rogue boots

[Man of Tanith]

Evening All

This weekend just past brought a loss to me, my traditional leather walking boots finally gave up the ghost after fourteen years of faithful service after mourning their demise and a few words i now have to look into finding a replacement for them.

whilst i have the combat/army surplus boots lurking about still i find that after a while wearing them my knee aches a lot which isnt good as i already have slight problems with it and dont want to make these worse. One of the reasons i loved my dearly departed is that they were lightweight yet still rugged.
so having used the search function one of the common brands that seems to keep cropping up is Rogue. having nosed through few sites they seems like i may well like them but i am loath to spend the sort of money they cost only to find that they aren't what i want.

so has anyone got any complaints or found any nigglesome things wrong with them?
i hope to wear them practically all the time both at work and when out and about and even just mooching around so comfort, durability,grip of soles,weatherproofness, and if they cause hot feet are all factors i would like to hear about.

The pair i have spotted that have taken my fancy are on this link---->http://www.kendrickimports.com/rogue/boots/rogue-rb2-light-trail-boot.html

cheers for feedback in advance
Sam

 

[Mikey P]

They are poo in the wet. See numerous other threads where we have discussed the pros/cons of these boots. I can't speak for the waterproof versions but the Rogue Rangers (which look exactly like the ones in your link) are very poor in anything but dry weather. I love mine but - oddly enough - haven't worn them much in Scotland since I moved here last Summer!

Also, the insoles they come with need to be placed straight in the bin and replaced with something with a bit of cushioning.

Think very hard about what you are going to use these for and whether or not you want your feet to be dry - if you want to keep the water out, make sure you get the right ones!

 

[poddle]

I have had a pair for 3 years and really like them, and they do them in half sizes. They are not water proof and any attempt to water proof them has failed, it goes straight through
HOWEVER, for a nice dry dusty day they are perfect, I wore mine in Africa recently (where they were made actually) and they were fantastic,the soles are still intact and are self cleaning to a point... not the heels though.

Bit like Gremlins... don't get em wet.

 

[Mikey P]

Bit like Gremlins... don't get em wet.

Especially after midnight!

I think you've summed it up better than I did.

 

[Man of Tanith]

So no in a word then
oh well back to the drawing board for me then
Cheers guys glad i hadn't bought em bfore i asked
Sam

 

[poddle]

Can't beat a good pair of Meindl boots, pretty bomb proof.
Had a pair for 4 years now and the leather is as good as new

 

[Man of Tanith]

are they just leather or do they have funky man made lining material?
only boots with gortex lining etc tend to turn my feet into sweaty rotting lumps which is why the rouge appealed.
Sam

 

[poddle]

What socks are you wearing, do they wick? The right choice of sock material is very important, if they don't wick then you will end up with wet feet

My ones have a goretex lining,but there are alternatives, have a look online, or pop into a hiking shop, or hit Ebay.


Expect to pay around £150 for a decent pair although you may find some in a sale somewhere. Mine cost £120, and have proved to be a very good investment

 

[Bootstrap Bob]

I have to say I'm quite disappointed with the comments so far.

I bought a pair of RB5 boots with sewn in gaitors from Unbeaten Tracks 9 years ago and they are still going strong. They are the first boots I reach for if I know the conditions are going to be wet and in fact when I first bought them I used them while out doing extreme events in the Landy. I have been calf deep in streams with these boots and they have kept me dry.

Since then I bought some RB5's without the gaitors for everyday use and I have to admit they were not quite as good as my first set but I still use them. The leather around the heel area where your achilies tendon is did eventually wear through and had to be stiched up and the treads are down to the wear indicators now but that's after about 6 years of heavy use.

I'm beginning to wonder whether the quality of these boots is going down hill in recent times. When they first came out they had recylced tyres for the soles and were 'As tough as old boots' so to speak.

 

[C_Claycomb]

The only pair of boots i have ever had that even approach the efficiency, for turning my feet into sweaty wet lumps, exhibited by my Rogue Ranger boots after I tried to make them water resistant are a pair of light weight suede and nylon Meindls

I can't remember which it is, the Meindl borneo or Burma that don't have Goretex. Might be worth a look. I have some all NuBuck and leather lined Meindl Vermonts which are excellent. They have Goretex, but my feet don't seem to get too hot.

I did a review of the Rogues and foudn there were more niggles than the lack of water resistance. The solid rubber sole and very short shank made them hard on the feet, especially on harder ground. They make your feet work quite hard. I probably would have liked them better if I hadn't tried to waterproof them and ended up making them totally non-breathable, whilst they remained totally water permiable!

 

[poddle]

Bob, he was referring to Rogue Boots, from memory, i think you will find that you have a different boot, the ones with the gaiters on are waterproof.. I think still made by the same chap though in SA

I love mine, but simply keep them for hunting in summer time, and or every day use, Mine have rubber sole that have been made from recycled rubber, the maker refer to these soles as "r soles"... very novel

 

[poddle]

The only pair of boots i have ever had that even approach the efficiency, for turning my feet into sweaty wet lumps, exhibited by my Rogue Ranger boots after I tried to make them water resistant are a pair of light weight suede and nylon Meindls

I can't remember which it is, the Meindl borneo or Burma that don't have Goretex. Might be worth a look. I have some all NuBuck and leather lined Meindl Vermonts which are excellent. They have Goretex, but my feet don't seem to get too hot.

I did a review of the Rogues and foudn there were more niggles than the lack of water resistance. The solid rubber sole and very short shank made them hard on the feet, especially on harder ground. They make your feet work quite hard. I probably would have liked them better if I hadn't tried to waterproof them and ended up making them totally non-breathable, whilst they remained totally water permiable!

Yes I agree, I tried to make them waterproof and made them a foot sauna.
Now I just use a leather conditioner, not a water proofer

 

[Bootstrap Bob]

Bob, he was referring to Rogue Boots,

But they are Rogue Boots hence the designation RB5. I have just found the Rogue site details and in fact I have the RB6 (Gaitors) and a pair of RB5s.

http://www.rogue.co.za/boots.html

I must admit I have no experience of the RB2 Trail boots that Sam refers to so can't comment on these, I thought the question was about Rogue Boots in general.

 

[poddle]

Mnnn, see your point Bob, thats not the ones I was thinking of.

There was a waterproof one about four years ago. trying to find info on it

 

[Rebel]

are they just leather or do they have funky man made lining material?
only boots with gortex lining etc tend to turn my feet into sweaty rotting lumps which is why the rouge appealed.
Sam

Most boots these days have some kind of synthetic lining, it's supposed to help wick sweat away more efficiently than a leather lining. The only pair I've personally seen recently that don't are my son's army issue boots, they have a leather lining and leather outer. They are inexpensive and can be made water resistant by rubbing plenty of beeswax into the leather outers.

Personally I find the modern linings such as Cambrelle to be very durable and to work reasonably well. Good socks are important in helping wick sweat too. I read that our feet have more sweat glands than any other part of our body so when we encase them in a tight pair of boots and work up a sweat we are demanding quite a lot of performance from them.

Waterproof linings (such as Gore-Tex) do tend to reduce the wicking ability of the lining I have to agree and what's more it always gets damaged at points where the boot flexes a lot and lets in water anyway.

My newest pair of boots I got without a waterproof membrane as I didn't really see the point in paying more for something that only lasts a few months and makes my feet more sweaty. So far with some Nikwax leather waterproofing the water is beading of the outers of these boots like off a duck's back. The boots have to be full grain leather of course without any of those funky nylon cut-out bits that are so popular now and difficult to clean (yes I have boots like that too).

There is the option of wearing Sealskinz socks to keep your feet dry even if your boots are soaked. This is what I personally do now. I keep the Sealskinz for a rainy day and only put them on if I need them.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Whilst i was asking about the pair in the link it was also an open question about the brand too!
i can easily be swayed to another pair by the same brand if they are better or even a completely different brand if people have a good recommendation.
i think i shall investigate the meindel brand and possibly go to the millets and blacks in bedford and spend a while bending the ear of the shop assistant if i can find one who actually uses the kit for more than festivals which it appears most do.
Cheers all
Sam

 

[poddle]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rogue-Trans-A...g_Goods_Athletic_Shoes_ET?hash=item255854dcaf

They claim these to be water resistant, but the price? ***

No chance of me paying that, although they do remind me of the model that I was thinking of

 

[Man of Tanith]

yowza thats steep, infact steeper than the link in my original post!!
good grief
Sam

 

[Bootstrap Bob]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rogue-Trans-A...g_Goods_Athletic_Shoes_ET?hash=item255854dcaf

They claim these to be water resistant, but the price? ***

No chance of me paying that, although they do remind me of the model that I was thinking of

*** indeed

I think my RB6 were £70 when I bought them. Prices have gone up a bit since then.

 

[poddle]

I paid around that too, maybe less. No reason for the increase, the rand has been at 11 to the pound for 4 years so why the massive price hoike ?