View Full Version : Footware..
So.. what does everyone on whear on their feet! and this is a strictly non-walking/army boot thread.. i hate to ware walking boots.. i think its a phycological thing more than anything.. my feet came off so bad after an expedition a few years ago they took 12 months to fully recover and i can bring myself to put my feet in them these days! this summer i did a 3 day expadition on good ground on my skateing shoes which while compfortable are less than sutable on anything other then good ground (or a skateboard obviously)!
i'v looked at blunnies and am interested.. and trail running shoes but they are a little to colourful and seems a bit to light weight too!
so within that small criteria anyone got any ideas?
bambodoggy
06-12-2004, 16:11
I've always worm military boots even since being a kid so my feet are used to them, in consquence I've never had a problem with them....having said that there are so many different types now that you're bound to find something that you get on with Mate.
I have a pair of Danner Stricker GTX 8"boots now that are gortex lined and although they look like army boots and support your foot/ankle like them they feel and weigh the same as trainers. I used a pair of Danner Arcadia while in the army too and they really were the dog's boll***s, the lacing goes right down to the toe so they fit perfectly... :super:
In the winter I revert to full on military and wear the LOWA German army mountain boots.
What about the Hi-Tech Magnums....sort of half an army boot and half a pair of trainers and half the cost of Danners? Or maybe a pair of the Karrimore KSB soft hiking boots.
Blimey....you said no militray/hiking boots but by the above I'm talking non-traditional.
I use outdoor trainers too...I've got a pair made by "North Face" which are gortex-lined and very good.
and in the summer I wear Reef sandles to mooch about in and Teva Sandles to do any proper walking in.....I find the Teva's give better support than the Reefs.
Hope that's helps mate :-P
http://www.ellis-brigham.com/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/276002||lowa~@c~@b|0|user|1,0, 0,1|16|I've got a pair of these Lowa trail shoes and would say they are fine excxept in wet area's or snow.
I would suggest that for a lot of the tear in the UK a pair of boots is a must,get along to a decent retailer and have a pair fitted.
i guess you can call my shoes "trail running shoes". They are both A-type walking shoes. One is gore-tex lined the other isn't. As you can see one of them is dark brown, so not colorfull at all. I like them over boots, because it doesn't creat so much resisitance to my ankle, making me more tired, which means i will end up dragging my feets. Worn down my boot sols so much that i eventually went right through them on both my feets ! Big U shaped hole on the heel.
http://www.geocities.com/tjinyoe/pictures/shoes_front.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/tjinyoe/pictures/shoes_side.JPG
MartiniDave
06-12-2004, 16:22
I really like Hi Tec Trails, but they're a bit hard to find these days. They're a sort of trainer boot, nice and light but far from waterproof.
These days I use a pair of Rogues from Unbeaten Tracks
Dave
bambodoggy
06-12-2004, 16:25
Here's a few links for the boots I mention below:
http://www.danner.com/categories.asp?catid=15 (these might suit you)
http://www.danner.com/products.asp?catid=12&prodid=1732 (these are the ones I've got)
http://www.perrets.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=19&p_catid=26 (these are the waterproof magnums - I've only used the normal ones)
Hope that's a little help to you Matey :o):
bambodoggy
06-12-2004, 16:30
Hi Tec Trails......my very first non-military boot :o): I loved mine too and wore them with one of the original gortex socks!!!!
you can still get them Dave...
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/moreinfoa.asp?pe=IHJEQ_+HI+TEC +Trail+Boots+Mens&cid=880
MartiniDave
06-12-2004, 16:45
BD
Thanks for the link mate :You_Rock_
Dave
I've been wearing my Blundstones (Blunnies) (http://www.blundstone.com.au/fs.cgi) which can be bought from here (http://www.margintrip.co.uk/shoeland_blunnies.shtml) , mine are the 528's.
They are great so far.....very, very comfortable, and i feel i could even use them for day trips (in fact, im almost certain).
What type of wax should i use on them do you think? and how easy is it to wash them? (i know i should know that having worked in a mountain shop but i don't want to make a mistake on my blunnies :approve: :wink: )
Cheers.
bambodoggy
06-12-2004, 17:22
Jake, if they're real leather (which it looks like they are) then you can't go far wrong with nikwax cream in what looks like a large polish tin....just rub it in with your fingers and leave it to dry....very good bit of kit! :-P
tenbears10
06-12-2004, 17:24
Nickwax in a tin. Unless they do their own brand.
Just wash them with a damp cloth and let them dry away from direct heat.
Put the nickwax on with your fingers jake and just rub off the excess with a cloth. The use of fingers helps melt the wax and therefore the leather absorbs it better.
Bill
tenbears10
06-12-2004, 17:24
damn too slow in writing.
Bill
bambodoggy
06-12-2004, 17:30
:rolmao: Bambodoggy and his lightning fingers stikes again!!!!! :nana:
tenbears10
06-12-2004, 17:36
curse these fat fingers
Bill
haha reminds me of that simpsons episode when homer puts on more weight "if you would like to acquire a phone with bigger buttons please bash your key pad now!" :o):
RovingArcher
06-12-2004, 19:49
I usually wear a pair of Vasque Zephyr GTX boots. Comfortable, great support and near zero breakin time.
When rock hopping, steep trails and loose earth aren't going to be encountered, or when hunting, I wear these or something similar.
http://img82.exs.cx/img82/803/i0emocs.jpg
Blunnie 500s are my everyday footwear, current pair 2 years old and still going strong. Comfy as well. Other than that unless I'm covering really rough ground I tend to wear sandles (some clarkes ATF ones) in summer and an ancien pair of salomon trail shoes in winter/bad weather.
Brynglas
06-12-2004, 23:52
Footwear for me obviously depends upon the task in hand.
If I'm working in the woods and using an axe or chainsaw I use my trusty old pair of National Coal Board (shows how long I've had them!) Dunlop re-inforced steel toe cap wellies, purely as they offer first class protection. These are getting a bit tatty now, but as I never have to walk far in them it's not a huge problem, I also wear chainsaw proof leggings to protect my legs, essential!!
If I'm just out for a local walk, foraging or bird watching etc. I use my lightweight purofort wellies, very comfortable and very quiet underfoot so they do the job.
As far as hillwalking/ mountaineering is concerned I've used Scarpa delta boots for years and I can't speak highly enough of them, my current pair is on it's third set of re-soles and they're just about coming to the end of their useful life after nearly nine years of hard use. For winter hillwalking/climbing and summer alpine use I have an old pair of scarpa fitzroy boots which are fantatstic, and do the job really well.
I'm also a huge fan of Romer desert boots, available from HM supplies at about £18 a pair you can't go wrong for hot weather footwear, all the best people are using them :-)
I also own a pair of Lundhags boots which I've had for years, left over from the services, I bought them in Norway so I'm not sure if you can get them in the UK but they're absolutely fantastic in boggy moorland or winter hillwalking conditions as they have a rubberised foot section, they're really good for extended wear, I've tried the Lowa mountain boots which although very sturdy and comfortable, aren't a patch on my Lundhags.
Being Ex Army I love the British Army Pro Boot. Cambrelle and Goretex lined. Warm, watherproof and comfy. But as your post suggests, you'd like an alternative. I love the Merrell 'Reflex' approach shoes They're like trainers but are robust enough for hard walking.
Looky here...
http://www.stewardsons.co.uk/shop/product.php?xProd=186&xSec=52&jssCart=21b588dabc95908a904f42 b664229c9a :biggthump
bambodoggy
07-12-2004, 10:33
Never used Lundhags but I've heard that they are very good for the winter...
you can still get them in the UK:
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/default.asp?recordid=10245&cid=880&optproduct=on&mt=Category
But they don't come cheap....
jamesdevine
07-12-2004, 10:48
I would second the merrell's. I have a pair for last fours year now and they are still going strong after miles of summer walking. I recently bought a pair of Brasher Hillmasters and I am a amazed at the out of the box comfort and how lightweight they are.
Merrell also do so versions with Vibram soles.
James
as dave was saying the reflex are comfy ive had a pair but u cfan also get them in a higher version which gives u anckle support. here http://www.millets.co.uk/cgi-bin/Millets.filereader?41b5a0cb014 cc1582740d43a3b40068c+EN/products/080658251
I have clarks active air shoes. I don't know what model and can't find any one the net. They are about £70 in mos clark shops so maybe more then others. If you can get to the Yorkshire outlet you can pick up a bargin though. I got two pairs for £30 :biggthump
edit: go to www.clarks.com for the info
RovingArcher,
What type of boots are the ones you have on your post, are they avaliable in UK and what sort of price are they. Normally I wear Lowa militry boots but I also have Salamon trainers which are nice.
Brian
RovingArcher
07-12-2004, 23:17
RovingArcher,
What type of boots are the ones you have on your post, are they avaliable in UK and what sort of price are they. Normally I wear Lowa militry boots but I also have Salamon trainers which are nice.
Brian
Brian, they are Elk leather mocassins that were gifted to me. They are extremely comfortable and fit the foot like a second skin. They are great for stalking around in the bush.
There are similar mocs that can be found online and I'm thinking that some of the people here at BCUK may be able to help with finding them in the UK. I apologize, but I can't say what a pair would be worth.
they look amazing RA!! :biggthump
I know RA will correct me if I am wrong, but the footwear in his picture look like Keltoi Moccasins, the pattern for which is available from Braintan.com (http://www.braintan.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1&Product_Code=Keltoi) :-)
Looks like I posted a little late :oops:
RovingArcher
08-12-2004, 02:05
Yep, they very well could be of European design. The pattern came from a leatherwork company (tandy) here in the states. The leather came from a Colorado Elk, taken in a traditional manner and they came together in a prison here in California, where one of the Lakota brothers made them up for a friend of mine because he helps the Indian prisoners with their spiritual needs. He had them for years and never wore them, prefering the low, slipper style of moc. One day when I visited him at his Tatoo shop (Indian Ink), he brought them out and presented them to me. I was honored to receive them, considering how they came to be.
i have a pare of these http://www.birkenstock.com/shared/productimages/large/260341V_2.JPG really great for gental/dry woodland walking.. very nice, but you got to get used to them!!
see www.birkenstock.com
Thanks for the information RA, I have ordered this pattern, but am waiting for some other parts of the order before it is despatched in its entirety, when it arrives I'll let you know if the pattern is made by Tandy (the whole lot is coming from your side of the pond so I don't see why not) :biggthump.
Buckshot
08-12-2004, 08:37
What thickness is the leather?
Does it vary from sole to upper?
Cheers
Mark
Tantalus
08-12-2004, 10:45
Anyone tried Mack Boots?
I had a pair and found them to be pretty indestructable
Can't seem to find a UK seller tho
Tant
RovingArcher
08-12-2004, 15:17
What thickness is the leather?
Does it vary from sole to upper?
Cheers
Mark
Hi Mark, the leather is a split and looks to be between 1/8 and 3/16" thick. Under foot is double thickness. As long as I don't wear them on a wet and abrasive surface like asphalt or concrete, they will last many years and if the bottoms do wear out, I would probably replace them with buffalo.
I tried Hi-Tec and Danner.Since two years I wear Meindl Perfekt.
Lundhags seem to make good shoes, but as far as I know the sole inside the boot is flat, so it feels like walking in rubber boots. Maybe this is not enough support when you walk with a heavy backpack (any experience?).
The Meindl Perfekt are quite heavy, but you will never spread your ankles. The sole is double stitched to the upper (Did you ever experience the sole simply falling off in high and dry zones when there is only glue between the sole and the upper?) It takes very long before boots like this are really comfortable, but it´s worth it.
RovingArcher
08-12-2004, 22:50
Hello Ogden, in my opinion, the meindl boot is excellent as far as quality and everything I've read on them says they are one of the best, but when I bought a pair (perfekt), the toe box was too shallow for me. Which is why I ended up with the Vasque boots.
Too many years of boots with flat footbeds took their toll on my arches, so I need good support while hiking with a pack.
I haven't tried it myself - yet - but if you don't like boots these with a pair of waterproof socks would do the job.
Sandals (http://www.hollowtop.com/sandals.htm)
Thomas