Hiking: new boots needed

Usually my mom gives me $200 in birthday money every year. And this year, I already know that I will spend the money on a new pair of hiking boots. As you know, I have an amazing $500+ pair that I bought last year, but those are specifically for mountaineering. For the rest of my hiking trips, I need something that’s a little less heavy duty. The boots I currently have I’ve been wearing for almost 3 years. I love them, but they need to be replaced. Plus, they were really meant for day hiking without a heavy pack – kind of a beginner’s boot. So I need something a tiny bit beefier.

My heart is with La Sportiva boots, so I will probably stick with that brand. In fact, I really like the looks of the Cypress model. I think it would be perfect for what I need. My plan is try to out the boots at MEC and then when BF and I go to Seattle in October, I’ll see if REI or any other store has them cheaper.