boots needed any recommendations?

[sapper1]

It's my birthday this month and my wife has said she'll buy me some new boots.
What do you recommend?
I prefer leather because I've never used canvas and have always worn high boots but now I find these a bit to high.I'll be using them all year round and would like to be able to re-sole them,they must ,of course, be waterproof.

 

[durulz]

Saw a pair of the HiTec desert boots in a local surplus store.
Damn good they are too.
They're not just a tan version of the normal black HiTec boots, but a completely different design. Very nice indeed. Nice and light but still (look) strong). And only £40.

 

[sapper1]

Are they waterproof? most desert boots aren't,I need waterproof boots as I go out in all weathers and cross some quite wet fields .

 

[gregorach]

Well, I've recently been converted to Lowa Combat GTXs (from Saloman's), but they're pretty high legged.

 

[durulz]

Are they waterproof? most desert boots aren't,I need waterproof boots as I go out in all weathers and cross some quite wet fields .

To be honest, I doubt it. Don't know if they can be waterproofed. Probably more hassle than it's worth - may as well buy waterproof ones to start.
But they are nice looking boots. If they still have them at that price at the end of the month I'm going to treat myself!

 

[Doc]

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.

 

[Nagual]

sports direct are doing Karrimor KSBs for under 20 quid, not to everyones taste but certainly quite comfy boots.


Nag.

 

[hobbitboy]

Meindl Borneos. Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.Meindl Borneos.

 

[Treemonk]

I'll second hobbitboy - borneos are great boots

 

[Lasse]

Well, I've recently been converted to Lowa Combat GTXs (from Saloman's), but they're pretty high legged.

I've been wearing my Lowa Combat boots (with GTX) for a couple of years now and am quite happy using them, never got wet or sore feet. But as Gregorach said: they're quite high legged, and they're quite heavy as well: about 2,2kg for size 13 if I'm not mistaken.
The salesman told me Lowa would repare basicly the entire boot for €70
But whichever shoe you get, the most important factor is 'does it fit?' so maybe select a couple of brands and than get out to try on as many as you like...

Cheers,
Lasse

 

[Morning Fox]

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

 

[Barn Owl]

The lowa combat gtx I got have been comfier than any of my others,scarpa,brasher,le chameux,raichle,karrimor etc.

Haven't had any meindle so can't comment on them.

I much prefer high legs though.

Karrimor boots are not the same as a few years ago after being bought over.

 

[gregorach]

I believe the Lowa Mountain boots are basically the same as the Combats, only less high...

 

[bonzodog]

i like altberg ,made in uk,rebuildable ,various width fittings

 

[goshow]

Well, I've recently been converted to Lowa Combat GTXs (from Saloman's), but they're pretty high legged.

I'll second that but they are without a shadow of doubt the very best boots i have ever worn. I wear them for 12 hours a day, every day, at work. For fell walking and for bushcrafting. Not cheap but worth every penny, plus you can get them re-soled at Altberg. I've got a pair that are 6 years old and they nstill feel like new boots everytime i put em on.

 

[Bimble]

No short cuts here. Boots are a personal thing. You are going to have to try on many pairs and not be satisfied until you have tried on at least 10 different boots in different sizes. (Despite the ******** talked by the spotty foetus of a shop assistant, use two pairs of thick wool socks, and don’t' believe the flannel they give you.) You will know when they fit right. Test them on a steep ramp (good shops will have them) you want plenty of toe room when descending and not too loose at the heal so that you feel any significant movement. You also want them to be as light as possible. (You can see why this will take all day/week/month)

My tuppence worth.....

(PS buy leather, and use nikwax. Goretex in proper boots is a stupid idea, if you want your foot to breathe use thick socks. Unfortunatly due to the gulable, you can only buy good boots with Goretex liners these days, alas such is the power of modern marketing.)

 

[Bimble]

I like the Brasher Superlight. Its about the best looking boot I've seen in a long time. Unfortunatly it doesn't fit my wide foot well so couldn't use them myself. They are a top boot design however, its a shame they are built on shuch a thin last. Sigh...

 

[Spunyarn]

I've had alot of few different types of boots in my time. All of them are military style boots, so apologies if you're after a more civilian looking type of boot.
My first pair of boots were Magnum classics, I found them light and very agile, however they have very little ankle support, especially when carrying weight. The fact they weren't waterproof was a big problem.
Next I got a pair of pro boots, these again are military boots, actually on issue to soldiers now. At the time, they weren't and were alot more expensive. The offered excellent support, were very warm, fairly light, however I didn't like running in them, since they weren't exactly very flexible.
I think the next were LOWA (Lowa combat GTX) boots, extremely warm, beautifully comfortable, but very heavy. Excellent support and rigidity, but hardly any flexibility due to them being so thick. Also, because they were goretex, and if you're going anywhere near water, you should never buy goretex boots, they took an age to dry out when they were wet inside.
Now I've got a pair Altbergs (Altberg defender microlights), they're by far the best so far, extremely light, easy to run in (like trainers), just about enough support to do decent weight carrying, and yet still flexible enough to bend over, kneel down, and spring about. I would definitely recommend those from experience above any other boot I've tried. Also, they've needed next to no breaking in, and when the soles are worn down, I'll just send them back to the factory in Richmond, Yorks, and get them resoles. Magic
One downside to both Altbergs and Lowas, is that for some reason, the laces always snap on me. One lace snapped on my Lowas, and both have snapped on my altbergs (I've only had them 2 months), so definitely get yourself a spare set of laces.
However take into account that everybody's feet are different, and you can't beat trying them on in a shop and finding out for yourself what they're like. Hope you find what's best for you.
A really big downside to all these boots is that they are very expensive. However as any soldier will tell you; footwear is somewhere you can't afford to cut corners.
Hope that helps.
Spunyarn

 

[Spunyarn]

Also, I know Meindl boots, are currently very very popular with soldiers; but I've never tried them.

 

[Intertidal]

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. I generally use plastics for crampons anyway. Mrs has Scarpa Manta M4s for winter and she finds them v good up to grade II/III routes.
But, again, get those that fit