What New Boots?

[themightybuck 9]

The time has come for new boots ... The old pair i got from the states, Danner pronghorns,,,,have been excellent .Lightweight ,waterproof in normal circumstances,warm,& comfortable from the day i bought them ,this is there sixth season.The leather is now starting to crack and the sole is just started to pull away from the upper........they cost £86 when i got them ,new ones are $225 +postage . I need the same ,lightweight,waterproof,200gr insulation, that will give me 5years wear......NOT CHAMEAU.....Whats good out there ? cheers

I have Miendle drover boots which are ok but take a bit of looking after my next set of boots will be Black Islanders great water proof boots that have a protective layer over the leather so you don't need to keep treating the leather spoke to a few people that have them and they swear by them.

www.blackislander.co.uk

[leegreen 2,101]

The people who are giving 5 years, 6 years, 7 years on a pair of boots. Are you wearing them daily or do you only weigh 6 stone?

 

I've had Lowa, Miendle, Brasher and now I'm in Harkila Pro GTX Kevlar. None of them have lasted more than, well I've replaced them at two years.

The most recent the Harkila, although tough as "old boots" they started leaking in less than a year, but these were replaced and I must say I haven't got a great deal of confidence with them. So this year it's been mainly wellies.

The main thing that ruins boots for me is the brambles, it completely fecks the leather, that's why I went for the kevlar.

[sussex 5,776]

leegreen,iwish i did weigh 6 stone, i do wear mine a lot ,i find the leather goes hard & cracks after a fairly short while the chamo's were the worst ,2years was the max.i lavished more care and attention on them boots than my wife.They were crap.these american ones have been good but have doubled in price ,was looking at the harkila,and miendle ,sounds like the same problem as the chamo's ,but several people rated them.Need to make a decision soon mine are not long for this stalking world..!!!

[themightybuck 9]

The people who are giving 5 years, 6 years, 7 years on a pair of boots. Are you wearing them daily or do you only weigh 6 stone?

 

I've had Lowa, Miendle, Brasher and now I'm in Harkila Pro GTX Kevlar. None of them have lasted more than, well I've replaced them at two years.

The most recent the Harkila, although tough as "old boots" they started leaking in less than a year, but these were replaced and I must say I haven't got a great deal of confidence with them. So this year it's been mainly wellies.

The main thing that ruins boots for me is the brambles, it completely fecks the leather, that's why I went for the kevlar.

Try the Black Islanders the have a hard coating o er the leather to the top of the boot to protect from heather, brambles etc

[Neal 1,822]

I used to wear the Brasher Supalites too. They were amazingly light and really comfortable...I remember Chris Brasher once saying that, after coming back from a day on the hills, he wanted to keep his boots on as they were so comfy and I'd definately agree. However, I had to replace mine every one to two years and, since their manufacture moved overseas I've found they no longer fit me. I also found their grip less than perfect in wet conditions.

 

I've spent the last few years trying to find a replacement, including the Meindl Douvre which I gave away to a member of this forum as I found them too heavy and uncomfortable. Last summer I bought a pair of Lundhag Scouts from Penrith Survival and I can wholeheartedly recommend both!

 

The boots are high yet surprisingly light; not quite as light as the Supalites but much lighter that the Douvre. Their main benefit, other than the comfort, is that they don't have a "waterproof" membrane. This means that you keep water out by a combination of the cellular rubber base and decent waterproofing wax ( which smells like an old shepherd's hut). If you need to reproof and water does seep in then, due to the lack of a membrane, they dry much quicker i.e. they're ready to wear the next day. Touch wood.

[leegreen 2,101]

Miendle and Lowa have been the best. I look after my boots well, but if your getting leather wet through daily, it does them no favours.

With these new kevlar jobbies, you can't even treat them., only the rear of the boot. I think if you don't allow the boot to dry properly, the gortex fails eventually.

If your using the boots daily, sometimes you just can't dry them.

 

Conclusion: Boots for tough terrain and thick cover, wellies for mud and wet. Also having different changes of footwear give boots a chance to dry properly and also a chance to treat them.

[Neal 1,822]

On the subject of the goretex...one of my old pairs of supalites eventually cracked across the toes due to successive wet and dry cycles as leegreen was saying. I bought a new pair and kept the cracked pair, which had the membrane exposed through the crack, and used them as my gardening boots. They still kept my feet dry!

[saintsman54 15]

I wear Scarpa sl boots, these are primarily mountaineering boots but they have lasted me 7 years and are still going strong. They have a really thick leather which give good support and also allows the boot to get away without any waterproof lining! Sounds rubbish but its really good as it lowers costs, and greatly improves breathability, and as long as you look after the boots with regular dubbin its highly water resistant (i can walk along a stream bed with no problem). Might be another option to add confusion to your choice! Also they are going cheaper as scarpa have brought out a new version.

[sussex 5,776]

There is much food for thought (no horse ) Cheers for input

[IanB 0]

The main key is to wash mud off as soon as your back in home, as it dries it sucks moisture out of the leather like nobody's business, let them dry in a cool environment keep them away from radiators, etc then keep them regularly waxed.

 

Personally the likes of brasher, etc are fine for a summers hill walk, there destroyed in less than a year with anything above average use, I owned a couple of pair years ago, they crack like hell, and are too low on the ankle for out in the field, feet full of mud and water in no time, yes there light, best suited to girls and old men, who like slippers and stick to solid paths..