Regarding Scuba boots and durability... There's a rare and very useful variant out there, called the Griptech Scuba boot. My friend (and Scuba expert) Bart Toensing invented and patented them. They have a stout felt sole on the bottom (like Trout waders -- inspired by his brother Mark), which makes them durable enough to stand up to ridiculous thorns, etc., and also unbelievably grippy on wet, mossy rocks!
Although I've not done any stalking in them, they are way more flexible than my various boots, so I think they'd get the job done.
Unfortunately, the boots only caught on with rescue divers, so have not had much of a market. If anybody finds themselves interested, shoot me a PM, and I'll see if there are some still around.
FWIW, my most silent walking method was a toe pushed forward, parallel to the ground, then the foot set down on the outside edge, slowly sinking to the full sole on the ground. In this way, you can push forward small debris before you rest weight on it.
