In Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2), your boots do a lot more than just increase your movement speed. For me, crafting boots is always the first priority when building a new character, and here’s why. They offer a powerful mix of defense, mobility, and utility that can dramatically affect how smooth your early and mid-game experience will be. Let me walk you through exactly why crafting boots first is the smartest play—and how you can do it right using the right PoE 2 items and strategies.

First off, movement speed is life in PoE 2. Getting from pack to pack faster means more loot, more experience, and less time wasted. Early on, even 20-30% increased movement speed makes your entire gameplay feel smoother. If you're like me and enjoy rushing through zones efficiently, then good boots are essential. But speed is only the beginning.

Boots are also a great place to stack defensive modifiers. You can roll suffixes like +resistances, chaos resistance, and even movement-based defensive affixes like Evasion Rating or Spell Suppression. Since boots don’t need to carry offensive stats like weapons or gloves often do, you can focus entirely on staying alive. This is huge during boss fights and high-density maps where one mistake could be fatal.

One key tip I’ve learned is to always save a few Orb of Alchemy, Chaos Orbs, and Essences specifically for boots. These PoE 2 items are some of the most effective early crafting tools. A single Essence of Zeal, for instance, guarantees movement speed, allowing you to focus other rolls on resistances or life. If you’re looking to buy PoE 2 items to accelerate this process, U4GM is one of the best sources to grab the currencies you need safely and quickly. I’ve personally bought from U4GM multiple times, especially when I wanted to jumpstart a new league or just didn’t have time to grind for a base.

Another important thing about crafting boots first is how it helps balance your resistances. Early on, your gear is a patchwork of whatever drops, which makes it hard to cap fire, cold, and lightning resistance. Because boots can roll two suffix resistances easily, they give you a head start in reaching the 75% resistance cap, which is critical in Act 5 and beyond when the elemental penalties start hitting.

If you’re looking for specific base types, Two-Toned Boots are great because they come with implicit elemental resistances. They’re slightly rarer but well worth buying or trading for. If you can’t find one, you can still buy PoE 2 items like decent boots bases on U4GM, where the selection is huge and includes items tailored for different builds.

Lastly, boots give you room to experiment with mods like increased Onslaught duration, reduced mana cost of movement skills, or even chance to avoid stuns while moving. These quality-of-life mods often go unnoticed but can be game-changing, especially in high-tier content.



In summary, crafting boots first in PoE 2 is all about setting a strong foundation for your build. You gain speed, survivability, and flexibility right from the start. Always keep some PoE 2 currency handy for boot crafting, and if you're short, buy PoE 2 items and currency from trusted sellers like U4GM to keep your momentum going. It’s a small investment that pays off big throughout your journey.