Anyone else disappointed with vibram soles?

[bushcraftbob]

I've just had to send my second set of walking boots to boot heaven, simply due to the fact the vibram soles have worn down very quickly and split on the sides.

for my next set I'm going to choose a boot with a different sole. Trouble is, vibram have quite a monopoly on the market.

can anyone recommend a comfy, mid height walking boot that doesn't have a vibram sole?

thank you

 

[leedsbrew]

Can't remember which ones but some of the altberg boots use skywalk soles! Really good boots too!

 

[Macaroon]

You could at one time specify skywalker soles on all Altberg boots - I think you still can. Give 'em a ring.....................atb mac

 

[BearInTheWoods]

I thought the whole point of Vibram soles was that you could get them replaced at any halfway-decent cobbler's.

 

[Goatboy]

Vibram do different grades of rubber on different boots. Partly for cost to manufacturers also depends on the end use of the boot. Some soles are harder wearing, some stickier (but wear out quicker) and others more aggressive. What boots did you have?

Also many soles are now non-replaceable due to the construction of the boot, this is partly to make them lighter, fit better, cheaper to manufacture. But also so boot makers sell more boots. One of my friends was probably the best boot cobbler in Scotland(and there's a big difference from a shoe cobbler) and he's almost out of full time employment due too manufacturing changes.

 

[BearInTheWoods]

Due to dodgy ankles I now use only the fairly high Lowa GTXs, they have Vibram soles which are replaceable, they're not cheap to buy but with a bit of polish they should go for 20 years, thereby offsetting the initial purchase price many times. Generally, the more you pay at first, the less you pay later (obviously that excludes 'designer' and 'technical' stuff).

 

[hog]

Never had a problem with a sole, usually the boot side splits away from the sole moulding.

 

[Lurch]

skywalk soles

Absolutely appalling soles. Useless grip and on wet rocks or even wet street cobbles it's like standing on ice. I'd have never bought another pair of Altbergs if they hadn't started using Vibram.

 

[ozzy1977]

Got vibram on my berghaus boots and have had no problems with them and they are 3 or 4 years old now

 

[Thump]

I´ve got Vibram on my Lundhag boots and they perform excellent.

 

[spoony]

Most of my boots have vibram soles can't say I've ever had a prob with wear or gripyness +1 for vibram from me


"Courage is being scared to death-and saddling up anyway!"
-John Wayne-

 

[markmullen]

I've got vibram soles on my north face hedgehogs, on the whole they're very good but walking back to my apartment through town they're lethal on wet metal, manhole covers etc.

 

[BlueTrain]

I have several pair of boots with Vibram soles and never had a problem with them splitting or coming off the boot, although two pairs of boots have worn rather badly. Those are models with softer soles, one of which is especially good for walking or standing on a concrete surface. The other pair was apparently only intended to be worn during hunting season. But the rest are virtually unworn, even to include a pair that are about fifteen years old. The rest of the boot is pretty beat up. However, I have other boots without a Vibram-brand sole and largely the same thing could be said. Part of the problem, I think, is to distinguish the performance of the sole from the rest of the boot. And also, while a deeply lugged sole is good for most outdoor uses, it really picks up mud and rocks. Some of these boots can be resoled, the rest are direct-molded.

 

[Husky]

Last year I bought a pair of Merrel boots with Vibram soles. I took them to a "real" shoemaker and had them widened and he was impressed with their apparent quality but told me to replace the soft Vibram soles before they were completely warn through to the spongy midsole because this is much more difficult to replace. Surprisingly I have had to repair the soles with liquisole after only one season because they split at the toe both in the gluing between layers but also the spongy bit itself has split.