Boots, Which Type?

[Bigman]

Is best to buy at a reasonable cost;

What I'm after is a leather boot which is comfortable to wear all day as I understand anything having Goretex in will eventually fail.

I'm going on this wildfood weekend in Cornwall and need a set of boots.

Any suggestions?

 

[scooby]

hey there bigman..

im sure for this there will be many different opinions coming forward and im sure all will have perfectly good reasoning behind them.

personally i find the dutch style of military boots to be fine for autumn and winter use, ive always worn military boots and have always found that they stand up to much more abuse than goretex and other materials like you say.

i like the dutch style of boot because i find they give better support around the ankle yet are still supple enough to allow free movement and comfort, i always of for a second hand pair that you should be able to pick up easily from any army surplus store as they are always a lot softer to start with and dont require as much "wearing in". (also should only set you back about £25-35 ish depending on the condition)

hope this is of some help,

cheers, Rik.

 

[Bigman]

Thank you scooby for your reply, have been searching on Google, haven't found anything yet.

 

[ArkAngel]

I'd go with that too,

At a reasonable cost surplus boots are hard to beat. Someone has already had the blisters on your behalf, they are usually in good condition and a good dose of Mink oil or Nikwax will keep them reasonably waterproof. If you like dry feet a pair of waterproof socks might be handy too.

Design of boot is your own preference. I prefer higher leg boots as i always seem to be the first one to find the boggy bit thats just a bit deeper than my boots, spending the rest of the day squelching all over the place

 

[Brendan]

I've just bought a second pair of new British army pro boots from ebay for £33 including postage, I was looking at Lowa Combat boots but hard to find under £145!
Pro boots are great for winter/ Autumn use because of the thinsulate lining but a bit warm in hot summer conditions.
I think the pro boots were so cheap because they were size 13, I usually take a 12 but my pair of 12s were a bit tight with winter socks and 13s are perfect, bargain!
It just depends if you really are a big man Bigman lol.
As for goretex failing well these are leather with goretex lining so if the goretex fails eventually you are still left with a waterproof leather boot.
I don't like second hand boots as someone else has broken them in and they have molded to the contours of someone elses foot not yours. This is ok for occasional use but if you were planning on long hikes then you may have issues.
Good luck boothunting.

 

[Spacemonkey]

I would beg to differ that all goretex type boots will eventually fail. My lined Danners are about 10-15 (can't remember for sure..) and they don't leak a drop and are the comfiest boots I have ever had (and I have a few.. Umm...). Maybe sometimes you really do get what you pay for???

 

[sharp88]

Alot of people swair by Lowa boots. They may be somthing to consider, but you wont find them in any high street trekking store.

 

[Nigel]

Hi Bigman.

If you just want a pair for knocking around and are reasonably comfortable, then get yourself a pair of brit combat boots and gortex / waterproof socks or boot liners. You can usually get the boots new for under £50 and boot liners for a fiver.
Pro boots are very comfortable but they’re a very warm boot as someone mentioned, I have had mine for a few years and the gortex lining is still doing its job. I have used the German Para boots, of which are hard wearing and if well treated will keep your feet nice and dry

Nigel

 

[Simon E]

Your feet are the only means of locomotion you have, if your feet are sore and blistered and you cant move you are screwed. Get Scarpa and then you can wear them for the next 15 years or so. You only get what you pay for and the way to live when buying stuff is to adhere to this mantra..

Buy the best you can afford and cry only once.

 

[pierre girard]

Is best to buy at a reasonable cost;

What I'm after is a leather boot which is comfortable to wear all day as I understand anything having Goretex in will eventually fail.

I'm going on this wildfood weekend in Cornwall and need a set of boots.

Any suggestions?

I've been very impressed with the Canadian military boots I bought on e-bay a couple of years ago. I believe I paid $15, and they are very well constructed with a completely leather upper. They are great for work. I wear them from November to April every working day.

On the trail, I use training shoes or mogasins. Out in the woods, I hate carrying around any more weight than I have to.

 

[woodwalker]

I've just bought a second pair of new British army pro boots from ebay for £33 including postage

I bought mine in great condition for a fiver on the local market!! (not new though)

However I wouldn't recommend them for bushcraft as they don't give that much ankle movement unlike standard walking boots which tend to give support but afford flexibilty.

Just my thoughts,

woodwalker

 

[miniac]

Comfortable ones! dosn't matter what brand or how much..

 

[sandsnakes]

I use an industrial work boot made by Grafters. They are a copy of the 'magnum hi-tech'. About £ 35 brand new. They do neeed breaking in, but a walk through the wet grass should do it. So do a couple of short walks first.

The more you pay the more you get... but! It gets to a point that its only worth paying that amount if you are climbing K2.

The question is how often are you going to use them? Weekends only? If so a cheaper pair of boots may last you 10/15 years with no problem, its then just down to the longevity of the materials used in construction.

 

[Raptordog]

Had a pair of Danners for 15 years plus! and they are still going strong, and they get some heavy use.
Treated myself to 2 new pair's the black arcadia for the winter season, and the arcadia desert boot for the summer months.
Like the arcadia style with the cordura sections, it allows for freer/ less restricted ankle movement.
Seen some new ones on e-bay, reasonably priced too compared with the other outlets that can be a bit pricey, if you buy new you can get to chose size/ width and weight also.
There are also some worn ones on there, you can pick them up for under £40.............

 

[Bigman]

Thank you for all the suggestions and advice.

I will only be wearing them at weekends or when I'm away on some adventure.

I understand that you get what you pay for but for me I can't bear to pay in excess of a £100 for a pair of boots as I won't be wearing them that often.

It's just that all I have are some smart shoes and couple of pairs of trainers which I know is hardly appropriate for a weekend doing whatever.

I am a huge guy at 6' 6" and weighing in at 24stone so buying anything is real headache although I'm only a size 11 shoe size.

I have found that there are very few, if any at all Army Surplus type stores that would cater for me.
They just don't have my sizes!!

 

[Snufkin]

I really like my Scarpa Rangers. No goretex lining and around the £100 mark.
My biggest problem with goretex is it just doesn't breath well and I end up with very hot feet.

 

[bloodline]

Make sure they are leather in case you have to boil them up if we cant find anything else to eat,. see you at rhe wildfood weekend

 

[ozymandias]

speaking personally, i love my zamberlan trail-lites, the front is all one piece of leather so nothing to go wrong, no seams to go or rub. about £100 and last for ages, over 10 years at least, as long as you look after them. also have a vibram sole which lasts about 4 times as long as a normal sole.
issue british army boots are also good if you put something like a sorbothane inner sole in, and of course they are very cheap compared to other boots.

 

[Bigman]

Make sure they are leather in case you have to boil them up if we cant find anything else to eat,. see you at rhe wildfood weekend

I will try to.

 

[crazydave]

matterhorns if you can get them cheap via ebay or issue boots and goretex socks - us jungle boots are versatile if you add said socks to them as well