boots needed any recommendations?

[sapper1]

Had a pair of hillmasters once but forgotten how good they are,lets see how much my wife loves my feet.

 

[bushtank]

If you are in the mountains a lot, it is hard to beat the Scarpa Manta M4. The Vibram M4 sole unit cannot be beaten for traction on steep ground. Can be used with crampons too.

I have the older version and still going strong after a lot of use.

I also have a pair of Le Chameau Mouflon hunting boots. The mouflon plus is fairly high leg, the standard mouflon is a bit higher than normal walking boots. The waterproofing is impressive, copes well with bog and burn. Traction is very good indeed - but not as good as the Manta M4.

Scarpa for me my first pair lasted me 7 years before the sole gave out and they never hardly left my feet

 

[Barn Owl]

If you are in the mountains a lot, it is hard to beat the Scarpa Manta M4. The Vibram M4 sole unit cannot be beaten for traction on steep ground. Can be used with crampons too.

I have the older version and still going strong after a lot of use.

I also have a pair of Le Chameau Mouflon hunting boots. The mouflon plus is fairly high leg, the standard mouflon is a bit higher than normal walking boots. The waterproofing is impressive, copes well with bog and burn. Traction is very good indeed - but not as good as the Manta M4.

What I don't like about my mouflons is that the lace hooks are too close together over the top of the foot.
I like them further apart,to me it eases pressure there,'course it's maybe just my feet, hence the fact you've got to try them yourself

 

[EdS]

first off and before you buy any boots decide what you are going to be doing in them. A lightweight 2 or 3 season boot is no good for bagging Scotish winter peaks and conversly you do not need a full mountain boot if you are only in the lowlands.

Do not get a boot just because most people say they are good - it could cripple you. I've had expensive boots that where a pain, literally, and cheap boots that proved the dogs danglies for what I got them for. Try a number of makes and models on. I much prefer my cheap hi-tecs to my Brasher Hillmaster as they fit better.

Good quality insoles (surfeet) are worth considering - I've got falen arches so had soem made to measure. They cost more than my cheap hi-tec summer boots (half price in sports shop - worth looking this time of year).

And do not forget quality socks.

I've got a number of pairs:
a nice pair of pink old plastic Koflags for winter climbing - oddly I find them very comfy
cheap hi-tec summer boots
one of the last pairs of DB (before he went back to Karrimor & worked on the KSB) winter boots - leather, non goretex excellent walkig and gentle climbing boot

but my most worn are a pair of made to fit Altbergs.

 

[Intertidal]

Eds,
I too have got a pair of DBs! I've never met or seen anyone else with a pair.
Sadly mine got slightly deformed some years ago as the result of being too damp for too long with too tight crampon straps (basically a lot of winter mountaineering). Since then they don't fit me too good and have languished in the cupboard under the stairs - shame 'cos they are really well made and used to be really comfy and a graet scrambling boot. Got Scarpa Omegas now for winter - light, comfy and very warm.
Rest of the year I wear Hillmasters or maybe just inov8 flyrocs in summer.

 

[Joonsy]

Highly recommend the Meindl Borneo or Burma, I have the burma and really like the gore-tex but some people are antsy about it.

after reccomendations i tried the meindl burma, after very short and light use the leather on left boot cracked up very badly around the flex area by the rand, very dissapointing indeed for a boot over £120, they were not misused in fact hardly used, they also leaked very badly as well despite being goretex, i put leak down to cracked leather but they should have still been waterproof despite this being goretex but they were not. Comfy but poor workmanship or bad leather used, not waterproof, not worth the money.

 

[johnnytheboy]

anyone tried the meindl glockners??

 

[bushtuckerman]

I'll second hobbitboy - borneos are great boots

3rd-ed. I have the Almost identical but GTX-less Burma boots from Meindl and they are excellent. Pretty glad they have no membrane in too, my feet (not the dryest) remain very comfortable in hard work outdoors even with two pairs of thick socks on and I have never got wet in them despite standing around in rivers for relatively long periods, they are proofed with nikwax nubuck wax. They are lined with very comfortable leather, no sweaty fabric in sight

The reason they are good is because they fit my feet well and are comfortable from the word go. I've had mine for about 6 years, no problems yet. The good work of German handicraft perhaps.


edit: Just read what Morning Fox said...maybe I have the Borneo. Either way, the one without the GTX.

 

[Morning Fox]

after reccomendations i tried the meindl burma, after very short and light use the leather on left boot cracked up very badly around the flex area by the rand, very dissapointing indeed for a boot over £120, they were not misused in fact hardly used, they also leaked very badly as well despite being goretex, i put leak down to cracked leather but they should have still been waterproof despite this being goretex but they were not. Comfy but poor workmanship or bad leather used, not waterproof, not worth the money.

hmm that is pretty sad. Mine have been fine so far :/

 

[Barney]

wrong thread

 

[sparksfly]

Another vote for the Meindl Borneo from me. Only had them a few months but very happy in them so far. No liner, but use nikwax and no wet feet so far.

 

[hen]

Sapper,
As others have said, the boots that fit are best.
I'd highly recommend Brasher Hillmaster GTX's as a 3 to 4 season boot. They're good straight outa the box (on me) and I get 4-5 years out of a pair - uppers usually split before the sole is too far gone. I do look after them but they get some stick on rocky ground and scree. I have used them with crampons at a push on walking/scrambling ground, but they're not brill and are not meant for it.

3 or 4 season?! Crampons?!!!! Lordy.

 

[woof]

I've got the meindl borneo, which are great straight out of the box, i'm also a fan of altberg, i've got the field & fell, which are now on their 3rd sole, a new lining and a front, there seems to be no stopping these boots.

 

[Intertidal]

3 or 4 season?! Crampons?!!!! Lordy.

Hi Hen,
I thought I'd qualified that statement by saying the Hillmasters are not meant for it, which they're not. But, on those crappy days when you only need crampons for a bit (think zig zags down to pyg track on Snowdon when its iced up) they'll take a flexi crampon well enough. I rather do that than walk around in me plastics, tho' I'll definitely use the latter for full on winter stuff. Saying that tho', theres many a winter where I'll do a long walk in trainers and only put the placcies on to climb.
Thinking about it, I think I did Aonach Eagach in winter in Brashers once - OK apart from cold!

 

[hen]

You did qualify it clearly! It was just that Brashers and crampons in the same sentence make me go 'Lordy'!

I've had a few days on the hills in Snowdonia in 'odd' footwear for the season - as well as satin trousers on one snowy occasion (!?!?!), they did help me get down faster than usual I s'pose! Never quite lived that one down.

 

[maddave]

Anything by Alt-Berg gets my vote !!

 

[Shewie]

Just my opinion but I find a lot of the military marching boots to be quite hard soled and can get tiresome and sore if trudging for a full day. I`ll be going for a civvy model of either Lowa or Brasher next time I`m buying.