Which Meindls did you find too narrow? I’ve tried two of their wider fit versions, the Dovre gtx which have a wider than normal last, mine were the shorter version, not the 11″ high leg one, but they were still a bit cramped in the toebox. Their Guffert boot is my favourite, and I’m on my second pair now, as the toebox is much roomier.
They ain’t cheap, but I wear them for a couple of hours minimum every day, and often all day at weekends. High leg boots aren’t really necessary unless you’re a moorland gamekeeper.
Another brand worth looking at is Altberg. They make their boots in wide and extra wide fittings. They too do various military, sporting and walking boots, and supply to various armed forces. They’re made in Richmond N Yorks, custom to order if you have ” difficult to cater for ” feet.
As for looking after boots, dubbin is indeed old skool. I avoid it now, and use Altberg Leder Gris, or Meindl Sportwax. Neither will rot stitching. If you need to recover a pair of dried out boots, try Mink Oil. That softens badly dried, even cracked leather, but if you over use it it will make them baggy.
Posted 6 months ago
