I have like $100 to spend at Bass Pro and I'm looking to

100 bucks at bass pro? Best you can get with that amount are like some low end socks.

I'm sort of a newb too. I ended up getting some north face ones that are more of a mid hiking shoe. they are pretty comfortable I'll say and I can walk a long ways without any discomfort. These for about $130 might be worth it and get good reviews. I know some north face have pretty shitty waterproofing or breathability. So do your research
-The North Face Hedgehog Fastpack Mid GTX GORE-TEX Hiking Boots for Men

other one I'd try is the salomons. They were a bit stiffer when I tried them but they felt like they were built solid and would last. In both cases I have a narrow foot and they work well with that.
-Salomon X Ultra Mid 2 GTX GORE-TEX Hiking Boots for Men $160

The only other brand I really liked was la sportiva but I see they don't carry those. Probably other people can talk about the other brands. Merrels seemed well built but weren't very comfortable for me.

>>917549
oh the other thing I'd suggest is wear a typical lighter sock you would normally wear when you try stuff on. Better to be a little tight in winter with heavier socks than loose in summer with lighter socks. Any looseness with boots tends to translate into blisters later on. You want a nice snug fit. Different brands fit different feet better or worse so try a bunch. Any minor discomfort or pressure point will likely magnify itself after a couple of thousand steps so go for something that feels great right out of the gate and I'd expect less problems down the road. I guess your feet and the boots tend to adjust to pressure points a bit but it still sucks while they do.

>>917551
I work at an outfitter and this advice is the exact opposite of what is correct. Your feet swell like mad when you hike and your toe box needs added room for downhill.

Your tennis shoes at home will do just fine. Spend that hundred bucks on something else. Hiking boots just give you blisters and make your feet sweat.

Tennis shoes don't have pressure points like boots and you don't need to break them in before going on the trail. Especially if you won't be hiking through snow for prolonged periods of time, don't buy into the hiking boot scam

>>918031
And protect your feet, and keep the water and snow and twigs out, and give you better traction on slippery surfaces.

Just because you only walk easy trails in good weather doesn't mean that what works for you works for everyone.

>>918124
If you are on the trail multiple days, and your boots get wet (which they will, especially since even the most "breathable" boots will suffocate your feet and make them sweat) it will take an awful long time to dry them out. Tennis shoes will be dry after only 20 minutes by the fire.
Don't buy into the "protect your feet" nonsense. I have friends who went on just a one nighter with me who were telling me that I should wear boots to protect my ankles. When we were at camp, they were all blistered up but I was not. Seems like their boots did more harm than good.
As for keeping out thorns and water, buy some gaiters. I hike across the divide in skate shoes, post hiking through snow, and while my shoes do get wet, I'm more comfortable than if I was wearing the leg weights you call boots.
Oh, and for your concern about slipping, trail runners have excellent grip without the weight of those heavy-duty boots.
So if you are still going to get some footwear from bass pro, get trail runners instead of boots. Im not sure what kind of trails you want to hike, but I guarantee you will not need big bulky boots. Its common knowledge that PCT and AT thru hikers are increasingly wearing sneakers or trail runners, so if they can make it over 2000 miles on them, you will do fine with whatever you want to do

>>918219
You're being too absolutist about your own personal preference and limited experience, and presuming too much about other people's. Like I said, shoes are fine on easy trails in good weather, but off trail in cold rain or snow or scree (or even just walking through wet grass) is a whole other story. Just because you don't do anything adventurous enough to require real boots doesn't mean other people don't, or that they're a "scam" (if anything's a scam it's cloth hiking shoes, since they cost almost as much as a basic pair of boots and wear out 5 times faster). It's best for people to try different options and see what works for them.

If you really find boots too heavy to walk in maybe you have an iron or protein deficiency, you should get that checked out.

Holy shit dude, you're attacking me and not what I'm trying to say. You don't see me making wild assumptoons about YOUR experience, do you? YOU are the one making presumptions.
Iron deficiency? Really?
Again, OP is new, so no need to invest in something that won't be necessary. Like you said, people need to figure what works best for them, so why start with the pricey option? I don't buy cloth hiking shoes, I hike in fucking skate shoes. I knocked out 60 miles in three days last summer with absolutely no discomfort. And yes, I was wearing skate shoes. I'm offering what I think is best from my own experience and not being dogmatic or arrogant about it. I pack light and find that more enjoyable than carting a ton of weight with me. I'm from fucking Colorado so I'm no stranger to snow.

PS If your ankles are really so weak that you need boots, you should get that checked out. :P