walking boots advice

[j_robi]

hi
i love a bit of scrambling/walking and generally doing outdoors stuff

my current boots - meindl mid magic gtx have been great - waterproof, providing ankle support (and yet not high boots)- they are overy worn now and i need a new pair
they need to be
light, comfortable, waterproof, ankle supportive

any ideas?

have looked at the Salomon Elios Mid XCR

- anything else worth looking at?

thanks in advance

 

[tjwuk]

If you have found a boot that works for you why swap now? I know its nice to have a change but your feet are worth it, even of it means being boring!

I have tried Scarpa, on my second pair after 18months. These were replaced by them due to erratic wear of the boot and splitting. They were true to their word about replacing them but doubt if I would buy another pair.

The ones I would like are the Meindl Burma Pro (think thats right?) Thats what I will have soon.

 

[tommy the cat]

J, there are quite alot of posts on this if you search walking boots. Lots of good advice on the posts so have a read. Me well I'm a cheap skate and have just bought some german para boots and are well impressed with them gonna be for winter use and not something you will be interested in if you have a healthy budget! I would consider Altberg's myself if I had to wonger.
Dave

 

[sapper1]

I'm with tjwuk , if it works for you why change it .The boots you have are good and you like them.Get a new pair of the same.

 

[maddave]

Try for the same... I love British Army Pro Boots.....Nowt fancy but they do the job

Like TJWUK says.....If it's not broken...don't fix it !!

 

[Goatboy]

Hi j_robi

I fit boots, I'm pretty darn good... No false honesty here, I know that I'm pretty good, the company I work for prides itself on boot fitting - though it isn't as good as it used to be in general and one of their old school boot fitters.

Meindl are pretty hard to beat for a British shaped foot and pretty much unsurpassed in terms of quality, others have gone to inferior leather due to the BSE crises where beasts are slaughtered earlier and so good leather became scarce.

If Meindl fit and caused no problems I'd consider looking 'round to find another pair, Salomon are a completely different fit.

Altberg are nice, though pricey, but if you want a good off the peg fit, and they fitted before I'd go down that root again, as they haven't stinted on quality.

PM me if you'd like some pointers to look for in boot fitting and boots in general.

Cheers
GB.

 

[Walks with dogs]

The best boots are the boots that fit. If Meindl fit, buy Meindl in my view.

 

[Laurentius]

I have mixed feelings about walking boots.

I have just returned from Wales. Most of the time I was wearing my Merrel Kahuna Sandals, fine for rock scrambles never mind what the elfin safety folk tell you.

I thought for the ascent of Snowdon I ought however to wear proper boots. Not a good idea because waterproof boots maybe fine at keeping the water out, but if you get in anything over the top of your boots the water that gets in can't get out, recipe for very uncomfortable feet. My boots got soaked on Thursday, they still are not dry so sandals it was.

Ankle support? who needs it? I am going to stick with sandals or wellies in future.

 

[j_robi]

thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated

I have loved my meindls, had them for 2/3 years and had a fair amount of use out of them- so guess thats not too bad...

they have been pretty waterproof, but would be interested how they compare to other 'mid' boots in that respect
I have dodgy ankles, so wear these boots when they are weak or for when i'm scrambling etc...iv found them very versatile

 

[maddave]

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ theory of socio-economic unfairness.

Terry Pratchett

 

[susi]

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ theory of socio-economic unfairness.

Terry Pratchett

Absolutely true.

You have to be rich to buy cheap.

My father always said the two areas of you body to take greatest care of are your feet and your eyes.

 

[tjwuk]

Hi all,

All these posts explain a lot now. I wondered why the last pair of Scarpa boots I had basically fell apart after 18 months. The boots I had prior to that were Hawkins, they lasted 14 years and it would have been longer but they were thrown out by mistake. Not goretex, but treated were very watertight and practically indestructable. So the new leather etc makes sense.

 

[Landy_Dom]

My last pair of Scarpas lasted 13 years and I didn't particularly look after them either (lazy student etc at the time)

I'd reccommend them.

 

[Laurentius]

I had a pair of Hawkins boots once, repaired more than once and would still have them if I had not left them with an ex girlfriend, as I used them to the gardening.

I do not think in retrospect goretex is the way to go, I was seduced by it however. What I do not like about leather walking boots is the weight, some time ago I figured ligthweight was the way to go and ended up with the goretex. I figure that if you are carrying a rucksack a pair of heavy boots is just extra weight you can do without.

I am not convinced by the argument that you need ankle support either. I have problems with my neck and was informed by a physio that a neck brace is not necessarily the best thing as it is prevents you from building stronger muscles to take the weight of the discs. I figure the same rule might apply to ankles also, hence the sandals route. Yes you could break your ankle more easiily, on the other hand the enhanced flexibility makes you more sure footed over rocky terrain. You can get some very good all terrain sandals these days.

Some day I might come up with a compromise between the two for those occasions when you do want boots and gaiters.

 

[ForgeCorvus]

Some day I might come up with a compromise between the two for those occasions when you do want boots and gaiters.

How about these with your ATS ?
http://www.winwood-outdoor.co.uk/acatalog/Waterproof_Socks.html


Never had a pair, but I have mates who swear by them


j-robi, If you've found a type/make of boot that fit, why change?
I've been wearing British BCH for years (buying a new pair when they wear out ) coz they really fit my feet better then anything else I've tried

 

[rockman]

hi i am a professional Mountaineer and Climbng Instructor. i have, in the past,owned many boots. Meindl, Scarpa and lots more. A very good boot I Owned was the Meindl Air revolution, a fantastic walking boot, but it was definately not up to the riggors of scrambling and within 6months of constant use they were falling to bits. (just over used). I then went to a mountaineering shop. If your lucky, when thery are quiet they will "measeure" your feet i was Propally fitted with a pair of La Sportiva Trango S. i can say as so far i have had them over 8 months, and use them for walking scrambling and have climbed in them up Hard Severe grade. they have not bothered me 1 bit. like wearing a pair of trainers. in fact i sometimes go fell running in them!. On the point of Gore-Tex. its all well and good for keeping your feet dry. However once water gets inside the shoe. and believe me it will do eventually. Unless you can dry them out fully (usually a day) then you will end up with wet feet when you put them on again. gore-tex boots are notorious for staying wet on the inside. also you need to keep all boots CLEAN for it to work.

My advice. Look for a good retailer that will spend time with you. Go there with an open mind. DO NOT be brand Loyal theres been a lot of changes to your boots since you last bought them. Not always the most expensive is the best. Don't worry about the colour they'll get dirty anyway.

Hope this helps. sorry about the spelling im a climber not an english teacher!!

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

Got to agree with the last post, You can't go boot shopping from a catalogue, go to a good shop with a price range in mind, try on lots of different pairs of boots, if the shop assistant starts giving you a hard time, walk away, go to another shop coz they don't understand about fitting boots.

Remember fit is way more imprtant than fashion. And don't be fooled into thinking that all the boots you try on will be what you think is your foot size. I have a pair of Scarpa Manta that are an 8, a pair of Raichle that are a 9.5 and pair of Scarpa ZG65 which are a 8.5.

 

[ForgeCorvus]

Rockman has a point, fit is all about either luck or knowledge
If you find something that works for you (and is in you price range)* then you're doing great
But, many of us can't afford to buy several pairs of boots to find the right pair, so we ask questions (as the OP did) and hope that the knowledge we gain is enough.
As Rockman said, the best option is to find a good shop and use their knowledge, after all they really should know what they're talking about...its their job


* In my case army boots, one particular issue pattern and one particular size/ width fitting....which are getting harder to find all the time (gods bless you Endicott's )




Hiya Rockman and welcome, why not post on the introductions thread and tell us a bit more about yourself....we already know you're not an english teacher