Best and worst boots you have owned.

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bojit

Native
Aug 7, 2010
1,173
0
56
Edinburgh
I bought my Lunghags from Survival Aids Cumbria and also used to visit the shop in Euston stn (Happy Days) While serving Just regretted buying them and Danners are like carpet slippers like has been said herer. I used to buy the Acadia ones but they were around £120 and the first pair were bought in the US even cheaper.

I used to spend a fortune in survival aids they even had a shop in Edinburgh , I had a pair of rocky jungle boots from them wore them constantly for about 4 years till they died .
current favourite I bought in Canada 14 years ago they are by a company called prospector a goretex copy of danner arcadia , like slippers but only get worn a couple of times a month to make them last another few years.

worst boots were a pair of trespass things that squeaked when you walked , horrible things !

Craig. ......
 
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lathe dog

Tenderfoot
Jul 25, 2010
88
1
Middlesex
Best boots...........Danner Pronghorns, very light for a high leg boot, super comfy and £50 from TKmaxx a good few years ago.
Raichle MT trail XT GTX.

Worst boots.........a very early pair of Hitecs they didn't last long, the leather looked and felt like cardboard.
Salomon Adventure 7's.
 

flounder_al

Member
Oct 5, 2013
10
0
Morayshire
Best boots : Hi-Tec Magnum Cobra

Worst boot: Military DMS boots. These were sweat boxes for me. Wore them for years in the RAF and hate them to this very day
 
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oetzi

Settler
Apr 25, 2005
813
2
64
below Frankenstein castle
Best of all:
Hanwag Trek Light Canyon. After a year of use the leather is supple and soft likwe a glove, fitting perfectly.
Lowa Trekker WXL. Ultra wide in the forefoot but with a quite narrow heel, they fit my akward feet very good.

Worst of all:
Lowa ATC-series. Non-leather heel lining lasts less than six months, the soles heel wears off in about the same time. Way overpriced.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
Best boots - Hi -tec Magnum range - never had a duff one.
Worst boots - a pair of Adidas hiking boots back when I was 20 ... fell apart within 6 months. I think they were a failed experiment by Adidas as they disappeared from their catalogue very soon after!

I find this thread very interesting.
Peoples use of boots varies so much, the shapes of folks feet are so different, peoples weight varies so much (even in the same person over the months :) ) peoples physiology varies so much, that what may be hell for one person in terms of longevity, comfort etc in a boot may be heaven for another.
If a cheap boot fits well and suits your needs then it is worth every penny.
If an expensive boot does not fit well and does not suit your needs well then it is far from worth the money!
For my wife's feet (super narrow with upturning big toes) I had to have boots specially lasted for her by Altberg and they have lasted decades. For day to day rambling around the lanes and woods a pair from Aldi are fine and get the job done for her. Cheap Hungarian Green hiking boots (that many of a certain age will remember with fondness) cost her her big toe nails after a decent of Snowdon...
 

Chasseur

Member
May 16, 2010
20
0
Ireland
I wear boots every day when on field duties, that is 3 out of five days normally, and most of the weekend for fun. Since 2001 have had Meindl Burma, Meindl Island Pro, Meindl Army Pro, Meindl Waldlaufers and currently Haix Montana. Meindls are great for day to day wear and take untold abuse. The Haix are cheaper than the Meindls, more robustly built than the Army Pro and seem able to keep pace after eight months. Very happy with my €200 investment. Will augment these with a pair of chainsaw ready Haix Protector Pros in May.

Worst boots I have had were two pairs of boots made by a very well known UK firm who make lovely raincoats and a certain indestructible 35l rucksack. Bought in bulk and issued by my job, they had a narrow fit, stiff sole, low ankle (not good in a bog), and an utterly lethal beveled heel that makes downhill walking on slippery terrain very dangerous. They looked s4!te too and worst of all would not integrate the with Yetis we have grown to love. The first pair made a lovely nesting box in the end. I still wear the second pair now and again around town when i want to look cool, but i never liked the fit.
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,364
374
60
Gloucestershire
Best pair: Lundhags and Jornkangan for autumn/wet/winter; Altberg Jungle boots for summer/drier conditions.
Light, supportive and very, very comfortable when used with sorbothane insoles. The winter options are great because, unlike boots with padded cuffs, etc., they dry really quickly.

Worst pair: A pair od Salomon climbing boots from a few years ago.
They were designed for folk with pencils as feet, rather than flippers and butchered my heels relentlessly. Horrible things.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Best all round boots I have ever owned have been....Timberland believe it or not. One pair I wore so long I wore the soles flat, then through. The next the soles were made of such stern stuff that I eventually wore through the leather uppers. Nothing broke, split or came apart.

Worst? Dunlop Wellingtons. They are cold, they slop around, the soles don''t grip. I don't care how cheap they are, they aren't worth 50p - you can't walk a quarter mile in them without blisters! What the hell is the point of footwear that its impossible to walk in?
 
Feb 18, 2012
534
10
Bedfordshire
Best boots - Hi -tec Magnum range - never had a duff one.
Worst boots - a pair of Adidas hiking boots back when I was 20 ... fell apart within 6 months. I think they were a failed experiment by Adidas as they disappeared from their catalogue very soon after!

I find this thread very interesting.
Peoples use of boots varies so much, the shapes of folks feet are so different, peoples weight varies so much (even in the same person over the months :) ) peoples physiology varies so much, that what may be hell for one person in terms of longevity, comfort etc in a boot may be heaven for another.
If a cheap boot fits well and suits your needs then it is worth every penny.
If an expensive boot does not fit well and does not suit your needs well then it is far from worth the money!
For my wife's feet (super narrow with upturning big toes) I had to have boots specially lasted for her by Altberg and they have lasted decades. For day to day rambling around the lanes and woods a pair from Aldi are fine and get the job done for her. Cheap Hungarian Green hiking boots (that many of a certain age will remember with fondness) cost her her big toe nails after a decent of Snowdon...

I find it interesting too you are spot on, it is a very subjective subject with loads of varying factors. I also find it interesting that top end names have came out in both best and worse categories and the same for cheaper brands. I used to wear a pair of issue combat boots in the late eighties that were well known killers of feet, but I found them to be comfortable and never had any problems with them not even a hint of a blister.

My wife has Morton's Neuroma which affects her toes, she gets on ok with her present boots, but she would be better with a fitted pair. So we will be taking a trip up to the Altberg factory for fitting this year, we have planned to take the kids and stay in the Grinton Lodge youth hostel.
 

Barn Owl

Old Age Punk
Apr 10, 2007
8,245
5
58
Ayrshire
Best are my Lowa Tibet and hunter extreme,the hunter is just a bit higher leg and some insulation.
Can't think of any that have been very bad.
 

Headshed

Forager
Nov 17, 2011
172
0
Warwick
Best boots Inov8 roclite gtx, close second Meindl Nepal pro (only use for winter with crampons these days). Worst were my North face Hedgehog xcr's which delaminated the sole whilst in Snowdonia and let in the water but wouldn't drain it out, overall shocking quality for an expensive brand, never again. Absolutely love my Inov8's though, I've got 3 pairs, road 355, Xtalon & the roclite boots.
 
Nov 29, 2004
7,808
22
Scotland
The best boots by far were a pair of Meindl Borneos, bought in 1998, they managed thousands of miles on the first pair of soles and are still good enough for the garden today.

The worst were a pair of
Meindl Borneos bought in 2008, they uppers started to split within a year and the soles lasted less than that.
 

mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
My current Asolo boots are the best I've had - they take anything I throw at them and are good all rounders. Had them for many years now.

Worst ones? German para boots - no amount of "wearing in" could get them to be comfy.
 

MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
1,955
319
Northumberland
Best all round boots I have ever owned have been....Timberland believe it or not. One pair I wore so long I wore the soles flat, then through. The next the soles were made of such stern stuff that I eventually wore through the leather uppers. Nothing broke, split or came apart.

Worst? Dunlop Wellingtons. They are cold, they slop around, the soles don''t grip. I don't care how cheap they are, they aren't worth 50p - you can't walk a quarter mile in them without blisters! What the hell is the point of footwear that its impossible to walk in?


Speaking of bomb proof soles got a pair of Ghillie tie Desert boots Slippers had for 26 year of good usage (mostly summer but now wearing all the time)

How's that for a pair of boots
 
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t1234

Member
Jul 27, 2010
33
0
sussex
Best: Meindl Burma Pro, 5 years now and still going strong.
Worst: Timberland boots, sole was so slippy in the wet wouldn't even want to walk on the pavement if it had been raining, probably explained why they were so cheap in an end of season sale
 
Feb 18, 2012
534
10
Bedfordshire
My current Asolo boots are the best I've had - they take anything I throw at them and are good all rounders. Had them for many years now.

Worst ones? German para boots - no amount of "wearing in" could get them to be comfy.

I didn't get on with german para boots either, I found them a bit too padded and too hot for me. I can see why they are so popular though as the are very rugged and should last years.
 

woodstock

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 7, 2007
3,568
68
67
off grid somewhere else
A great pair of boots Tactical 511 bought for £5 from Ebay, I also have a pair of Soloman GTX Pro that have just given up the ghost after about 13 years.
 
Jan 31, 2014
3
0
Enfield
Some interesting boots I had never heard of as an outdoor enthusiast and former mountain store employee.
Great mentions.

For me it ha to be best boot my still in use pair of
Scraps Cristallo GTX.
They're a kinda stiff all round high mountain boot. Snow compatible.
100% Italian made. Just seem to fit my feet and sooo durable! 4 years in.
Now they have been upgraded to the scarpa manta pro.
I've no need to replace other than wanting the manta upgrade.

I know the Meindl Burma Pro is a highly rated super comfortable durable boot. Great all rounder had before and definitely recommend.
But these can depend on foot shape. Typically brands follow a type. Both listed are considered wider here in the uk.
But I know northface and Merrell are considered more narrow.

Also recommend Asolo and la sportive hugely!



Not sure of my worst


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