I was a paramedic for over a decade, and I have strong opinions about survival footware that come from real life.
I am very prejudiced in favor of Corcoran 975 jump boots, but, in fairness, many other styles would probably work almost as well post SHTF. Doc Marten 10 eyelets (British made, not liscensed copies from China and Vietnam) are an excellent choice.
So are Timberland work boots, Bates combat boots, and, possibly, Herman Survivors.
If you get Corcoran jump boots, keep a few points in mind:
1) They must be broken in, and this takes patience and time. The only real way to break them in is to wear them with whatever socks you plan to use. Don't take shortcuts like standing in water, or putting them in the freezer with plastic bags of ice. None of these shortcuts will work, and most of them will ruin your boots.
2) Use Kiwi shoe polish with water and cotton balls (cloth diapers that have been washed a few times work well too) to polish them with several thin layers as opposed to a few heavy "goopy" layers. A soft toothbrush is good for the seams. Stay away from silicones, teflons, etc. unless you work in an extreme or exotic environment like a chemical plant, oil rig, or salt water. After polishing with Kiwi, buff the surface with pantyhose.
3) Substitute paracord for laces, and use odor eaters to help preserve the insoles.
4) I love side-zipper jump boots...they look way cool (especially if you put a split ring in the hole in the zipper pull tab and tuck a pair of EMS trauma scissors in the top of your boot when you're wearing them...), but they should probably be avoided for survival purposes. It's another point of mechanical failure--I've had side-zipper boots become useless when the zipper got messed up--and aftermarker zippers are available which can be laced into the front of the boot. If you use such zippers, lube them up with Chapstick once in a while.
5) If you can, buy two identical pairs of boots, and alternate wearing them so that they wear evenly.
6) Post SHTF, it might make sense to make "boot sandals". You cut a piece of car tire a little larger than the sole of your boot, and strap it on your boot in the way that you'd strap on a sandal. This will preserve the sole if you are trekking across rough terrain, but be careful because this may affect your balance...especially if you have a pack.
7) Do not dry leather jump boots in the oven or hot sunshine or with a hair dryer.
8) If you carry a boot knife with a metal clip, check the leather surfaces from time to time to make sure that the repetitive motion of walking isn't gradually eating a hole in the top of your boot.
If you follow these ideas, a pair of boots should last many years. They can be resoled.
The steel shank in a Corcoran jump boot protects against a junkie's dirty needle and broken glass, there is excellent ankle support for when you carry a B.O.B., the higher top of the boot provides good protection from venomous snakes (although snake chaps work better), and the higher top helps protect from ticks and biting ants.
The work environment of an EMS paramedic seems, to me, like it would be a good model for post SHTF as far as footware goes.
I don't claim to have a monopoly on truth, and with descisions as important as footware, you should get as many opinions as possible.
I hope I was helpful.
All my best.