Big Boots

[marty marty]

I said booTs dammit.

Had a few feet issues over the spring. a badly fitting pair of retro adidas football trainers gave me what i self diagnosed as a corn (eventually) and treated with a combination of some jollop from the chemist and a level of poking about with a penknife.
However a long weekend at camp, with a fair bit of trapsing back and forth, and being on feet, had me swopping between trainers (stupid, stupid...trainers now retired) and a pair of Garmont Vegan (they were reduced) fabric/goretex walking boots, and a shed load of blister plasters.

The conundrum was the trainers we awoke the corn or whatever the hell it was (now re-treated, for longer and hopefully finally), whilst long periods on feet in boots, lead to the ache you get where you start dreaming about tennis shoes you once owned with those shaped footbeds.

ive taken the liberty of added a gel insole to the boots since (cheap dunlop one as was all i could grab locally) but am considering that I have a hole in my life that looks a bit like the below. it MAY be that this isnt fillable by just one boot:

lovely squishy comfort/arch support
military Height (dont do wellies)
waterproof enough for outdoors walking/camp , no intention to stand in a stream any time soon.

looked at LOWA patrol as a one boot does it all /lasts for years option. have also heard good things about the desert elite - and cheap enough these might make sense as part of a 2 boot line up if as comfortable as stated. saw magnum had mach 11 8.0 whch is basically a trainer knocked down to 30 quid - but only in stupids sizes...might have been tempted other wise (squishy enough for canoeing too id wager - not that this is a requirement)

It MAY be I need to conside a pair of heavy leather boots and something like a merrell trainer, but an all in one solution would be brilliant

any recommendations greatfully received

 

[Tonyuk]

Salomon quest 4d, pricey but feel like a trainer with good support. Invest in good insoles, i like sorbothane but there are others if you need more support, like superfeet.

Lowas are good when tabbing with weight, but if your not planning on carrying much then they're overkill.

Tonysco

 

[Leshy]

All in all solution, look for Jallatte boots.
Yes they're safety boots (steel or composite toe etc) , and yes a little pricey but I have had a pair of these for work for 3 years wearing them everyday and they still feel like a pair of slippers...

I wear them to work, for walks, and for hikes and I wouldn't swap them for a pair of trainers!
Super light for what they are...
They are so comfortable its hard to wear anything else.
I have owned magnum ( not great) , cofra (Italian ones, ok) and ive tried the lowa pro ( excellent) but I wouldn't swap the Jallatte boots for any of them.
They do all sorts of different ones, mine are the jalsiberian , thinsulate and goretex ,full grain leather and fully waterproof.
The mrs got the shorter ones( trainer shape) and they re just as comfy.

Hope it helps

No connection to the company just a satisfied customer.

 

[homesicksteve]

Lowa Patrols - heavy, heavy duty boot.
Altberg Defenders - lighter & more refined.
Lowa Deserts - like slippers for comfort.

 

[marty marty]

thanks all for taking the time...and keep em coming

what are the Lowa desert like in the wilds of britain - do they struggle? if not are they light and sguidy enough to justify being a non-wproof comfort pair? - eg a pair of patrols for winter and Graded deserts for summer?

(assume alterberg is the boot combat high whatchamacalit)

 

[Reno Lewis]

One more vote for the Salomons, particularly the Quest 4D 2 GTX.

I'm a member of Search and Rescue, and I've worn these boots through some of the toughest terrain the Pacific North West has to offer. Prior to purchasing the Quest 4D 2 GTX, I wore an older pair of Salomons for a little over 7 yeas solid.

On top of being my hiking boot, they're also my daily wearer. They're very light, very comfortable, completely water proof (trust me, I've inadvertently tested that feature a lot), but they breathe incredibly well so you don't get sweaty feet like with some other waterproof boots.

Those boots are my absolute favorite footwear. Highly recommended, and absolutely worth the money.

 

[Bhod]

Another thumbs up for the Salomon Quest 4D 2 GTX from me. Have taken everything in their stride that I could throw at them, from the boggy approaches to the various summits of the Cheviots, to the craggy top of Scafell and other peaks in the lakes, from forest walks and long distance treks to general dog walking duties and the occasional all day at work in them they have never failed me yet. During the wettest and boggiest conditions I pair them up with some Mountain Equipment Goretex gaiters, generally give them a good hosing down after muddy treks and a quick reproof with Nikwax and they are generally good to go again. Comfortable and lightweight enough to use as an everyday boot yet durable enough to use as a three season boot too.

 

[marty marty]

Another thumbs up for the Salomon Quest 4D 2 GTX from me. Have taken everything in their stride that I could throw at them, from the boggy approaches to the various summits of the Cheviots, to the craggy top of Scafell and other peaks in the lakes, from forest walks and long distance treks to general dog walking duties and the occasional all day at work in them they have never failed me yet. During the wettest and boggiest conditions I pair them up with some Mountain Equipment Goretex gaiters, generally give them a good hosing down after muddy treks and a quick reproof with Nikwax and they are generally good to go again. Comfortable and lightweight enough to use as an everyday boot yet durable enough to use as a three season boot too.

Quite tempted by the salomons...although imagined a taller more military style....but getting drawn!

 

[KenThis]

It MAY be I need to conside a pair of heavy leather boots and something like a merrell trainer, but an all in one solution would be brilliant

any recommendations greatfully received

I wanted/needed a lot of ankle support so went this route.
Meindl boots for hiking and Merrel trainers for when I get to where I'm going. (Plus a pair of flip flops to air the tootsies whilst sat around camp)

 

[Tonyuk]

Quite tempted by the salomons...although imagined a taller more military style....but getting drawn!

Problem with taller boots is that they can put unnecessary pressure on the calves leading to a bit of discomfort. Unless you need them i would go with lighter weight boots, the salomons aren't really that much shorter than the lowa patrols, but much lighter. If you can try them on have a look into aku pilgrims, they don't fit me since they're quite narrow but if they do fit they seem excellent and a few i know who have them say they're mega.

Tonyuk

 

[marty marty]

just as a update, I had a sneaky try on of the Salomon boots. nice. very nice. stiffer that I expected them to be around the ankles, expecially given the weight. and not as boingy as id expected.

that said I have been wearing a pair of cheapo karrimor trail shoes with ridiculously soft gel insoles, so that may have influenced my findings. was being rinsed by the kids at the time, but I think these might be on my todo list. maybe with some insoles

 

[Macaroon]

Have a look at the Altberg lightweight tabbing boots; military-style full leather boot but very light indeed and superb over any ground in all weathers.

 

[janso]

Haha; another vote for the Salomon 4D here bud; fantastic boot in all but heavy winter if you need crampons.
If you're looking for insoles, super feet need to be purchased at the same time for a good fit. Sorbothanes are still a good insole but be aware with any you go for that they could reduce the internal volume of the boot so try them with your 'normal' hill socks at the same time.


Sent from my hidey hole using Tapatalk... sssh!

 

[Leshy]

Have a look at the Altberg lightweight tabbing boots; military-style full leather boot but very light indeed and superb over any ground in all weathers.

Altbergs do indeed look very nice !I've had my eye on them for a while... Are they comfortable even on long walks ?

 

[Sparky750]

Best thing to do is get to a decent boot shop somewhere like here

http://www.whalleyoutdoor.co.uk


If they're close enough or similar nearer to you that way you will definitely get something perfect for YOU, as my gran said always spend money on your shoes and your bed if you're not in one you're in the other. Personally meindl, lowa and haix are my go to brands because they're spot on perfect for me like slippers within a day or so wear. No connection to whalley other than a happy customer.