.