I can heartily recommend meidl boots. I’ve got odd shaped feet but plenty of half sizes and width fittings. Incredibly well made and robust – I’m very heavy on boots and after 5 years of regular use mine still look like they have many years lest in them. Not the cheapest (go outdoors usually have a good stock and will price match -10%), and not as light or flexible as fabric / nu-buck boots, but a great long term investment for 3 season walking. Stiff soles and hard foot beds though – which I like

Minor bump / thread revival / hijack. I’m a big fan of Meindl and Lowa, I really like leather boots. I’ve just binned a pair of Lowa gtx after many years of abuse while I realise I probably should just buy another pair of Meindl Bhutan (for that is what I want) before I do can anyone suggest any half decent cheaper alternatives?

The Lowa were awesome boots but slight overkill for lighter hiking, so back to Meindl but I’m asking on the off chance there’s a similar looking, brown leather hiking boot that gets close in terms of fit and performance that doesn’t cost £200?

You want traditional, fully-stiffened, one-piece leather, full depth, walking boots with a full steel shank. I bought mine back in the 1980s and they’re still going strong. Once they’d broken my feet in, which only too four or five years, they became almost bearable to wear.

I used to buy those and got through a lot of compeed….

Now I do all my walking in lightweight trail shoes….

I used to buy those and got through a lot of compeed….

Now I do all my walking in lightweight trail shoes….

That’s just a sign of weakness. How do you expect your feet to break in if you stick ectoplasmic gel on them? Lightweight trail shoes are all very well until you need to hammer in a tent peg on hard ground, then proper, men’s boots, come into their own. I’ll be disappointed if Moley caves in to modernity and buys some whispy trail slippers….

Being STW, Moley ought to fashion his own boots from a lump of oak….

FWIW I have Lowas, the ‘made in Germany’ ones, as does my Mrs & we love them. I would certainly look at Altbergs next time, UK company with a factory in Richmond, North Yorks. (& another in Italy I believe)

I am with KM79 on this – fabric boots simply do not remain waterproof for me no matter how expensive. Much more comfy tho. Maybe waterproof for a year or so. Want a proper waterproof boot it needs to be leather. If you are prepared for a bit of water to come in after a year or twos use fabric boots are great – really comfy.

Thats my experience. I do a lot of trekking in Scotland tho so its not just walking in the rain – its trudging thru swamp and wading rivers in them!

My current selection of boots are an old pair of 3/4 shank zamberlain leather boots. 100% waterproof after years of use, a pair of Salomen fabric boots – waterproofing lasted one years use but it does take a wile for it to leak ( this is the seond pair – the first replaced under cuarentee)and a pair of Merril Moabs that I had imported from the states as the US ones have no goretex membrane – these have no pretence to waterproofing – I got them for use in hot climates so my feet wouldn’t sweat.

Recently I have also had Salawa boots – very very comfy but didn’t even last a year until they leaked

For traditional leather boots, Anatom are worth a look, think they’re uk designed – bought a pair a few months back to replace some 90s Brashers (the modern equivalent has a different last). Pity is I didn’t find them last year, I’d already bought some (leather) Hanwags (worth looking at too), which are fine for the steeper/rockier stuff I do with some mates, but a little high/OTT for wearing all day on holiday or general rambles – whereas the Anatoms are beefier than the older Brashers and could have doubled up duties. Cotswold are pretty decent at sorting the right fit out, esp the branch in Betws y Coed. Couldnt find any Meindls that fit my feet, fwiw.

They’re quality kit, the most comfortable thing I’ve ever put on my feet, and I expect them to last forever

For general walking, in fact general wear, I’ve found Meindl boots to be about the most comfortable boots ever, my choice is the suede/fabric Desert Fox boot, my first pair I bought around five-six years ago, from eBay, worn once or twice, for £35, IIRC, then I bought another more worn pair for work, cost £28 and I’ve since got two more pairs, both almost brand new, for around £28-35, all ex-Army issue. Especially when the RRP is £170!
The very first pair I recently had re-soled after I wore them down to the mid-sole, but I wear them practically all the time, they’re so comfy, and I like the high ankle protection they give. Fantastic boots.

http://www.meindl.co.uk/products/desert-fox1

If I’m going walking where I know it’s going to be wet, I’ll wear my Muckboots.

Really happy with my salewa mountain trainers which I bought early this year. Most comfortable set of boots I have owned.

Being STW, Moley ought to fashion his own boots from a lump of oak….

Oak? You’re having a laugh. Fairly traded bamboo is lighter, more flexible and less prone to cracking. The whole oak thing is so 1800s… just saying.

I generally ‘walk’ in trail/approach/fell running shoes, walking boots generally reserved for crappy conditions or hikes at the more rugged end of the scale

I have a pair of Meindl Burmas that are about 9 years old and the sides of the sole are disintegrating. Trip to the Alps last year in them, probably their last outing

Replaced them with a pair of Scarpa SLs. It’s tricky trying to find a pair of leather boots without a waterproof liner!

benp1 – Member

I generally ‘walk’ in trail/approach/fell running shoes, walking boots generally reserved for crappy conditions or hikes at the more rugged end of the scale

I’m the same, perfectly happy with brooks cascadia and merrell moab for general walking and scrambling about but two of the routes to the nearest village (walking) are extremely wet and muddy. One option is to go along the river bank, the other is a right of way that is regualrly used by farmers/cattle so it’s often ankle deep in mud.

There’s also a small mountain range I’ve earmarked for photographing but if you pretty much have to traverse deep bog to get anywhere near the hills.

The North Face boots ..couldnt tell you which model but they are leather & suede constructed , waterproof , icepick toes , wintergrip, primaloft ..comfortable as owt and have never let me down ..getting on a bit now ..but still plenty of life in them..

20171016_135048 by Neil Hodgson – Flickr2BBcode LITE

I’ve got some of the Adidas Swift R GTX that Colournoise posted. Purchased mine to wear for the 3 peaks challenge I completed in March this year, they were fantastic! Also took them on Holiday to New Zealand in July and pretty much lived in them whilst there. Very comfy, like wearing a nice pair of trainers. Really impressed with them.

mobes – what is the ankle support like? I keep turning one of mine so need some new boots with decent support and like the look of these

I’ve read a few articles basically debunking the ankle support thing with boots and suggesting it’s more to do with the heel cup.

I’ve read a few articles basically debunking the ankle support thing with boots and suggesting it’s more to do with the heel cup.

Yep, I’ve walked & scrambled all over the place in trail shoes, and never noticed a lack of ankle support. Used to fell run everywhere in Walshes, which were about as low and unsupportive as you can get.

I’ve read a few articles basically debunking the ankle support thing with boots and suggesting it’s more to do with the heel cup.

I have a dodgy right ankle, broken it a couple of times and badly sprained it several more – no boot gives me enough support, they make little difference, I’d need some sort of rigid ski boot or the like to make any appreciable difference. What is ‘the heel cup’?

I’ve given up using boots for the majority of my walks, Salomon fast hike or approach shoes for me. I also have Adidas and Saucony trail running shoes that are great for faster work, but I prefer the tougher more stable Salomons for slower paced walking.

If you really need a boot how about these bad boys:

Not cheap mind.

Walking shoes are great but I hate wearing them with waterproof overtrousers, much prefer the fit of boots with overtrousers.

If you really need a boot how about these bad boys:

Looked at those, they look like they won’t breath very well. I have Rab Scree gaiters I use with trainers, and they don’t half make your feet sweat.

I’ve read a few articles basically debunking the ankle support thing with boots and suggesting it’s more to do with the heel cup.

Makes a lot of sense. No matter how lose or tight, or how stiff or flexy they are, I never feel boots give an significant increase in ankle support. Might be my ankles though.

Yeah never occurred to me either but makes sense when you think about it?

So then, narrow fitting boots with good heel cup support, light, sturdy, waterproof, under £100, moon, stick, go!

If you don’t mind something a bit heavier and sturdier then Haix “Cold Wet Weather” British Army boots are amazing. Mine were £60 unissued (new).

My pair replaced a £180 pair of Mammut GTX something or others that were a little lighter and a bit springier in the sole but fell apart after a year of gentle use. In fact I’ve got a pair of £40 Dickies work boots which have been treated horrendously and they have far, far outlasted the Mammuts.

25% off on http://www.adidas.co.uk today…. guess who just bought a pair of the shoes recommended above!

I like boots, prefer them to shoes on rough stuff.
Even if the ankle support is a placebo and I don’t think it is, I like having my ankles protected.

Love Brasher & the Berghaus clones for fit (wiiiide), get mine from a place that does returns and refurbs for the big brands.
Brasher soles last about 2 years, cheaper to buy a new refurbished pair than have them resoled.
The uppers softens a bit too much for me even the toe box, the only downside.

Also picked up a new pair of Hanwags new from the same place, leather lined, stitched sole etc.
Beautiful things, (and less than half price 🙂 ).
Bit heavier than modern boots, but I get the feeling they’ll see me out.

On the boot weight/stiffness argument

http://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/2017/10/some-thoughts-on-lightweight-flexible.html