What kind of shoes do you use?

[Ahjno]

I've got the same boots as Geuf has: Hanwag Peru:

Even Neil1 was interested in them when we met ...

 

[dommyracer]

Just recently bought a pair of Karrimor KSB 300 eVent, done some pretty long walks in them and find them very comfortable. The key is having the right socks.

Lately I bought a pair of Sealskinz and they're great for wearing with sandals around camp, and when you want to move quietly...

 

[Geuf]

I've got the same boots as Geuf has: Hanwag Peru:



Even Neil1 was interested in them when we met ...

Are yours still the same colour as when you bought them?
In my case it took 4 weeks and then they needed some waxing. wich... changes the colour of course.

 

[Ahjno]

Are yours still the same colour as when you bought them?
In my case it took 4 weeks and then they needed some waxing. wich... changes the colour of course.

Yes they are (bought them this year) - though I haven't waxed them yet. I'll keep it in mind and reply to you my outcome.

 

[sam_acw]

I've got a pair of sandals for the warm 7 months of the year and when it gets snowy or muddy I've got a pair of Meindl Borneo boots which I've had for a little over 3 years.
They do make your feet hot but I don't know if they are goretex or something similar.
They are nice and sturdy but take a lot of effort to look nice as the leather colour is quite light.
I'd love a pair of moccasins though :thinkerg:

 

[pierre girard]

As the title says, I'm a bit curious what kind of shoes people use. I've seen that some people prefer thin-soled leather shoes for tracking, while some people swear by hi-tech hiking boots.

So, what's your choice?

Moggasins, here are some winter mocs:

 

[EdS]

I'll second Alt-berg. I just send my old man around and he gets them a bit cheaper.

 

[big_swede]

Moggasins, here are some winter mocs:

Just a wild guess, but there homemade, right?

What materials is it? And mainly, what kind of leather? How far have you hiked in them?

 

[rik_uk3]

Gore-tex boots are wuite sweaty in comparison to non gore-tex boots. Easy way around thast is to have boots with a removeable Gore-tex inner or buy gore-tex socks. This allows more air to circulate. That is how mine work anyway

My Gortex boots must be faulty, don't sweat at all? But I do wear good wool socks, ,maybe thats the answer

 

[addyb]

Nathan's right on the money about Gore-Tex boots. My father recently bought a pair of gore lined Salomon's and frankly, he's not exactly over the moon about them. I think that using Gore-Tex in a boot has two inherent drawbacks:

1) If the lining rips because of say, long toenails during a long expedition it becomes next to useless.

2) In terms of breathability, once the outer layer of the boot becomes saturated with water the lining stops transferring moisture. This is the same principle as with WPB laminated or coated garments. Once the DWR wears off and the outer of the garment becomes wet, it also stops breathing.

A properly maintained and well treated leather boot will go head to head with a gore lined boot anyday.

Adam

 

[Martyn]

I've got a pair of sandals for the warm 7 months of the year and when it gets snowy or muddy I've got a pair of Meindl Borneo boots which I've had for a little over 3 years.
They do make your feet hot but I don't know if they are goretex or something similar.
They are nice and sturdy but take a lot of effort to look nice as the leather colour is quite light.
I'd love a pair of moccasins though :thinkerg:

The Borneo's are not goretex, just leather lined with a foam padding. Meindl do make a goretex version of the boot, it's called the Burma.

This is my second winter with my Borneo's, they've not seen a lot of use, but I really like em when I've used em.

 

[mark a.]

Nathan's right on the money about Gore-Tex boots. My father recently bought a pair of gore lined Salomon's and frankly, he's not exactly over the moon about them. I think that using Gore-Tex in a boot has two inherent drawbacks:

1) If the lining rips because of say, long toenails during a long expedition it becomes next to useless.

2) In terms of breathability, once the outer layer of the boot becomes saturated with water the lining stops transferring moisture. This is the same principle as with WPB laminated or coated garments. Once the DWR wears off and the outer of the garment becomes wet, it also stops breathing.

A properly maintained and well treated leather boot will go head to head with a gore lined boot anyday.

Adam

(1) How does one actually go around breaking the lining? My boots are about 5 years old and the lining is still fine. Plus you'd have to go through both the inner material then the gore-tex to break it. Perhaps I just cut my nails often enough.

And as already mentioned, if it does break, you're then left with a leather boot, so what's the problem?

(2) If a leather boot becomes saturated with water, presumably it doesn't breathe whether it has gore-tex lining or not? Whatever boot you have it's always good practice to keep the leather conditioned and waterproofed anyway, so again I don't see the problem.

Educate me. I must admit I'm fine with my gore-tex Brashers, and don't seem to have a problem with sweaty feet. Maybe it's the nice thick Smartwool socks. But when my Brashers do wear out, I will have a good look at non-lined boots, so I'm not a Gore evangelist or something.

As to the original question, when I'm not in my Brashers I'll wear my Lowa walking shoes (Gore-tex again!) I like the idea of moccassins (my deck shoes are heading in that direction, and they're so comfy and light), so maybe I'll make some someday. I do have sandals, but I only really wear them on the beach, as they've a nasty footbed that actually seems to make my feet sweat more that normal shoes.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Moggasins, here are some winter mocs:

Wow! :Wow:

They sure are real cool and make we want to dig out my collection of Gong LP's!

Seriously, they look great and I especially like the pair at far right.

Cheers

 

[ESpy]

1) If the lining rips because of say, long toenails during a long expedition it becomes next to useless.

That one made me flinch... If your toenails are long, cut the damn things! Beats the pain of having the nail forced backwards into the toe. (All the Gore Tex boot linings I've seen have had the membrane protected too.)

I'm a bit of a zealot on looking after your feet - it doesn't matter how wonderful your boots are, if you don't give your feet appropriate TLC you won't be walking anywhere!

Back on topic - generally a pair of lightweight Brashers for bushcrafty activities, or reef sandals depending on weather. I'll make some moccs up as soon as I get the time to source the leather for them...

 

[Wayland]

My main problem with Goretex boots has been with durability.

They always seem to fall apart at the seams.

I suspect it is because gortex boots do not get the treatment with wax that leather boots do and the stitching rots. If you do wax them regularly, why bother with Goretex?

The other possibility is that the manufacturers treat these like all the other "fashion rambler" kit and make them for rapid customer replacement after a Summer seasons stolling around.

Either way, I prefer to break in a pair of decent leather boots and wear them to destruction, which with luck should be a couple of years minimum.

Call me old fashioned or what.....

 

[Ogri the trog]

I'm a boot freak, since being in the services - I got used to wearing boots and haven't stopped.
I can't say that I wear anything particularly "for" Bushcraft activities but the stuff I wear when Bushy stuff happens to me are ...
Hi tech VLS or waterproof Trail boots.
Army Desert boots
and my latest aquisition of Matterhorn Fort Bragg boots - goretex lined and as waterproof as wellies - brilliant boots!

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[torjusg]

Moggasins, here are some winter mocs:

Very nice pierre. I have heard that unless the weather is totally dry they soak up water like a sponge, is that true?

Helge Ingstad (Author of "Feast and Famine", Nunamiut etc...) said that he lost parts of a toe due to plunging a foot through the ice with Athapaskan moccasins. When he did the same with the Nunamiut mukluks he stayed reasonably warm until he got to change.

 

[gregorach]

Well, I've been wearing Goretex lined Salomon's for umpteen years now and I love 'em. I don't have any problems with sweatiness and the uppers last much longer than the soles. They'll typically last me one to two years of daily use. I much prefer the Salomon "Contagrip" soles over Vibram, but they do wear out faster. But they're so much stickier...

I think some people's feet just don't get on with goretex. Personally, I wouldn't have anything else. I literally can't remember ever having wet feet in my Salomons (except in cases of full immersion) - and that includes working outdoors in the Big Wet in New South Wales (100% humidity and constant rain for about a month).

Boots are a very personal thing. No matter how "good" any given product, brand or boot is, there will be some people who hate it. The trick is to find what works for you, not what works for someone else.

 

[Wayland]

Of course these are pretty difficult to beat at times.....

 

[moduser]

All year round I use my Brasher Hillmaster GTX, current pair are over three years old, get worn practically every weekend and when on hols. Never smelt and dry out quickly.

Recommended

david