Well, that just makes my week a little bit more special.

I thought something was up with my nice, gore-tex lined North Face boots the other day when my right foot felt a little chilly and damp when I was walking through the dewed grass walking the dogs. After today’s walk (rain, drizzle, dew, wet), I had a definitely damp sock and closer inspection of said boot shows numerous defects in the sole (cracks, de-bonding, odd small holes) and the leather upper (cracks, separation from sole).

I’m annoyed. I’ve only had them two years and have only really abused them once (Fan Dance in Brecon), the rest has just been dog walking and general use around a farm, the local area, shooting and the office. Is it wrong to expect a relatively expensive boots (100 quid or so) to last more than two years?

Anyway, I need to get a new pair of boots. Any suggestions? Must last more than two years.

I bought some Rohan boots from TK Max, they had plenty. They’ve been very comfortable on some big walks in the Alps and Pyrenees and totally water proof in the bogs of Ireland (until one got fully submerged near the end). Just bought a second pair of shoe cut ones. Not sure about longevity but I’ve already had my money’s worth.

When they were wet, did you stuff them with newspaper to dry them out? Did you regularly use Nikwax-type product? Boots are like bikes, they do need cosseting. 🙂

I tend to wear fabric now, less maintenance. Meindl for me.

Try these people Boot repairs for a repair to your boots. Otherwise I would recommend the boots which fit you best when you spend at least an hour in a decent boot shop!

All my boots are Scarpa (summer, winter and rock) as they fit me perfectly. But that’s just me. Best you can do is try on many many pairs in a decent boot shop and make your decision from there.

My summer boots have done well over a year of moderate use, but my winter ones were a few years old when I got them and I reckon I’ll get a couple more years out of them.

altberg.

Try getting some full leather ones, where outside stitching is at a minimum. And a boot with a tongue that is nearly stitched all the way up. This prevents lots of water from soaking into the seams and under the laces.
I got some from Sports direct, a pair of Karrimors – full leather outers. Did my D of E in them a few weeks a go, kept my feet bone dry while walking through the marshland. My feet were dry, until i stepped in a puddle which covered the whole boot. Aslong as you don’t do that the karrimors are good.

Karrimor boots from sports direct. got a pair for £30 and had for near 2 years and they are brill. Comfy and waterproof. Or if you can find head walking boots, had a pair for 6 year and used everyday and they where gore-tex

I’ve got some Altberg boots for work. 4+ years and still perfectly adequate, although the soles are worn flat in places, and there is one wee split between the sole and the leather, I have been very impressed. And they have not been well cared for, mud wiped off every now and again. I will be getting another pair.

Meindl Vakuum GTX for most the year. They have memory foam in the lining which mould round your feet when they warm it up. Super comfortable and durable.

Scarpa Manta’s for use with crampons or serious winter weather and/or high altitudes.

To add to the “Boots are like bikes” comment. They come in different shapes and sizes, much like bikes. What’s going to be best for one person isn’t necessarily going to fit the next. Go somewhere with a good selection and try lots on.

If you want lightweight, the leather Berghaus Explorer GTXs are very good. Had an issue with my first pair after about a year (they cracked where my toe bends) and Berghaus replaced them with a new pair with a better design no questions asked!

New ones are brilliant – grippy, 100% waterproof, breathable and very light. I do look after the leather but that goes without saying. If something “looks after” me, I look after it.

Cheap too – under £100 I think.

I’d highly recommend Meindl: had a couple of pairs that have lasted years (7-8 I think).

yep Berghaus Explorer Treks for me too (but the goretex fabric).
Comfortable, breathable and not a drop of water entered them whilst I was on Dartmoor with my feet almost fully submerged.

They’re £70 at the moment in field and trek, but if you can wait until Christmas they’ll probably come down more.

whatever fits. Go to a good shop try lots take the advice and make sure you can return if you only wear in the house

mikewsmith – Member

whatever fits. Go to a good shop try lots take the advice and make sure you can return if you only wear in the house

Is correct.

I am a fan of hitech boots – decent fit for me and good longevity for the price.

Scarpa Manta’s for use with crampons or serious winter weather and/or high altitudes.

High altitudes? How high do you have to go before Mantas are necessary? Would they be suitable for Everest do you think?

All the people saying find a good shop and try lots on are right. Good shops should also let you return them for a swap if you decide the fit isn’t quite right after wearing them round the house all day and climbing up and down the stairs lots – I did that and it wasn’t until the 3rd pair that I was 100% happy. (Leather Raichles, still in great nick after 5 years FWIW)

@ badlywiredog. Oh dear – I have worn my hitechs at 10 000 ft. Was that a fail do you think?

I think the OP was talking about boots for walking the dog not the Himalayas

It might be worth looking at some new boots that Hi-Tec and The National Trust have collaborated on, the Altitude Enviro, they use a lot of recycled materials in the soles, and the leather is low Chrome treated, even the steel midsole shank is recycled. Millets and Oswald Bailey do them at around £90. I was looking at some in Bath today, and they’re really nice looking boots, and waterproof as well.

oh go to the shop in the afternoon as your feet swell during the day

BadWiredDog – settle, no boot trolling 😉

The goretex lining in lightweight shoes and boots doesnt always wrap round the whole foot, it just be bonded onto the sole. If you’re after cheap and chearful I’d recomend Contour. The navigator (leather) boot is OK, not as good as it used to be since the redesign. Scarpa, Miendl, Raichle (think they might now be branded as Mammut) and Zamberland all make good boots. As do Altberg – british made and custom made if you want them. Scarpa tend to be narrower Miendl suit most people with the classic british narrow heel broad forefoot. There are exception to the rule – scarpa rangers are a more ‘british’ fitting boot.

Walking in the UK go for (cheap to expensive):

Contour Navigator – Scarpa Rangers or Treks – Miendl Burma or Borneo or simmilar

Need cramspons but only for winter walking:
Scarpa SL or equivelent

Fabric:
Scarpa – ZG range (light weight)
Miendl – Air Revolution (range covers light weight to heavy duty)

Not covered other makes as never sold them so not as up on the options.

You probably dont want Mantas

karrimor – several munroes, many miles, no maintenance, magic

BadWiredDog – settle, no boot trolling

I was just trying to establish an altitude ceiling for Mantas, I wouldn’t want to go too high in the wrong type of boot – could be a bit like not having enough travel for a trail centre.

TandemJ – no offence, but I don’t think Hi-Tecs are a suitable option for high altitude mountaineering. Should someone follow your advice and, for the sake of argument, attempt K2 in similar footwear and suffer serious injury as a result, I think there’s every chance you could be sued for millions. Something that’s always worth considering when posting on this and other forums.

Incidentally, if the Gore-Tex membrane has sprung a leak, you may be able to get it sorted under Gore’s lifetime warranty via the shop you bought them from originally. As long as they’ve not been over 999 feet obviously 🙂

Been using Berghaus Explorer GTX for a few yrs , been brilliant, no complaints up in Scotland , Northumberland or locally on dog walks.

I use the fabric variant which are great straight from the box, however Berghaus do a leather version if you need a sturdier feel.

I had a pair of Scarpa Manta Xs from the late 80s that lasted a good 15 years / 100s probably 1000s of miles – not much tread left mind and it was a less extreme boot in those days. Replaced them with Scarpa SLXs a few years ago which is roughly the equivalent Scarpa today. Fairly heavy but pretty tough boot – reasonably comfortable.

BWD, ah

Yes I see the problem its more confusing as Mantas dont have a handy altitude number. Going for a pair of Phantoms removes this confusion –

Phantom Mont Blanc
Phantom 6000
Phantom 8000

Pick your range.

The non liable answer is to what boot is try lots on, expect to pay between £80 – £160 rrp for a three season walking boot (one that doesnt take crampons). They last much longer if you look after them – clean and nikwax (re-proof) regularly. If you’re wearing them day in day then two years is reasonable, I get ten to twelve months out of a pair of approach shoes, two years from my work boots but they never get fully dry in the winter. My winter walking boots last around 10years because they only ever come out in the snow.

I’ve got loads of walking boots – Scarpa’s which are great even after a load of years, Raichle also good and very comfy but the ones I find I use most are Salomons. Having said that I don’t use boots anything as much as I used to and in moderate conditions prefer Brasher or Keen walking shoes as I find them a lot more comfortables.

OH has Bergi Explorers (the non-leather variety), had them for years.

When I wanted some boots, I tried every pair in the shop and ended up with … Bergi Explorers. Nothing else came close.

scarpa / meindl were great for me – brasher / asolo less so. go try before you buy

paul

Check out “Keen”. They are uber-comfortable, but don’t take my word for it, go try some and make up your own mind.

Got some eVent Karrimors from sports direct for £80 which are pretty good. I do like Meindles though.

Zamberlan Trailites. I picked mine up for £60, which is stupid for a boot that good – Goretex, one piece upper, vibram sole, full grain leather etc.

A proper leather boot is the way to go in my view – you will always hole a goretex liner eventually, and suede and nylon just let the water in. Leather does a good job of keeping it out in the first place.

I had a pair of Berghaus storm suede and fabric boots with a goretex lining, I wore them for three years working at a watersports centre, You could stand up to your ankles in water and when you took your foot out of the water it was dry on the outside by some kind of magic. Then a bit of stitching came undone. I wrote to them, being honest about how long i’d used them and asking if they could be repaired. They wrote back asking what colour I wanted for my replacement pair.
Outstanding customer service 🙂

As per tron. I wouldn’t expect a membrane to still be waterproof after 2 years of hard use. Full grain leather should keep the water at bay for years if it’s looked after.

Is it wrong to expect a relatively expensive boots (100 quid or so) to last more than two years?

Suppose it boils down to how much you use/abuse them. I’d be miffed.

I like my current Meindls but they’re a bit more full-on (less intially springy/comfy) than the fabric Salomons I had before, which were brill in Summer & I did the Three Valleys in the Alps comfortably with them.

Thanks for all the replies.

I’m now planning on hitting a boot shop at sometime in the near future to spend a good hour or so wandering around and bing a pain to the staff (something my wife will love I am sure). It looks like OpenAir and Rohan in Cambridge might get a look-in this time, not just blacks/Millets.

Hmmm. Just remembered that we have a Cotswolds in town now too, just a shame it’s not a huge one.

I’ve often heard the thing about goretex liner getting holes but it’s not been my experience.

I’ve got some 5 year old heavily abused Salomon boots that remain waterproof despite the fact the sole is no longer attached to the boot and the rand is coming away.