Spec me some walking boots please.

Bald-Eagle22

Bald-Eagle22

Bald-Eagle22

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Guys ,going for a few days walking in the lake district next month culminating with a walk up Scafell Pike.

Need a decent set of boots please £ 50 - £ 80 budget .:o
 
I recently bought a pair of North Ridge Corries, they were roughly around your upper limit, to be honest you are better going to an outdoors shop and trying on various pairs and going with what you feel is going to be more comfortable, certainly look for something with a Vibram sole anyhow, don't forget decent socks also.

Scafell although not the biggest is in my opinion the harder of the three peaks, i've done it twice in the last 8 weeks and intend to do it again this side of Christmas.
 
You need to go and try them on, even if you intend to buy online. Feet are different, so what might work for one person, won't for another.

Try a load on, find the one you like, then buy it online if cheaper.
 
I've got some of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Karrimor-Mens-Orkney-Weathertite-Hiking/dp/B002AKK3RI

Karrimor ksb Orkney II Weathertite

You'll hear some people slagging them off but for the money they'll take some beating. I did Scafell Pike wearing these boots in March and they were brilliant. There was snow above 800m and the soles gripped very well. Traction is excellent overall and I've suffered no leakage from the elements when on my travels (I regularly walk in the Dark Peak- Bleaklow, Black Hill, Kinder, Derwent Edge, etc). I've used them in all conditions you're likely to experience in Britain and can't complain.
 
For God's sake, try boots on before buying them - don't ever buy on the basis of a name.

With decent outdoor shops, you can usually buy boots and take them home for a week or two to see that they fit. So long as they have NEVER been worn out of doors, you should be able to exchange them if you aren't happy with them. Wear them about the house, going up and down stairs, eating, watching TV and so on - just NEVER step outdoors unless you are entirely happy with them. All decent walking boots will feel heavier than trainers and will initially be less comfortable - they will to some extent adjust to fit over a few days or even weeks of use.

I would advise you to choose lightweight, waterproof (i.e. GoreTex) boots that:
  • are oversized (and adjust with decent socks)
  • have a very stiff sole if you are going to be walking over rough, stony ground
  • support your ankle in case you stumble
  • have a good tread if you are going to be walking on slippery rock
For what it is worth, paying £50 to £80 is likely to be inadequate if you are going to use a pair of walking boots for more than "a few days".

remember to clean and dry your boots naturally at the end of each day and to give them a thorough clean and if appropriate reproof and/or treat before putting them away for any length of time - that way they will give you years of good service - don't as I used to do, simply chuck them into a cupboard and hope that they will remain comfortable and waterproof.


ps - have fun in the Lake District - and Scafell Pike is far from the most enjoyable or challenging walk there :)
 
With experience I would say rather than telling you what make and model of boot to get it's better to give you a few criteria a boot should have then for you to go to an outdoor store and try as many as you can on. The reason why is that everybody's feet are different and all boot lasts are different (the foot shaped mould around which the boot is made), fit is the most important factor in buying a new boot otherwise you'll get blisters and just feel plain uncomfortable.

What I'd say is go for a pair of leather classic ankle boots by someone like Meindl, Scarpa, Brasher, Lowa, Berghaus etc. Just try as many as you can on and have a short walk around the store with each until you find one that feels better than all the rest, the worst thing you can do is go into a shop with a specific model in mind that you want. Don't feel like you are wasting the assistant's time either, I was one once and as long as the customer was friendly and polite I really wanted to spend as much time with a to to get them the perfect boot. Remember to bring a thick pair of socks too, it's better than borrowing a shops pair that have been on loads of stinky feet :)

The reason I say a leather boot is that they are waterproof and yet still let your feet breathe, fabric boots aren't waterproof without a waterproof membrane like goretex or eVent in them, they work great until you get water in them and then it can't get out, they are also an absolute a bugger to dry out too. The exception to this rule is to get some boots and Berghaus yeti gaiters but that'll bring the boot system out of your price range. Go with a good leather boot and you'll get years of good service out of them, there's a reason the design hasn't changed much in yonks and they are still popular :)
 
If you have the cash and want a really good fitting, try http://www.altberg.co.uk/Web/

My current walking boots are a Lowa clones made by a british company called Web-tex. Cost about 80 quid, waterproof, with insulation/wicking liner membrane... considering I've always used new british army assault boots (like these: http://www.surplusandadventure.com/...y-boots/british-army-assault-boot-219264.html) for hiking (I've destroyed a couple of pairs over the years; eventually they just fall to bits across the sole and the toe crease) I was pleasantly surprised with how comfortable they've been. http://www.web-tex.co.uk/boots-and-clothing/web-tex-pro-xt-ii-boots/prod_1312.html

Go with Leather boots, not some s****y (eh? damn filter thing thinks I'm saying a bad word should be 's w a n k y') all technical fabric. Unless you know what you're getting (like I did) never buy walking boots without trying them for fitting first - a snug fit is good, but a little room (and I do mean only a little room) is better as it allows your feet to swell when you're walking for a whole day etc. Get a couple of decent pairs of socks too - I've worn 2 pairs of boot socks (1 thick, 1 thin with a man made fibre content to transfer moisture) and have never experienced painful blisters from rubbing boots or the like.

A good pair of boots should last a long time. Altberg do custom fitting and sole repair replacement, had I the spare cash I'd have a pair of these: http://www.altberg.co.uk/Web/walking_ScafellBoot.jsp or something from their military boot range.

If you get 'ankle boots' as opposed to those that come to mid calf, get yourself a pair of decent gaiters - either gortex, or PU coated. Preferably the gortex as they are breathable (beware of straps that go underneath the boot sole - try before you buy). I have lightweight PU coated ones which trap sweat on the inside so sometimes I get slightly damp trousers from boot top to knee, but I have never found this to be a real problem.

I've done plenty of miles in all weathers and would recommend the web-tex boots; for what you get they're a good price - the only trouble was finding a local supplier to try them on.

Choose carefully, you get what you pay for.
 
would avoid gortex liner boots if plan on hiking for more then 1 day, fall in water and they take ages to dry off!
 
Get a good pair or pairs of walking socks, this is important so that your feet wont turn into one big ass blister.

Also as above if you treat your boots well you can gain a massive amount of use from them, iv had my pair for over 5 years and my dad had them for 5 years before that, iv only had to replace the shoe laces once.
 
i got myself a pair of Merrell Moab Mid Gore-Tex XCR boots for my bday in febuary for walking the dog and going up the hills, they have been fine and have kept my feet dry upto now though i have noticed my feet have been getting alittle wet when im with the dog down at the beach ive had alook and ive noticed a small rip inside on the gore-tex sock near the heal. now i have to wear different insoles than the ones that come with it due to having very bad flat feet so it looks like my insole has been rubbing on it im gonna pop in the shop and see if they can suggest anything what might seal it.

other than that there a very comfortable boot and amazingly light even though there quite chunky, £90 though and ive only had them 6months but the sole is wearing down quite a lot due to my stupid feet again :eek: i picked another pair up for £59 though in a sale.I tryed a pair of Brasher's that were in the sale last week and these felt like moon boots compaired to my merrells so Id make sure you try the boots on your after though as the merrell's were a bigger fitting than i normally wear aswell
 
Bald-Eagle22 said:
Ok sounds like I need to go into Chelmsford , would Blacks or Millets have a good range ?
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Blacks would be your best bet (I'm from Chelmsford and I used to work at a Blacks store). I would recommend looking at something from Solomon, and as other people have said make sure that you test them properly in the store, wearing their tester socks to make sure that they feel comfortable with walking socks on. Also don't underestimate spending a decent amount of money on some good socks - I personally recommend bridgedale socks (around £10).

Also when testing the shoes make sure to use the pretend hill that they have in the middle. Walk half way up, bend your knees and bounce on your toes to make sure that they don't rub the back of your heels, then turn around as though you are coming back down, and try to push your feet to the end of the shoes as you take a step. If you can your toes hitting the end of the boot then they are too loose.

Then as has been suggested before make sure you can fit one of your fingers down the back of the shoe when you have them on, as your feet will swell slightly when you walk, the additional finger room should mean that you don't have a problem. Then make sure to wear them around the house with the walking socks you buy to make sure that you are happy and comfortable in them, as has been said before you can always take them back if you haven't worn them outside.
 
Bald-Eagle22 said:
... would Blacks or Millets have a good range ?
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Probably wouldn't make a whole lot of difference.
Blacks Leisure Group plc of Northampton, UK owns British outdoor retailers Blacks, Millets and Free Spirit (Blacks).
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. . . and I would go along with Delphi-UK's advice on testing - boots cause most pain when going up and down hill so make extensive use of the artificial slope.

As he and others say, spend money on good quality socks - personally I favour double layer socks (e.g. 1000 Mile socks), the inner sticks to your feet, the outer sticks to the boot, the two layers rub against one another and thus reduce rubbing on your feet :)


ps - you might also want to cionsider Leki walking poles - not half as daft or posing as they seem - they take a while to get used to but supposedly reduce the strain on your knees by as much as 30% and are incredibly handy when walking over wet rocks. You will be absolutely stunned at how much difference they can make.
 
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http://www.salomon.com/uk/product/cosmic-4d-gtx®-w.html

I got these recently..a bit over your budget, but as comfortable as trainers, quite a stiff sole

I pride foot comfort above all else if you are walking all day and these are hard to beat...well worth the investment if you intend you use them..if its a one off get something cheaper.

best advice though is get them properly fitted, I went to an independant an he went through a good half dozen pairs highlighting the stifness of the soles, differeing heights of ankle support

I found the salomons very easy to fit as you have a lace lock at the ankle so you can set differing tensions on the laces across the foot or the ankle
 
Avoid Vibram Soles, they have zero grip on certain surfaces in the wet and they wear away very quickly too.
 
I went to Borneo a while ago and was concerned that my expensive walking boots would be useless because they had goretex in them (which turned out to be rubbish by the way).

Anyway, I went on an online Army Surplus store and got some Standard Issue British Army boots (or something like them) for about £45. With a good pair of socks, an under sock and some insoles I had lying around they ended up doing the trick. I wore those almost everyday for a month and they were well comfy. Obviously I tried them out a lot around the house and outside before I set off.

That's just a suggestion. See if you can find a store near you that sells British Army surplus gear and go try it on. It'll probably be cheaper than splashing out for shiny new walking boots. But then again, buying some a decent pair of walking boots might be a worthwhile investment in the long run.
 
stockhausen said:
Probably wouldn't make a whole lot of difference.
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Actually I have worked for both Millets and Blacks, and even though they are in the same company, they both stock different ranges. Millets is designed to be a much cheaper option for people, however uses substandard levels of gear. Peter storm is not a valid option for walking boots! Millets mainly sells own brand gear (which is quite frankly rubbish).

With regards to checking the boot itself I would recommend that you hold the boot by its tread and then try to perform a twisting motion on the sole. This should show you how much support there is in the boot itself, more it twists the poorer the rubber, and the poorer the midsole. I would also look for Vibram soles if you can afford them as they work fantastically on rock.
 
doofer said:
Avoid Vibram Soles, they have zero grip on certain surfaces in the wet and they wear away very quickly too.
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I've not found that. The only surfaces I've had problems on are wet slimy rocks and I very much doubt anything without spikes would stick to that.

They also last much longer than unbranded soles I've had on various boots before.
 
just get some decent lowas boots, none gortex lineing to be honest be about 120quid but worth it in the long run! they last for ages and can send them in for reapirs if eventually heel does wear out.
 
Telescopi said:
I've not found that. The only surfaces I've had problems on are wet slimy rocks and I very much doubt anything without spikes would stick to that.

They also last much longer than unbranded soles I've had on various boots before.
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Agreed - my vibram soles were fine for walking up the side of a waterfall in Norway two weeks ago, and they were pretty wet rock. The only problem I have ever known for vibram soles was on the merrel shoes where there could potentially be air pockets when walking on ice, lots of people were coming back in complaining that they were slipping over - but tbh that was a problem with the tread design not the vibram.
 
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