Too much choice?

When I first started fell walking in my mid teens I soon realised that school shoes would not do. But funds were scarce and I seem to remember that my first boots came from the Army Surplus store. They had nails on the soles and certainly were not waterproof or comfortable.
By the time I had a family of young boys we graduated to F.W Tyson's specialist boot shop in Ambleside. You could even by used children's boots and trade them in every couple of years.
Today I went to Ambleside for some new walking trainers. The town must have more outdoor gear shops than anywhere else in England. My photo shows just a part of the footwear department of one of them. Frank Tyson would 40 years ago offer you the choice of perhaps three makes including then exotic Italian and Austrian options. But now it is hard to know where to start the choice being vast. Goretex lined is a must and I suppose quality is judged by price.
At least the search was a success and I have already been out in the pouring rain freshly shod.