Best and worst boots you have owned.

[WeeWildyCamper]

Best pair - Can't remember the model but they're Berghaus GoreTex boots - blue suedy type outer...bought for £100 17 years ago and they're still going strong...and they've had some fairly tough treatment over the years!

Worst pair - Meindl Burma Pros...in theory the memory foam stuff at the ankles is a good idea, but I just couldn't settle into them.

 

[rik_uk3]

Best = Italian Montagna boots, lasted twenty years (did need to replace Vibram a couple of times)

Worst = Karrimor a few years back, fell apart in no time.

 

[Countryman]

Best: Brasher Superlite II.
Always comfortable.
Worst: Timberland.
Fashion boots really. Very heavy. Absolutely not waterproof. Has to be said they last well though.
Special mention for worst value: Le Chameau Chasseur Wellingtons. Zips are extremely stiff and when you pull hard the tabs break. Also prone to the press stud flap at the top breaking. Sound like a good deal for £340?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Salaud]

Best ...Raichle mount pro gtx...like walking around in my slippers, superb waterproofing and breathability.
Worst..plenty ...hi tecs, uncomfy and shoddy, german para boots, well built but again uncomfy,
cheap wellies , socks fall down and feet freeze......doc martins for oh so many reasons.

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk 4

 

[smojo]

Not had many but the ones I have now are Brasher. I bought them about 15 years ago secondhand with some new insoles for £40. Comfortable from day one. Worst were some steel toe capped things I got given at work for H&S reasons.

 

[ozzy1977]

My best are my brasher gtx boots (old version of the superlite) had them over 10 years and still going strong.
Worst are a pair of karrimor I bought a few years ago from tkmax they were lkme slippers then over night thay turned in to torture devices

 

[mutineer]

Hello. I guess I am easy to please.
Only ever owned 2 types of boot really and liked them both.

1- Boots combat high. Issued to me in 2001. Simple but effective. Only time I didn't like them was in sub zero when the lack of insulation was a problem. Can always wear socks.

2- Zamberlan. Full leather. Again no goretex. Just a plain, high quality walking boot for a good price. £100 a few years back. Lower cut than combat high but with more structure. More like a ski boot so they would be less fun running over an assault course!

Always liked both pairs. I like full leather because it washes and retreats easily. I don't like fabric boots but never say never.

Received wisdom is that the ankle support is really important for hill walking. I am beginning to question this greatly. I have always felt that my Zamberlans were like wearing high heals and make me less steady on my feet. When I haven't worn them for a while the front of my calves are sore after a days walk (A la ski boot). I am now keen into orienteering. When I started I wore trail running trainers with a built up heel and sole. I was constantly turning my ankle over rough terrain. Then I bought my first pair of orienteering shoes. They are like a tough pair of plimsoles with small spikes. With a lower profile I have better control of the foot and rarely roll the ankle over rough terrain while running fast and changing direction. I love them. I completed a mountain marathon last November for the first time. The officials checked a competitor at the start in traditional walking boots to make sure he had enough grip but didn't check the rest of us in lower profile shoes. I feel there is definitely a need for fabric to come further up the leg for protection when out in the sticks but I now think it safer to allow the ankle to move as required. Gaiters can be worn if more protection is required and low cut shoes can be worn on hotter days.

When I am flush with cash I am going to buy some orienteering shoes with no studs for days outdoor.

Just my current thinking.

 

[boney gumbo mcgee]

Thanks every body for your input on the best and worst boots you have owned. There have been some surprising results so far. As someone who finds it very hard to resist buying boots its been interesting reading

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

Best...US army issue jungle boots or desert boots. I've had the vietnam type and modern ones, absolutely superb. Never had a quality issue with the uppers, the soles do wear quickly though. Dont actually know why I find myself without a pair now...wallet opens....

Worst...a pair of magnums made in the style of the danner arcadia crossed with the above desert boot. Built to last, amazing quality, look the business, but the fit is terrible, they slip, they are clompy, no combinationof socks seems to produce a decent fit, to wide at the heel and tight across the front.
They are also like ice skates on ground moister than a baby wipe.

 

[Sickboy]

My best would be the Meindl Island pros, fantastic things in every way, so high I never felt the need for gaiters and as comfy as slippers, unfortunatly my feet decided to have one last growth spurt at 20 (well could have been the start of middle age spread?) and they became too small, grrr.
Replaced with Meindl Dovre extrems, very comfy with the right sock combo, they've done quite some mileage over the past 10 years or so in some pretty grim places and I THINK THEY ARE STILL BREAKING IN! If they last another 10 years then they'll have been worth the purchase price over the rest of the range and go to top spot. Always get remarks about them which is also nice.

Worst boots is an easy one, Berghaus Kangs, 3 season goretex fabric boots, stupid seam right on the heel, blisters and hole within the blink of an eye, fine in the shop, but once I had some weight on my back, sheesh. No support in the upper (same as the storm alluded to above but a ring higher) but a really stiff sole unit. Only once in the two years I suffered with those boots did they feel they were in the right place, doing some hard scrambling up the side of the cavall de bernat ridge in Majorca in 40 deg c, brutal.

Special mention to my Scarpa Vegas, for keeping my feet toasty in the Alps during my 'Ice climbing' years, when all my mates were 'manning it out' in the then new fangled super stiff leather ice climbing boots like sportivas and Salomons, how I laughed while they danced away the frost bite...
Still got them somewhere just in case we get another ice age

 

[Tomas]

Best- Got a pair of meindl Burmas that are finally ding on me, also got a pair of brasher hillmaster that are pretty good for walking but maybe a little too soft? Thinking bout Altbergs next since I think they could cover everything?

Worst a pair of safteys for work that split away from the sole in the first week and were like they'd been made by the spanish inquisition to wear...

 

[DR2501]

Received wisdom is that the ankle support is really important for hill walking. I am beginning to question this greatly. I have always felt that my Zamberlans were like wearing high heals and make me less steady on my feet. When I haven't worn them for a while the front of my calves are sore after a days walk (A la ski boot). I am now keen into orienteering. When I started I wore trail running trainers with a built up heel and sole. I was constantly turning my ankle over rough terrain. Then I bought my first pair of orienteering shoes. They are like a tough pair of plimsoles with small spikes. With a lower profile I have better control of the foot and rarely roll the ankle over rough terrain while running fast and changing direction. I love them. I completed a mountain marathon last November for the first time. The officials checked a competitor at the start in traditional walking boots to make sure he had enough grip but didn't check the rest of us in lower profile shoes. I feel there is definitely a need for fabric to come further up the leg for protection when out in the sticks but I now think it safer to allow the ankle to move as required. Gaiters can be worn if more protection is required and low cut shoes can be worn on hotter days.

When I am flush with cash I am going to buy some orienteering shoes with no studs for days outdoor.

Just my current thinking.

This is accepted wisdom amongst lightweight backpackers nowadays - many wear trail running shoes rather than boots. I have some Inov8 Terroc 345 GTX for this purpose, but you can't beat a good pair of boots as good all-rounders.

 

[Goatboy]

For serious stuff I find my Meindl Dovre Extreme's hard to beat, comfy, don't need gaiter and bombproof. Fit the British shape of foot well too. For the rest of the year my Blundstone 550's are the dogs. Easy to get on and off, surprisingly waterproof, quiet and stop stones and dust getting in (when it's dry!), Really cushion the feet and so good for sneaking about whilst not hot and sweaty.
Worst, well I got given some Brasher Hillmasters to trial and hated them, though quiet and non cloggy in the mud the soles wore out very quickly and the leather was appalling. But they're meant as a soft, light rambling boot as per Mr Brashers design - just didn't cut it for me.

 

[789987]

For serious stuff I find my Meindl Dovre Extreme's hard to beat,

where did you get them from? not a boot that seems to be commonly stocked.

 

[Goatboy]

where did you get them from? not a boot that seems to be commonly stocked.

When I worked in the outdoor trade I was sent them to try out to see if we'd stock them. (Cheating I know). Don't know where you are but a few places near here stock them, closest to me is Bushwear in Perth or Stirling LINK, they also do a cracking internet/mail business. (No affiliation just had great service over the years).

You getting a pair? Cant recommend them enough, great combo of craftsmanship, materials, design and fit. They last well too!

 

[789987]

might have to take a run through to stirling to try them out. had 2 pairs of the burma pros only complaint is the soles seem a little soft and wear quite quickly. been quoted 60 quid at tiso's to get the first pair sent back to meindl to get resoled but havent got round to it yet.

i do prefer a higher cut boot though

 

[Goatboy]

might have to take a run through to stirling to try them out. had 2 pairs of the burma pros only complaint is the soles seem a little soft and wear quite quickly. been quoted 60 quid at tiso's to get the first pair sent back to meindl to get resoled but havent got round to it yet.

i do prefer a higher cut boot though

Yeah Tiso no longer have Roger doing the re-soling inhouse which is a pity as he was excellent. Meidl do a good job resoling and £60 seems to be the going rate for a proper re-sole these days. Have found the Dovre sole to be pretty hard wearing but then I tend to stay off tarmac. The guys in the Stirling shop are good fun, and there's some interesting hunting kit on display (Bushwear not Tiso!)
Good luck and let us know how you find them.
ATB,
GB.

 

[Teepee]

Worst; Meindl Soelden pac boots. The sole is so thin (1mm) that they have split open on the heels. The rubber sole has cracked, the liners have cracked too in -10c,. The fit was never the best with a huge heel volume and narrow toes.

Best; Scarpa SL's. Covers me for most UK mountain and lowland use through the year. Still as waterproof as leather can be, comfier than ever.

 

[Sickboy]

Yeah Tiso no longer have Roger doing the re-soling inhouse which is a pity as he was excellent. Meidl do a good job resoling and £60 seems to be the going rate for a proper re-sole these days. Have found the Dovre sole to be pretty hard wearing but then I tend to stay off tarmac. The guys in the Stirling shop are good fun, and there's some interesting hunting kit on display (Bushwear not Tiso!)
Good luck and let us know how you find them.
ATB,
GB.

The other plus of the dovre is the rubber rand around the boot, the toes (and to a lesser extent the heels) of all my other boots have been cut to ribbons from scrambling on sharp rock and scree, these so far seem immune to such damage

 

[Laurentius]

I don't think I have had the good fortune to own a best pair yet, but as far as the worst goes, anything with the Karrimor lable that comes cheap from Sports Direct.