Boots/footware

[oddjob]

Rightyho, I'm planning to jack in the job and travel round the world in a few months (a belated gap year I guess).

I got a lot of kit that I need but as I plan on doing a lot of trekking whilst I'm away and I want to get a good pair of all round boots. So any suggestions, I don't want to break the bank but at the same time I want boots that'll last and take a bit of punishment.

Cheers

 

[sandbender]

Rightyho, I'm planning to jack in the job and travel round the world in a few months (a belated gap year I guess).

Careful, its addictive! I've been on an on and off gap year since the early ninties.



I purchased a pair of Meindle Borneos in 1998, I'm still wearing them today and so far I have walked over four thousand miles with them.

As far as other kit goes, the less you have the better.

 

[addyb]

He's right, the less kit the better! For as the Illustrious Raymond Mears says "Knowledge weighs nothing."

Adam

 

[Spacemonkey]

My Danners have been abused since the early 90's but they do scuff easily. Still don't leak though..

 

[Andy]

I use brasher fellmasters which are really comfy. I don't expect the soles to last as well as other boots though and this seems to be a common problem with brashers. It's ok for me as I needed comfort for the odd ramble on a budget.

 

[Tack]

Hi,
The type, make and model of boots you choose depends largely on the terrain in which you are trekking.
For example boots suitable for a temperate climate like ours are totally unsuitable in a desert or tropical rain forest.
I would suggest you buy boots as you go and as you come across different environments. For a start I can highly recommend Meindl boots. They are German so are well made and fit the wider feet of Northern Europeans as opposed to Italian boots which I find too narrow.
I have had a pair of Burma Pro's for 18 months now and they are superb.
Regards
Tack

 

[Salix]

Hi mate,

I have had several pairs of Karrimor KSB 300's, and i wear them all day, every day. I have given them all a severe beating with plenty of walking, fencing, felling, mixing cement, drystone walling, hedgelaying wet/dry/wet/dry and so on. To me they are the king of boots, ive still got the very first pair i bought, and they are still very wearable. At the moment iv'e wearing a pair of Brasher Hillmasters, they are ok, but my colleague went through a pair in 1 month I an definately going back to the KSB's.

Mark

 

[pierre girard]

I've used Danners and Rocky boots at work for years. The Danners are better than the Rockys but you pay for it.

Two years ago, I bought a used pair of Canadian army boots off e-bay. Best damn boots I've ever owned. Leather inside and out, except the sole. I got them for $20, plus shipping. Sure beats paying $200 for a pair of Danners.

I never wear boots in the woods during summer, only moggasins or running shoes. Easier to pack and easier to dry. If it is really wet, I wear LL Bean hunting shoes (rubber bottom, leather upper). In winter, mukluks.

P

 

[leon-1]

Rightyho, I'm planning to jack in the job and travel round the world in a few months (a belated gap year I guess).

I got a lot of kit that I need but as I plan on doing a lot of trekking whilst I'm away and I want to get a good pair of all round boots. So any suggestions, I don't want to break the bank but at the same time I want boots that'll last and take a bit of punishment.

Cheers

I can see this coming, it will be one of those threads where everyone will tell you try these or try those.

I would suggest taking a look at the Meindl boots, also look at Lowa, Altberg, the issue assualt boot, Zamberlan and Scarpa's in your local shops if they have them (altberg will be a problem). We as individuals all have different feet and you are the only person who will know if the boot is comfortable when you try it on.

I am not a great fan of Gore-tex boots, I have owned Danner Arcadia, Timberland Plain Guide and many others, but if I was going that way I would suggest that you look into a pair of Lowa Renegades, it is the only goretex lined boot that I will suggest to anyone being the one that I find best of the ones I have tried (and just about still owning a set). They don't look too much like you have just got off the building site or that you are on E&E from one unit or another.

Meindl, Lowa, Scarpa and Zamberlan have been making hiking boots for years and they make some of the best that don't look to much on the military vein. Altberg make some of the best boots you can buy, a lot of them are in a military vein, but some aren't.

If you don't mind looking like you are wearing assault boots then you can always look at an issue set, I used them for years and they are reasonably hard wearing and at the same time comfortable, just look at getting a decent insole for them.

I hope this helps

 

[magicaltrevor]

I have never owned a pair of Meindl boots but I can recommend them based on the experiences of others. I have heard many people recommend the Burma (non-goretex) over the Borneo (goretex) as they breath a lot better and with good waxing/polishing you can get near goretex waterproofing anyway.

 

[sandbender]

Burma (non-goretex) over the Borneo (goretex).

I think the Miendle Borneo design may have changed since I bought mine, my Borneo's are all leather and like Leon I wouldn't recomend gore-tex lined boots.

 

[pierre girard]

Rightyho, I'm planning to jack in the job and travel round the world in a few months (a belated gap year I guess).

I got a lot of kit that I need but as I plan on doing a lot of trekking whilst I'm away and I want to get a good pair of all round boots. So any suggestions, I don't want to break the bank but at the same time I want boots that'll last and take a bit of punishment.

Cheers

You know, I was thinking about this a bit. There are so many different types of boots out there today. When I was young, there was only one type of boots folks used in the woods. Loggers, trappers, forest service - everyone wore the same boot. I found it on the internet, and though it looks like it has been tinkered with a bit - here is the Red Wing Irish Setter (I see they have a non insulated option - which would have been the norm in the 1950s and 1960s):

http://www.boots99.com/order/irishsetter/847.htm

 

[Aliwren]

I wear Raichle mountain gxt boots and they are the best I have owned for walking in this country and Europe - however it is pointless for me to say get them as everybodys feet are different.

I would strongly recommend going to a specialist walking/oudoor shop with a rough idea of budget, whether you require them to be g-tex lined or not and where you will be using them. Then try as may pairs of boots on as possible, the difference in fit in the same size across different makes is amazing.

A good outdoor shop will have someone specially trained in boot fitting to offer you advice. Most shops now divide the boots into categories like trail walking to mountaineering which will guide you and they are often in seasons. Be realistic about the terrain you will walk on as there is no point paying for a 4 season mountain boot designed to take crampons if you are never likley to go near ice. It would be better to get a 3 season boot which usually are slightly softer, cheaper and ligher. IMO weight should be an important factor in choosing boots as the latest walking boots are very durable but lightweight, therefore less effort everytime you lift your foot!!

My main bit of advice would be to get them as soon as you can and get used to them. Many boots dont really need 'breaking in' anymore but it is better to discover if they are going to rub anywhere whilst you are walking around the local village/town rather than when you have left for your adventure!

 

[BOD]

Planning a trip to the Pilbara in Western Australia and would be grateful for opinions on footwear as I am a desert novice. The Pilbara is a hot rocky desert and spinifex grass apparently can stab you through vents and holes in your boots

I have been recommended the Magnum Amazon desert boot by some one who knows the area but am curious to know what others think

 

[Lithril]

Another vote for Meindl here my boots are the burmas which I've used and abused for 4 years and they're still going strong, my every day shoes were Meindl Magics and they've finally given up the ghost after 3 years of use, just replaced them with Meindl Emotions... so yup I'm all for em

 

[Ketchup]

Oh, the boots question!

When I left for the tropics in the early 80's, wandering the world was not yet a fashion but still the tail end of a colonial era. When asking what boots I should buy, everybody told me: Palladium (pallabrousses, a french colonial military spinoff, canvas all over with serious soles) Nowadays they come in expensive boxes in chique boutiques and cost about 10 times what we used to pay them.

I did buy a pair and soon they were gathering dust.

Because travelling the world is meeting people.
And wherever whenever you're invited in any place outside Europe, the only thing they ask you is to take of your shoes. It was hell! Me taking 5 minutes everytime shedding and putting on these horrible things while the locals in flip-flops had done the trick in seconds. The locals even climbed mountain paths in flip-flops. I had one boat builder from Australia on my project who told me he even didn't own shoes. Hopped on and off planes and islands on his bare feet.
I think it's the wisest thing to do and you will adapt to it surprisingly fast. Whenever society permits, run barefoot.

 

[Klenchblaize]

No specific make/model suggestion from me but if your first stop is the US it would be a god idea, from your position of limited funds at least, to buy something there. You will be amazed at the deals to be had in the likes of Cabela's "Bargain Cave" and many other outfitters.

As for breaking them in (quikly) simply soak in water for 15 minutes and then yomp in until dry!

Cheers
Ps: This rushed so please check spelling and amend as you see fit.

 

[Carpe_Diem]

Planning a trip to the Pilbara in Western Australia and would be grateful for opinions on footwear as I am a desert novice. The Pilbara is a hot rocky desert and spinifex grass apparently can stab you through vents and holes in your boots

I have been recommended the Magnum Amazon desert boot by some one who knows the area but am curious to know what others think

Hi mate

I wear a pair of Meindl Desert Fox boots when working in the Pilbara or Kimberley. i find them perfect for most of my trekking and work related needs as the sole is fairly rigid but the boot is extremely breathable. On the occasions that they've been wet, they're quick to dry as well, especially if you're still wearing them.

they havent got vents as such so no worries about spinifex getting through but they have got ample mesh covering so very breathable. I replaced the inner sole with a pair of superfeet and they are one of the most comfortable pairs of boots i've owned. I got a second pair just incase the model goes out of circulation ))

I've worn them in northern parts of Australia, inc Queensland in teh tropics, and in places like southern Ethiopia and northern kenya, in dry arid climates with no probs at all.

if you go to www.meindl.de/english and look under Mountaineering/trekking and then Klassiker and MENS - they are listed as the Meindl Safari boots.

cheers
Jeelan

 

[Naruska]

How about a pair of veldskoen? (...try google, here`an example www.vellies.com)

I used to wear shoes like these growing up as a kid in third world countries...and later on, working as a professional safari guide in zimbabwe...the trick is to wear them without socks, which prevents grass seeds from attaching to your socks and digging into your skin...causing painful chafing and sores... they are made out of suede with a naural rubber tread...and are quite moccasin-like by nature...

I`ve even done a bit of "mountaineering" in a pair in the swiss alps. Once the`re broken in and your feet have adapted, it`s almost like walking barefoot....in a positive sense

Marko

 

[RGRBOX]

I've owned and tested many boots.. but my Lowa Mountain G-Tex boots are tops.. very comfotable, and well supported.. You can have the soles changed if needed in the long run.. I had a guy come in my shop two weeks ago with a pair that was over 15 years old...