I tend to like the WK chain of traits, valuing it almost as highly as the mastertraits. It's nice on technicians as a pick-and-play trait if you end up with a few spare mod-packs, but it's also great for marines and scouts. Strangely enough, it's not for the assemblies (although they're great), it's just so I never leave a mod-pack behind. Fin(2), Jug and WK(2) isn't exactly a waste of traits for any build. Whilst it might not be as specifically "powerful" as some uses of those level-ups on a more focused build, you can get by as a fast-firing, quick-switching, modded-out-the-wazoo generalist, at about the exact same time that any mastertrait comes online. You can even slap EE,HR or SoB in for a bit of extra "power", or Int(1)/BA for utility. It's just all-round good for anything you find in your run, with anything you do get slowly being modded into something pretty awesome.
Back to the boots, you can't go wrong with tac boots. They are the best thing ever for useability, obtainability and lack of build necessities. Then just have another set of boots for mod-dumping if you're going to go the WK route. A set of AP pasteel boots aren't horrible, but boots are just a nice little mod-dump-slot for me. I'll even tech-mod them for some builds for the low knockback, even though conventional wisdom says that it's the worst thing you can do.
So, in a nutshell, go for tacs or fireproofs or antigrav, but don't be too concerned if you don't get them. Weapons are important, armour is important, boots are just a nice little bonus to dump mods into. Ag mods first, then consider an assembly or just slap them on willy-nilly. I've never used more than two pairs of boots a game anyway, so don't be too concerned about them. Even basic boots are great.
Oh, and I like the fact that it makes even the most useless armour shard do "something". Yay! My boots look like brand new! Totally worth it.