Boots.

Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
I have had to admit that I need new walking boots, reluctantly, because they are quite an expense. I have had my current pair since October 2017, they are Scarpa boots and I seem to remember they cost about £170. Unfortunately they are now cracked and split across the tops where my feet bend when I walk, which is where the vet's coming in. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations? I was waxing them about twice a week, hoping to prevent them from cracking and I seem to remember someone telling me that this was too often, it made them too flexible which is what causes them to split. I suspect that it might my fault for putting them by the radiator to dry, but without doing this I would still have wet boots the following morning. My boots do get quite a lot of wear; according to my pedometer app I average 7 miles a day. I am wondering whether I would be better off with 2 pairs of cheaper boots that I could use on alternate days, thus giving them a chance to dry out between uses without having to resort to the radiator. What walking boots do you use? How long would you expect them to last?
 
Atemas

Atemas

UK Tour Guide
Location
North Cambridgeshire
I expect walking boots to last years! Had a pair of ECCO boots for years - still got them for occasional visitors. Now got some Meindl boots I bought about 15/16 months ago. They are just brill. They get wet loads but I just put them on a mat under the stairs and they are dry by the next time I want to wear them - daily. No sign of cracking. Don;t wax or polish them. Just wear them. They are comfortable and keep my feet warm even with thinning socks. Very pleased with them.
 
Charlie

Charlie

Location
Argyll & Bute, Scotland
I have a pair of Mir-Tex which is Moles own brand. I bought them about 5 years ago for £15.00 in the sale, leather and waterproof. The stitching has come undone on the top so I am taking them to our local Cobbler for repair as they are perfect otherwise and never let me down. I use Duben on them every month or so. I am also a wellie wearer due to weather and crossing streams etc. I would be highly peeved had I spent £170 on boots that lasted 2 years! x
 
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
Charlie said:
I have a pair of Mir-Tex which is Moles own brand. I bought them about 5 years ago for £15.00 in the sale, leather and waterproof. The stitching has come undone on the top so I am taking them to our local Cobbler for repair as they are perfect otherwise and never let me down. I use Duben on them every month or so. I am also a wellie wearer due to weather and crossing streams etc. I would be highly peeved had I spent £170 on boots that lasted 2 years! x
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Yes, I am! Hence the post! I have tried walking in wellies but find that for distances they don't support my ankles enough and I end up with painful knees and hips.
 
Boogie

Boogie

Moderator
Location
Manchester UK
Mr Boogs has Berghaus, which he swears by. He bought them in August 2016 and wears them every day whatever the weather. They cost £110 and are still going strong, he dubbins them about twice a year.

I don’t walk as far as you or Mr Boogs and I’m very happy with my Cotton Traders boots for the winter and walking shoes for the summer. My present boots are four years old and super warm and waterproof.

I’ve just bought a new pair of waterproof walking shoes as I left my other pair in Germany so that I don’t have to keep transporting them. This pair cost me £30 in the sale with a coupon code - always look online for a coupon code, they often work.

:)


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HAH

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
I have Scarpa Terra GTXs and I loooove them; they give enough support for all day walking, always comfortable and are just brilliant. They're leather, so heavier than GoreTex but I really appreciate the robustness and supportive structure.

I proof them (nikwax) every couple of weeks in this weather, and try not to put them by the fire to dry - but if they're sopping I'll stuff them with newspaper and put them near-ish a heat source.

I now have 2 pairs as the backs of my 'old' pair (I'd had for ~5 yrs) had started to break down a bit, and there were some massively reduced in the summer sale. The old ones were going to be relegated into gardening boots, but in this weather I use both pairs so one pair has a chance to properly dry out.
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
@Candy; it's worth giving Scarpa a call. I talked to them after I had a pair which didn't last long. They couldn't help me, as they were children's boots which aren't designed to last long, and not at the intensity that I was using them, but the representative was super helpful and gave loads of advice. He even hunted out some ski boots for me when I mentioned that I was struggling to find adult ski boots in my size. OK, they weren't what I was looking for in a ski boot, but I was still dead impressed with the lengths he went to for a throwaway comment.

My boot needs are different to yours in the UK, but I absolutely love my Sorel Joan of Arctics. I always buy the cheapest colour I can find in the smallest size they make (which is still a bit big, but I wear thick socks) - I currently have two pairs because I bought one pair for Spain and another pair for Andorra when my first pair died. I pay about €80 a pair.
 
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
HAH said:
I have Scarpa Terra GTXs and I loooove them; they give enough support for all day walking, always comfortable and are just brilliant. They're leather, so heavier than GoreTex but I really appreciate the robustness and supportive structure.

I proof them (nikwax) every couple of weeks in this weather, and try not to put them by the fire to dry - but if they're sopping I'll stuff them with newspaper and put them near-ish a heat source.

I now have 2 pairs as the backs of my 'old' pair (I'd had for ~5 yrs) had started to break down a bit, and there were some massively reduced in the summer sale. The old ones were going to be relegated into gardening boots, but in this weather I use both pairs so one pair has a chance to properly dry out.
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Mine are leather, and I loved them until they started letting water in! Yeurg! Hate having cold, wet feet. I was Nikwaxing them about twice a week in wet weather, which may have been too much. I had some Goretex boots before which had cost £65 but they only lasted 3 months!
 
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
snowbunny said:
@Candy; it's worth giving Scarpa a call. I talked to them after I had a pair which didn't last long. They couldn't help me, as they were children's boots which aren't designed to last long, and not at the intensity that I was using them, but the representative was super helpful and gave loads of advice. He even hunted out some ski boots for me when I mentioned that I was struggling to find adult ski boots in my size. OK, they weren't what I was looking for in a ski boot, but I was still dead impressed with the lengths he went to for a throwaway comment.

My boot needs are different to yours in the UK, but I absolutely love my Sorel Joan of Arctics. I always buy the cheapest colour I can find in the smallest size they make (which is still a bit big, but I wear thick socks) - I currently have two pairs because I bought one pair for Spain and another pair for Andorra when my first pair died. I pay about €80 a pair.
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I think I will contact Scarpa, thanks Fiona, that's a good thought. I bought the boots from a shop where we had bought nearly all our walking and camping gear over the years, including Trevor's climbing and potholing stuff when he was still doing that. It was a lovely family business who we knew and trusted and I bought the boots on their recommendation, which is why I'm quite disappointed. Unfortunately they closed last year, otherwise I would have spoken to them about it as I was given the impression that, looked after properly, these boots should have lasted much longer than two years. Mind you, my mum did always say I was very heavy on shoes!
 
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
Emily_Babbelhund said:
I might be known by my indecisiveness at choosing ANYTHING.

Carbon shrugs and says, "Yeah, si, si, you can say THAT again!"
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Were you ever aware of that series of jokes that went 'I used to be ---- but now I'm----' ?e.g. ' I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not sure'. :giggl:
Or alternatively and probably my favourite
'I used to be a Werewolf, but I'm alright nowOoooooo!':werewolfhowl:
 
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