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09/1/2024 at 7:03pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Done a fair bit of hill walking, and long ago a very experienced walker and guide told me 'NEVER skimp on boots - if you can't walk, out in the wilds you are in serious trouble, they can be the difference between life and death in extremes!'.
What he meant was your boots need to be absolutely reliable, comfortable and a good fit so you don't get blisters, waterproof (and preferably breathable), and have good grip on all terrains, and oft overlooked, have cleats that are self cleaning, otherwise you tend to end up clumping about in 'platform shoes' as the muck accumulates and you lose good traction!
Too heavy and they will tire you out over distance, too thin and flexible soles will make your feet ache on rocky/stony ground. On uneven ground they need to give good ankle support otherwise you risk a twisted ankle!
Like most things 'one size fits all' when it comes to choosing is balancing opposing requirement to some extent, and you can only take that so far! I've got two different types of boot, one pair for 'general' hill walking the low and mid regions, and a heavier soled pair for traversing the rocky higher level terrain. You can use the heavy boots on low grassy terrain, but they are unnecessarily heavy, and the stiffness of the sole can make your feet ache quicker.
Socks can make the world of difference to how good or bad comfort of boots is, old trick was to wear two pairs of socks, a thin pair next to skin, and a heavy durable pair over top. Logic was, the thin socks grip your feet, the thick socks grip the boots, and the movement/abrasion is between the socks, NOT your feet and socks. You can get purpose designed walking socks that have an inner and outer layer that simulates the two sock arrangement. Pay great attention to seams, that's often where the blisters will get you! BUT you need to wear your chosen socks when buying boots, otherwise the fit may not be right!
I've used Brasher branded boots for years, and had a few pairs that have all served me well, and last couple of pairs are still going strong, their then claim of 'Comfortable out of the box' proved to be true for me. At first they were UK/Portugal made, then inevitably China. They were an independent company, but these days are just another in house brand of Go Outdoors/Millets/Blacks etc. and I can't vouch for how good they are any more.
'Vibram' was always the sole material of choice, reputedly giving the best grip on wet rock, not kept up to date, so may be good alternatives these days.
I always favoured leather uppers, and they are easy to keep in good condition with wax treatments, my Ex always went for woven fabric types, but I noted her boots often failed when the edge of the fabric panel let go around the stitching lines in highly flexed/stressed areas, that may have been no more than the difference in the way we walked and the demands we put on our boots, but my boots seemed to last longer than hers!
£300 is top end, you should have no trouble finding good quality boots at that end of market, but may be overkill, BUT every manufacturer occasionally turns out a less than perfect design, worth reading reviews from users and seeing if any particular short comings stands out. £150 area should get you decent enough boots unless you plan to trek the Himalayas or the like! Sub £150 RRP and you are edging into a variable mine field, some will be fine, others overpriced tat!
It's difficult to advise someone else, boots are a very personal thing, and the way they fit is critical, different manufacturers products suit different people for different reasons, I've wide feet with a high instep, some boots are a disaster even trying to get them on, whilst others are like carpet slippers in the comfort stakes.
Good luck.
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Topic: Hiking Boots
via mobile 09/1/2024 at 6:59pm
