Discussion
I couldn't decide where to post this. Here or the Lounge, but its vaguely health related to stop blisters!
I need some decent walking boots for an upcoming holiday to Scotland.
I popped into Go Outdoors, saw some I liked. Asked if they had them in a 13/14 and just got told 'no'. I was expecting some customer service of what they did he in stock but hey ho.
What brands are worth looking at? Anything to look for? Anything to avoid?
Any places that are worth looking at to try them on first? I realise my size makes that a bit awkward.
Budget of £100ish maybe more if its needed.
I need some decent walking boots for an upcoming holiday to Scotland.
I popped into Go Outdoors, saw some I liked. Asked if they had them in a 13/14 and just got told 'no'. I was expecting some customer service of what they did he in stock but hey ho.
What brands are worth looking at? Anything to look for? Anything to avoid?
Any places that are worth looking at to try them on first? I realise my size makes that a bit awkward.
Budget of £100ish maybe more if its needed.
It depends on the kind of conditions you might encounter. Dry or wet. Let's presume wetter conditions, where the priority is to keep your feet dry.
Altberg are arguably as good as boots come, but brand new hiking boots from them are double your budget. Instead, I'd go with Altberg Defender, which is a military boot, but perfectly fine for hiking. You can pick them up brand new, or close to new, on eBay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/137110094202?_skw=altbe...
Very little stitching in the bottom part of the boot, which is a primary aspect in keeping water out. The other important factor in keeping them water tight is to be very careful in maintaining the leather. Be sure to wash off 90% of the mud, after each days adventure, and every 100-120 miles, remove 100% of the mud and rewax them. Never dry the boots close to a heat source. Always be mindful of keeping that leather in tip top condition.
Altberg's military sizing can appear confusing. It looks like they don't come in half sizes, but they do. M = medium fit. L = wider/greater volume fit, but it also signifies a half size up on stated. So a 13M is 13.0, but a 13L would be 13.5 in length. They should also come with insoles which are designed to reduce volume, should you feel that necessary.
In winter I use Altberg Defenders. I'd strongly recommend in combination with gaiters, to stop the bottom of your trousers getting wet and muddy. In dryer conditions I use Adidas Terrex Free Hikers (non-gore-tex), because they're that much lighter, and have more cushioned sole for the harder ground you'll encounter when the mud dries up.
Altberg are arguably as good as boots come, but brand new hiking boots from them are double your budget. Instead, I'd go with Altberg Defender, which is a military boot, but perfectly fine for hiking. You can pick them up brand new, or close to new, on eBay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/137110094202?_skw=altbe...
Very little stitching in the bottom part of the boot, which is a primary aspect in keeping water out. The other important factor in keeping them water tight is to be very careful in maintaining the leather. Be sure to wash off 90% of the mud, after each days adventure, and every 100-120 miles, remove 100% of the mud and rewax them. Never dry the boots close to a heat source. Always be mindful of keeping that leather in tip top condition.
Altberg's military sizing can appear confusing. It looks like they don't come in half sizes, but they do. M = medium fit. L = wider/greater volume fit, but it also signifies a half size up on stated. So a 13M is 13.0, but a 13L would be 13.5 in length. They should also come with insoles which are designed to reduce volume, should you feel that necessary.
In winter I use Altberg Defenders. I'd strongly recommend in combination with gaiters, to stop the bottom of your trousers getting wet and muddy. In dryer conditions I use Adidas Terrex Free Hikers (non-gore-tex), because they're that much lighter, and have more cushioned sole for the harder ground you'll encounter when the mud dries up.
Edited by Horsey McHorseface on Saturday 28th March 20:39
Cotswold Outdoor might be a better bet as the staff are usually better at advising what is suitable for the intended terrain. Two choices would be Meindl and Lowa.
Dependent on how far you're walking in May any boots need to be well broken in to understand any foot 'hot spots' and for blister prevention wear two pairs of socks - a very thin pair under the outer walking sock, buy premium merino wool walking socks like Darn Tough. If you get hot feet I'd avoid anything thermal lined.
Years ago I was off walking (part of) the Appalachian Trail for two weeks and Cotswold Outdoor suggested a Meindl boot as it had a rigid sole suited for walking over large stones. In the end I thought they were too rigid and not broken in enough so decided to take a pair of old Belleville boots I'd had for years. Never had a problem and (for me) the most comfortable boots I've ever worn.
Time breaking boots in should never be compromised.
Dependent on how far you're walking in May any boots need to be well broken in to understand any foot 'hot spots' and for blister prevention wear two pairs of socks - a very thin pair under the outer walking sock, buy premium merino wool walking socks like Darn Tough. If you get hot feet I'd avoid anything thermal lined.
Years ago I was off walking (part of) the Appalachian Trail for two weeks and Cotswold Outdoor suggested a Meindl boot as it had a rigid sole suited for walking over large stones. In the end I thought they were too rigid and not broken in enough so decided to take a pair of old Belleville boots I'd had for years. Never had a problem and (for me) the most comfortable boots I've ever worn.
Time breaking boots in should never be compromised.
Like nostalgia, hiking boots arent as good as they used to be
After having a pair of Zamberlans last 20y I then went through Salomon, Mammut and another expensive brand I cant accurately recall over a period when each lasted 1-2y before falling apart. Each was bought from a couple of reassuringly expensive shops in the countryside near where we live. For sure the boots got well used, probably 2-3 times per week but they were well looked after and I was gutted and angry at how little value they delivered for the price
Your experience of Go Outdoors is different to mine as I found them to be really helpful, although my size is pretty standard.
The guy recommended Scarpa and Ive had the latest boots for a couple of years now without signs that theyre about to fall apart, which is nice
Have you considered buying mail order then using free returns if you dont like the fit?
While you might end up buying on-line, I would advise visiting an outdoor shop first before you buy to see what's available - there is quite a lot of choice. . I certainly wouldn't buy a pair of walking boots without trying them on. It also gives you the opportunity to compare different brands. Identical looking boots can feel very different when on and there are lots of things to consider in terms of comfort and fit - like how they lace up and whether there are any ridges or seems which can become problematic and dig into your feet after a day's hiking. I don't think you can underestimate how important good boots are for any serious walking.
LosingGrip said:
I couldn't decide where to post this. Here or the Lounge, but its vaguely health related to stop blisters!
I posted the same question in the Lounge because I thought it would get more attention than here.LosingGrip said:
I need some decent walking boots for an upcoming holiday to Scotland.
I popped into Go Outdoors, saw some I liked. Asked if they had them in a 13/14 and just got told 'no'. I was expecting some customer service of what they did he in stock but hey ho.
What brands are worth looking at? Anything to look for? Anything to avoid?
Any places that are worth looking at to try them on first? I realise my size makes that a bit awkward.
Budget of £100ish maybe more if its needed.
The problem I have found is that you need to try them on. It's just not practical to buy online and then send them back if you don't like them - I tried on three different pairs today before finding ones I really liked. Imagine doing that by buying online, it would take weeks - and if you get charged £5 for the delivery and the return that's an extra £25.I popped into Go Outdoors, saw some I liked. Asked if they had them in a 13/14 and just got told 'no'. I was expecting some customer service of what they did he in stock but hey ho.
What brands are worth looking at? Anything to look for? Anything to avoid?
Any places that are worth looking at to try them on first? I realise my size makes that a bit awkward.
Budget of £100ish maybe more if its needed.
So, you look online to see what there is, and cross reference with as many reviews as you can find, and you think "Great, these sound good, I'll try them". But it turns out that the range available in the brick and mortar stores bears no relation whatsoever to the range shown on the website. Sports Direct / Mountain Warehouse / Millets / JD Sports etc all just want to sell you their own brand crap.
Go Outdoors (part of JD Sports and almost identical to Blacks in terms of products stocked) has the best range in store I found, but you've already been there. I'd look for an independent store if you can, but it will be more expensive and you might have to up your budget. E.g. near me I have Taunton Leisure but they barely have anything under £100. They do have Altbergs though.
I ve had a pair of Merrell hiking boots for years now and with fully replaceable insoles they have taken quite a beating. My wife was really struggling to find a pair and would try on boots in store which were comfortable at the time but not after a few miles of walking. I got her a pair and they have been great for her too.
PS
Start Fitness stock plenty of options and offer 20% discount on your first order via their new app.
PS
Start Fitness stock plenty of options and offer 20% discount on your first order via their new app.
Edited by barryrs on Sunday 29th March 18:02
barryrs said:
I ve had a pair of Merrell hiking boots for years now and with fully replaceable insoles they have taken quite a beating. My wife was really struggling to find a pair and would try on boots in store which were comfortable at the time but not after a few miles of walking. I got her a pair and they have been great for her too.
PS
Start Fitness stock plenty of options and offer 20% discount on your first order via their new app.
I still have a pair of thermo rogue 3 boots from Merrel, the lace loops are all burst and they are hanging together by a prayer but I still wear them over my newer 4 model. Comfiest boots I've ever had, to the extent I regularly trawl ebay etc for old new stock or lightly used ones!! PS
Start Fitness stock plenty of options and offer 20% discount on your first order via their new app.
Edited by barryrs on Sunday 29th March 18:02
biggbn said:
Karrimor are not the best unfortunately
Not worth RRP but I've got some trail shoes and they're no better or worse than Adidas Terrex or Solomon that are 3-4 times the cost. Granted my feet are my main mode of transport so it's not really a dig at those brands. I do fancy trying some La Sportiva's. They also do size 13-14 but out of the budget for the OP (and myself).
NaePasaran said:
biggbn said:
Karrimor are not the best unfortunately
Not worth RRP but I've got some trail shoes and they're no better or worse than Adidas Terrex or Solomon that are 3-4 times the cost. Granted my feet are my main mode of transport so it's not really a dig at those brands. I do fancy trying some La Sportiva's. They also do size 13-14 but out of the budget for the OP (and myself).
biggbn said:
Karrimor are not the best unfortunately
As noted in the other thread, Karrimors are not that terrible. I found the pair I had to be fairly comfortable and I've had them since well before covid when we were all encouraged to go out and get walking. But having said that if I add up all the miles I've walked in them it's probably not as much as 300 miles. So just don't expect them to last. They are cheap, after all.Having bought far too many pairs of Merrell/Columbia/Salomon etc, which without exception all fell apart too quickly (and most of my walking is dog walking, hardly the most strenuous), I stumped up >£200 for a pair of Lowa, in size 13. They're about 2 years old currently, have never leaked, still look fine and are very comfortable. I'm even still on the original laces 
Edited by -Cappo- on Monday 30th March 23:27
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