Walking boots

[Tickle]

Always had Meindl, very good. Prefered them over Scarpa and have lasted better. Currently have Meindl bhutan.

[Sa Calobra]

I've got two pairs of Altbergs. Microlites are fantastic but wear quite quickly.

[Toaster]

It’s all what fits and what you feel comfy in but Scarpa or Zambalan personally I love the Zambalan.https://en.zamberlan.com are good boots ( all boots leak from the top lol) and have AKU for lighter rambling / hiking

[MonkeyBusiness]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Bit of a thread resurrection but always like reading about hiking stuff.

Up until 6 months ago I'd had it with Salomon. Had two pairs (one shoe, one boot) returned under warranty because the quality was rubbish. In the case of the boot, this was a 'Winter' model that leaked like a sieve

As they were returned under warranty I reluctantly had to choose from their website and picked the Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX. They are brilliant. Just completed the Cumbrian Way in them.

Completed a few hundred miles in very wet weather with no problems.

[PMacanGTS]

Danner all the way for me. Tried others but keep coming back to Danner. Currently in a pair of weatherised mountain 600 4.5”.

[HiAsAKite]

Just to resurrect this thread (sorry!) It appears my old pair of Raichle blizzard gtx's appear to have given up. Still super comfy, uppers in great nick, lower sole looks OK, but the cushioning between the hard lower and the inner is disintegrating... :-(

Had these 15-17 years or so, loathe to bin them. Anyone had any joy resoling anything like this?

I believe Raichle are now Mammut?

[Shaw Tarse]

I'm not sure resoling is what you want?
Maybe https://www.aldi.co.uk/avenue-grey-blue-memory-sof...

[gazza285]

After Spydienut’s comments about Alt-Bergs I am now twelve months into a pair of Mammut boots. Nothing but praise for their performance so far, but they are a heavy boot, and did get a bit warm in the summer. I’m out and about around Coniston at the minute, in pretty poor weather, it is one bit of kit I know I don’t have to worry about.

Edited by gazza285 on Wednesday 28th October 00:05

[SpydieNut]

gazza285 said:

After Spydienut’s comments about Alt-Bergs I am now twelve months into a pair of Mammut boots. Nothing but praise for their performance so far, but they are a heavy boot, and did get a bit warm in the summer. I’m out and about around Coniston at the minute, in pretty poor weather, it is one bit of kit I know I don’t have to worry about.

lovely boots - and I’m glad to hear that. I’d trade being a bit warm in summer for staying dry on wet walks for sure

While I am sorry to have cost a local company like Altberg a sale and I do know there have been many people who’ve loved their boots, I’ve been disappointed in mine, especially after my time with a pair of La Sportiva. And at £200+ even more so. I’ve still got them, although I haven’t done much hiking in the last 2 years. They’re still a good looking boot and would be ok for part day walks in the dry or light rain.

I suppose though that any plain leather boot, no matter how good the leather and waxing, is never water*proof* and to single Altberg out in criticism of this (just because I have a pair and have had water ingress) is unfair.

But I would definitely get something else for longer walks. Likely back to La Sportiva, even though more expensive - and definitely goretex. Friends have Scarpa - they do a lot of hiking and have been very pleased with them.

[FiF]

OP here. An update, after my disappointment with Scarpa Delta GTX, had a flirtation with Merrell, still got those, but now only used light and relatively dry use. Went back to Scarpa but downgraded to the Ranger II Activ GTX which are on the same last, uppers look to be the same construction, but a different simpler sole. So far going well, really well, more than double the miles that had the second pair of Delta's crying enough.

Having said that looking at Alt-Berg to try and support a UK manufacturer, probably going to be my next boot, not sure yet which one.

[MonkeyBusiness]

After my comments about about the wonderful Salomon 4D GTX, I returned two of them as they fell apart (again) after 6-8 months. Fair play to Salomon that they would happily replace and I could have kept this going for years.

Moved onto Altberg. Loving the all leather and having crossed a few rivers and bogs, they are as watertight as they come.

I will never buy another fabric boot again.

[sparkythecat]

MonkeyBusiness said:

After my comments about about the wonderful Salomon 4D GTX, I returned two of them as they fell apart (again) after 6-8 months. Fair play to Salomon that they would happily replace and I could have kept this going for years.

Where did you send them back to? Did the retailer sort this out or did you have to return them to Salomon direct?

[MonkeyBusiness]

sparkythecat said:

Where did you send them back to? Did the retailer sort this out or did you have to return them to Salomon direct?

Always back to Salomon using the returns process on the website. Apart from one time I had to send the boots back for testing, the rest just needed several photos.
You will receive a voucher to spend on their <massively inflated> website.

Just to add, Salomon warranty department can't cope with all the returns. Source - Salomon themselves.

[gazza285]

SpydieNut said:

gazza285 said:

After Spydienut’s comments about Alt-Bergs I am now twelve months into a pair of Mammut boots. Nothing but praise for their performance so far, but they are a heavy boot, and did get a bit warm in the summer. I’m out and about around Coniston at the minute, in pretty poor weather, it is one bit of kit I know I don’t have to worry about.

lovely boots - and I’m glad to hear that. I’d trade being a bit warm in summer for staying dry on wet walks for sure

While I am sorry to have cost a local company like Altberg a sale and I do know there have been many people who’ve loved their boots, I’ve been disappointed in mine, especially after my time with a pair of La Sportiva. And at £200+ even more so. I’ve still got them, although I haven’t done much hiking in the last 2 years. They’re still a good looking boot and would be ok for part day walks in the dry or light rain.

I suppose though that any plain leather boot, no matter how good the leather and waxing, is never water*proof* and to single Altberg out in criticism of this (just because I have a pair and have had water ingress) is unfair.

But I would definitely get something else for longer walks. Likely back to La Sportiva, even though more expensive - and definitely goretex. Friends have Scarpa - they do a lot of hiking and have been very pleased with them.

A pretty horrible day on the fells today, twelve miles of heavy rain showers and sodden ground conditions. My feet were dry, the youth’s feet were dry in his Salomons, and the wife’s feet were wet through, the Lowa boots we bought at the same time as my Mammuts haven’t stood up to the weather at all.

Edited by gazza285 on Wednesday 28th October 21:11

[HiAsAKite]

Shaw Tarse said:

I'm not sure resoling is what you want?
Maybe https://www.aldi.co.uk/avenue-grey-blue-memory-sof...

Hi, thanks. That's not going to work sadly, I probably didn't explain things well.

The "hard" vibram bottom sole is fine. The leather boot, and insole, and bottom of the sole in the leather upper are fine.

The problem is the 10mm or so of cushioning between the hard bottom sole, and where the leather starts, where it is literally crumbling and disintegrating...

The boots are still super comfy, but the soft cushioning connecting the bottom of the sole to the actual boot is crumbling away.

Will try to take some pictures :-)

[gazza285]

HiAsAKite said:

Shaw Tarse said:

I'm not sure resoling is what you want?
Maybe https://www.aldi.co.uk/avenue-grey-blue-memory-sof...

Hi, thanks. That's not going to work sadly, I probably didn't explain things well.

The "hard" vibram bottom sole is fine. The leather boot, and insole, and bottom of the sole in the leather upper are fine.

The problem is the 10mm or so of cushioning between the hard bottom sole, and where the leather starts, where it is literally crumbling and disintegrating...

The boots are still super comfy, but the soft cushioning connecting the bottom of the sole to the actual boot is crumbling away.

Will try to take some pictures :-)

The midsole...

[HiAsAKite]

Thanks
Going to try to get them repaired. Anyone with experience of using these folks? https://lancashiresportsrepairs.co.uk/


Pictures of the boots in question:

|https://thumbsnap.com/F1jz1fSk[/url]

Edited by HiAsAKite on Friday 13th November 19:48

[Stan the Bat]

I had a pair that had gone in the same way.

No-one would touch them.

[FiF]

Obviously a different make, but that was the sort of damage to my Scarpa boots mentioned earlier. Right or wrong was told by a couple of places that an attempt to repair was throwing money away.

[HiAsAKite]

Ok, interesting to know.
LSR implied they could do it (I sent pictures) would be £80 on boots that would probably be c £140-£180 to replace - albeit replacements would need to be worn in, and not as comfy as my existing pair - hence rather get repaired if possible..