Anyone have experience of Le Chameau's Mouflon Plus?

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I'm thinking of getting a pair of Mouflon Plus boots but can't get the info I'm after. Does anyone wear these?

What I'd like to know is:

Do they come in a wide fitting or are they wide made?
Does the tongue extend to the top of the boot without a split at the sides lower down?(some hi leg boots are split tongues so water ingresses below ankle level and I need waterproofness to the full height of the boot.)
Does the goretex liner extend to the top of the boot?


Can anyone help? No place near me stocks them so even trying them on is a bit of trip, so this info will help me decide if they are worth going for.

WS
 

Deerman

Member
Aug 29, 2009
17
0
North Yorks
www.hcleathers.co.uk
A comfortable boot but that's all i can say as i wore them for stalking last week i thought i have a wet foot no it cant be i said how wrong i was.i purchased the boots last year and they are not a year old. i have worn them a maximum of 30 times i work on a grouse moor so they did get some stick this year and the heather tends to strip the polish off anything. After stalking i put my boots in a bag int the car and when i got home i let them air dry for a couple of days and bang them off to clean them. after that i usually use saddle soap or dubbing to help them. AS said in this quote from there web site

"Leather walking boots
Leather boots should be cleaned if dirty, preferably with lukewarm or cold water. They should then be left to dry away from any heat sources (away from radiators and not left in drying rooms etc). Once dry, it is a good idea to use a Nikwax leather boot proof (liquid or wax) to replenish the leather's natural water-repellency. Dependant upon wear, it's a good idea to polish the boot with a boot conditioner every few months/a couple of times a year - this keeps the leather nice and supple (but not too often as it can also make the leather too soft)."

OK SO FAR EVERTING IS IN LINE WITH THE WARRENTY
there is however a small seam on the boot on both boots on the instep of the boot were your big toe ball joint moves the seam on the right foot has given completely and the one on the left is well worn.

thus i am getting a wet foot NOT HAPPY £239.00 boots should last more than 11 months. so i rang the supplier of the boots who said if you get them in to us this morning the rep from Le shambles is here to day i will give them to him so i did.

the rep took one look and said i had under fed the leather and that's why the seam had worn. he said i had to send them back to Le shambles HQ and they would probably say the same. i think this is a disgrace have any of you had any problems with these boots.

i have a week on the roe doe's next week and no boots will have to dig out my old Altbergs though they are nine years old. http://www.altberg.co.uk/Web/index.jsp
 

swyn

Life Member
Nov 24, 2004
1,159
227
Eastwards!
I am shocked at the price and that these have serious problems after less than a year!

I rotate two pairs of Lowa 'patrol' boots at work. This resolves the drying problem and use Oakwood leather conditioner to keep them supple. The reason behind this conditioner is that it still allows for breathing thus no sweaty feet. I can honestly say that having now used Lowa for ten years I am hooked, plus the last they make them from fits my foot well. I have tried other boots in the past but pound for pound they fail. I by new ones approximately every nine months, the guage of wear being when there is no tread remaining!

They do take a little time to become comfy. Lots of leather care is good. Little is bad....big time!

Not sure I can offer assistance with heather but marking trees in brambles and brash and other general forest work scrapes the leather in my case. I occasionally 'do' pond work and have not had a waterproof issue as the tongue and liner goes up to the top of these boots. Mud mixed with small flints are the bug bear here and this necessitates careful washing after the days end.

I still have a pair that I keep at home for 'home' use these need lots of conditioner as the leather is quite cracked. but I am only using them for building and smallholding work. The kitchen fire is not too far away here. These are three years old and have no tread at all!

Hope this little bit of info helps you in your choice. Price is approx £150 ish

Swyn.
 
Aye that's a bad experience with le shambles. I've heard the odd story similar to that but never realised that they were so bad for such an expensive boot. I'm after a very high leg boot with full gore sock and the mouflons look the part.I've tried lowas but they are two narrow on the leg for me. I can't wear meindle boots as they only come in one width fitting and that is pretty narrow. So ther'es not many alternatives, may have to try Lundhags but anything over £200 is getting a bit daft for boots! To think of the days when I could walk into any outdoor shop and buy a decent well made ksb's for £90 that fitted like slippers, a shame karimor is karicrap these days:rolleyes: I've tried, meindle, berghaus, scarpa and a whole lot more and really struggle to buy decent wide good boots, shame altberg were not in Scotland! lol
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
Deleted, just read above post

Don't ignore Hi Tecs boots. Sure they aint top range but they are comfy and durable and cheap.

I have a pair of hi tec and a £180 pair of miendl's. I wear the hi tec over the miendls. I have had them for 3 years wear them for walking, bushcraft, camping and for work and other than replacing the laces i have had no bother with them. You could buy 5 pairs for the price of meindls or Le chameaux. Thats 15 years worth of boot for the same price. I wear mine practically all the time, the soles have wore down now and they will need replacing next year. 4 years worth of hard use for £30 and never had a wet foot. They are not even leather the ones i have.
 

Soloman

Settler
Aug 12, 2007
514
19
55
Scotland
WS ive just bought a pair of Meindl dovre extreme high leg boots from the outdoor shop in Crieff cant remember the name of the shop might be thomsons.
I got mine in a "wide" fitting sounds like they may fit the bill at just a shade over 200 quid.
 

billycan

Forager
Jan 21, 2006
240
1
Sussex
I'd second the meindl dovre extreme, paid about £175 for mine nearly two years ago. I've taken them to norway in full winter, stalking in scotland and am off again to Arran stalking again in november and will be confident they wont let me down.
 

bushblade

Nomad
Jul 5, 2003
367
2
47
West Yorkshire
www.bushblade.co.uk
... i usually use saddle soap or dubbing to help them. AS said in this quote from there web site

"Leather walking boots
Leather boots should be cleaned if dirty, preferably with lukewarm or cold water. They should then be left to dry away from any heat sources (away from radiators and not left in drying rooms etc). Once dry, it is a good idea to use a Nikwax leather boot proof (liquid or wax) to replenish the leather's natural water-repellency

Don't these boots have a gore-tex liner? If so, Dubbin is not a good idea as it clogs up the membrane and lowers the breathability of the boot. Did your boots leak obviously from the outside? Or could it be from condensation build up? Probably wouldn't have affected the seam like that though as, if anything, Dubbing over softens the leather. Sticking with the Nikwax/grangers/storm waxes is best for boots with a membrane.
 

Deerman

Member
Aug 29, 2009
17
0
North Yorks
www.hcleathers.co.uk
Don't these boots have a gore-tex liner? If so, Dubbin is not a good idea as it clogs up the membrane and lowers the breathability of the boot. Did your boots leak obviously from the outside? Or could it be from condensation build up? Probably wouldn't have affected the seam like that though as, if anything, Dubbing over softens the leather. Sticking with the Nikwax/grangers/storm waxes is best for boots with a membrane.

the dubbing i use is Kochaline it renovates, softens, preserves and waterproofs all types of leather the boots wet from the out side as the seam cracked on the ball of the big toe and split
 

PeterHW

Forager
Dec 31, 2005
116
0
U.K.
Deerman, if you are a member of BASC through your Deer stalking contact them about member services on legal representation....you could bring a claim in the small claims County Court against the shop that sold them based on your "consumer" rights implied into the contract of sale...and also claim against the manufacturer at the same time...BASC should help or at least offer advice...the threat of a letter to this effect from them ought to resolve matters if you don't get replacement boots.

Let us know how you get on and do send them back....you can also write to Gore advising of your complaint...they need to supply and license the use of Gore-tex and insist on quality control standards on manufacture on goods using their product.

For that sort of money I think you have an excellent case....and not enough people push their rights like they are entitled to on things like this.
 

Doc

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 29, 2003
2,109
10
Perthshire
I have the Mouflons which are still quite high boots, though not as high as the plus.

A lot of professional and recreational stalkers use them around here -possibly because they are readily available to try on in the shops. One has had trouble with leaking but as he is a professional his boots get very hard use.

The soles give good security and mine have been totally waterproof.

The main problem I have had is squeaking that hasn't responded to any of the usual treatments. However, they stop squeaking when wet, and as this is Scotland....

Bushwear and Black Isle do similar boots from other manufacturers.
 

Doc

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 29, 2003
2,109
10
Perthshire
WS ive just bought a pair of Meindl dovre extreme high leg boots from the outdoor shop in Crieff cant remember the name of the shop might be thomsons.
I got mine in a "wide" fitting sounds like they may fit the bill at just a shade over 200 quid.


That would be Frank Thomsons in Crieff High Street. An excellent shop that gives good service. The manager, Paul is very helpful and experienced outdoors so you get good advice there.
 

Soloman

Settler
Aug 12, 2007
514
19
55
Scotland
Yes doc thats the shop.ill echo your thoughts first class service.
I think weve lost so many of these shops where service counts for something.
In future id drive up there rather than go to edinburgh.with all its different outlets.
Soloman.
 

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