I've always had £50 leather boots, but haven't been overly impressed. I've always used dubbin/wax to try and keep them in good condition and maintain waterproof-ness, but I'm not convinced that this has helped a great deal. My current pair (Peter Storm) are separating at the sole/leather seam, and have worn through at the tongue, and are now letting in water. So my advice would be to avoid the cheaper boots if you do a lot of walking or want them to last a good while.
I'm also looking to get some new walking boots for the winter. I'm thinking it'd be better to spend more like £100 and get a decent pair of boots that will hopefully last a bit longer. I was thinking of trying some canvas-type boots, as they all seem to advertise 100% waterproof-ness. It seems like most people here are recommending leather boots. Should I stick with leather... are the problems I have simply because the boots I have are poor quality?
Thanks!