I need a new pair of walking boots. The soles on the current pair are coming away from the uppers at the front. (Crocodile shoes!). They are Peter Storms of one sort or another, less than a year old so I don’t want another pair of those.
I only use them for walking the dog across fields, a maximum distance of 5 miles in one go. They are used for 3 days a week.
They have to be light, I find wellies too heavy for me and struggle up the last hill with them. Apart from falling apart the Peter Storms were fine for weight, warmth and comfort. I have a cost in mind of £50 or thereabouts. Has anybody any suggestions, please?
|
Aldi £17.99.
Not waterproof, but a two year guarantee.
I treat with waterproofing fluid.. and walk 3 miles daily.
After 6 months, lots of sole wear - ShooGoo to the rescue.
Comfortable.
Ideal as a cheap alternative for light walking. Not very durable.
After a year back to store for a new pair under gntee.
|
Have you considered invoking guarantee or SOGA rights regarding the Peter Storms? While the sub £50 price point is probably too cheap for a serious adult boot that would show in areas like material (ie fabric not leather, non branded sole), proofing and solid ankle support rather than premature failure. They are though probably designed for use on a few holidays/weekends over 2-3 years rather than 3-4 days a week over 12 months.
The best place for advice would be a proper independent outdoor shop but, outside of walking centres such as Keswick or Betws y Coed, they're getting thin on the ground. The chain stores like Blacks, Trespass, Cotswold etc are, IMHO, much of a muchness. Looking at their website Blacks have a few options sub £50, including Peter Storm. Cotswold OTOH start at around £55.
The Aldi suggestion above is a good start. I've not tried their boots but have had one or two pairs of trainer/walking shoes. Comfortable and functional, but like madf I found rapid wear of the soles to be the weak point.
Unless you want to spend a bit more money I think you'll be hard pressed to find anything more robust than what you have.
|
I use either boots or wellies when walkingt he dog, depending on what the rain has been like as my local park doesnt drain well.
Both I would recommend, both came from GoOutdoors. I can't remember off hand the boots (will check when I get home) but the wellies are these
www.gooutdoors.co.uk/dunlop-blizzard-winter-boot-welly-p215457
light, insulated and comfy with lots of flexibility in them.
Even as a 40-something there is still an inner child in me that loves wearing these up the park and not having to pick a way through to avoid mud and puddles!!
|
I've no idea if they'd fit the bill but what about safety footwear from Screwfix? I have a pair of trainer type ankle boots which get used infrequently when I'm expecting to tramp in muddy and difficult conditions (like I said, infrequently!!). For me, they are comfortable enough and seem water proof etc, and come in at your price point.
www.screwfix.com/c/safety-workwear/safety-boots/cat850524
|
>> I've no idea if they'd fit the bill but what about safety footwear from Screwfix?
>> I have a pair of trainer type ankle boots which get used infrequently when I'm
>> expecting to tramp in muddy and difficult conditions
+1 for the safety ankle boots. Currently wearing a pair of Cofra ankle boots. They're the most comfortable boots I've ever had.
Part of my job involves walking across grass which is often wet and muddy. With these boots I can jump straight out of the vehicle without having to change footwear, and then jump straight back in again after I've done the job I've had to do. No wet feet either.
|
According to Which? The best brands are Berghaus, Brasher and salomon. I would endorse the first two from my personal experience. They are, however, all well over £50, nearer £90 - £100.
Cheaper boots that are near to your 50 quid budget are Regatta, Hi-Tec and Karrimor.
Have a look at the Sports Direct website, or in one of their shops, they seem to have some stuff at unbelievably cheap prices.
Link to Sports Direct:-
tinyurl.com/kjv2n9z
Last edited by: Duncan on Mon 10 Nov 14 at 10:06
|
>> According to Which? The best brands are Berghaus, Brasher and salomon. I would endorse the
>> first two from my personal experience. They are, however, all well over £50, nearer £90
>> - £100.
I doubt the readership of Which is capable of walking more than three yards without a zimmer frame.
|
Proper boots I'd buy another pair of Meindl Burma Pro MFS tomorrow if I needed to replace mine. They are very traditional leather jobs but the memory foam liner means there are no rubbing points whatsoever. I don't know how essential the GoreTex is but I have always been dryfoot with them bar when I put foot in a peat boghole up to the knee.
At a lower price point I'd probably try something from Grisport, based on my experience with their Dartmoor walking shoes.
The worst pair I ever had for blisters were the original Brasher boot. I don't think there's a standard solution. The boss couldn't get a pair of the Meindls any where near a fit, and has some fabric Brasher boots.
|
|
Worth bearing in mind that anything with a full retail price of £50 couldn't have been more than $10 at the factory gate...
|
>>Worth bearing in mind that anything with a full retail price of<<
You're right, Humpf. I wonder if Primarks do em.
Thanks for the suggestions so far. I may have unintentionally misled on price. I don't want to spend £100's on them but the £50 is a guide. Maybe I should have said £50 to £80.
MJM
|
|
Karrimor are among the best of the budget brands.
|
Choice of walking boots is a very personal thing and one man's meat is another man's poison - that is clear from the replies so far.
In the last 20 years, I have bought 3 pairs of boots. My Brashers (£100+) were lightweight and incredibly comfortable, but eventually the uppers wore out after their first re-soling. I was warned off a new pair of Brashers because (allegedly) production had been moved to Portugal and quality wasn't as good.
By this stage, I was walking approx 10 miles a day cross-country surveying power-lines so I ordered some Meidls (~£120) and, whilst awaiting their arrival, I bought some Peter Storms (~£50). The Peter Storms were surprisingly durable, and very comfortable - I still have them. They weren't as waterproof as the Meindls, but the Meindls were really too narrow for my broad feet and eventually, the inner toe-caps collapsed so I dumped them.
To be honest, I never came across any leather boot that kept your feet dry after a couple of hours on wet grass. If I knew that the terrain was going to be wet, I wore my Nora wellies with a pair of decent socks; I could work in them all day.
|
|
Go Outdoors (link in BobbyG's post above) have a sale on. Also, if you buy a Discount Card (£5 for a year) there are some other very good savings.
|
|
Herself has little zip-sided boots with heels, black suede, black leather, an assortment. I've got some old ankle-length wellies and I did have a proper green pair but I think they've gone walkies. It's a nest of lying tealeaves here, people pretend they can't recognise their own boots or anyone else's, bunch of toerags. Haven't owned any leather boots since the CCF ones at school, oh yes and rugger boots of course.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Mon 10 Nov 14 at 14:00
|
|
The 'own brand' boots that Decathlon sell are pretty good. I think I paid about £45 for them five years ago, and wear them most weekends in winter.
|
My boots are size 13 Karrimor D30s, they were around £80 in Sports Direct last winter. I bought the next model up (D40?) for a week's trudging around the Hebrides but one eyelet came loose on the final day. Sports Direct changed them without quibble, and would have offered a full refund too. I only went down a model as they didn't have another pair of the higher grade boots in stock in my size.
I've worn them to Scotland again since, twice, as well as at many outdoor events over the wetter parts of the summer. I'd recommend them.
|
|
Yeah worth giving Sports Direct a coat of looking at. I had some decent 'soft' walking boots but having twisted both ankles on a hike I went looking for some more supportive leather jobbies. Karrimor with Vibram soles. A bit heavier but fitted like slippers from the off and with a bit of Dubbin type stuff - waterproof (up to the tops anyway) :)
|
Meindl every time, the only boot I been able to use straight out of the box.
Ex-Army Desert Fox ones seem to go for well under £50 on eBay.
|
I can't remember the cost but for less than £50 I got some Goretex lined boots from Go-Outdoor. A half size larger than my normal shoe size so I can wear thick socks. And toes have room for downhill.
For lighter weight walking (e.g. take on holiday) I have Decathlon's brand walking boots. But they are light weight and not water proof. Throw away price when appropriate.
|
|
I like GO but if you've time it pays to monitor their prices and offers over a week or two. I've seen stuff reduced soon after I bought it on more than occasion. Staff are reasonably knowledgeable - didn't sell my wife a pair of walking boots she liked as the were set up for neutral feet where she pronates. While we went elsewhere on that occasion we have needless to say bought at GO since. Re actual boots I have Brashers and get bad blisters on my right heel. Googling suggests I am it alone. I also have fabric/leather Salamons that are waterproof, fit like a glove and were 70 odd quid from GO.
|
|
They do have that irritating membership card thing though where you have to pay £5 per year to get the discounted prices. Always seems to have just expired when I go there.
|
>> Yeah worth giving Sports Direct a coat of looking at.
Field and Trek is owned by Sports Direct, the ranges may be different so could be worth a look.
One thing I don't like about SD is that they sell mainly their own and often exclusive merchandise, often under well known brands that are actually owned or licenced by them. Maybe some of these "brands" actually manufacture or design, but they can also be applied to stuff sourced from wherever they can find the price/quality they want.
Often price comparisons are odious (you might be comparing prices between SD and F&T for example) and SD can set the RSP wherever they like and show huge discounts (which they do). It's a bit like buying wine in Tesco - is that half price Chianti really £11.99 wine, or just a £6 one anyway?
>>I had some decent 'soft'
>> walking boots but having twisted both ankles on a hike I went looking for some
>> more supportive leather jobbies. Karrimor with Vibram soles. A bit heavier but fitted like slippers
>> from the off and with a bit of Dubbin type stuff - waterproof (up to
>> the tops anyway) :)
Karrimor is one of the brands owned by Sports Direct, though it is sold elsewhere.
You would hope that SD wants to preserve the reputations and value in these brands so won't undermine them by applying them to rubbish, but I'm not sure how to tell.
According to Wikipedia, "Sporting and fashion brands owned include Donnay, Slazenger, Dunlop (in most markets), Everlast, Kangol, Karrimor and Lonsdale." There are quite a few more.
Gone are the days when a brand told you who made something, or guaranteed any comparability between the various products labelled with it.
Just saying - it does mean that little insights like those from the man at Primark can be useful.
|
The thing I like about Sports Direct is their prices and the fact that in most cases they don't claim to be something they are not.
So you may get a Lonsdale or Donnay T shirt for £3 - I could bet that its quality will be no different to the £20 T shirt that Adidas or Nike would charge. Granted, once you get into the "higher tech" stuff like under armour, breathability etc then you can sometimes get what you pay for.
But a bog standard T shirt or joggers - that's what they excel at.
>>Gone are the days when a brand told you who made something, or guaranteed any comparability between the various products labelled with it.
"manufactured under licence" is a great get out - it means your Armani glasses can come from anyone that the brand holder is happy with, same with your BMW umbrella etc etc.
I often wonder how a company like Adidas, who are obviously worldwide, control their merchandise to ensure that there are not repeats of previous models, versions etc? Maybe Humph could give an insight there?
|
Thanks for the replies so far. I'm still looking at links from above and reading reviews (with a pinch of salt!).
I think that I am looking at the higher end of my budget for something satisfactory.
Bromptonaught, I have thought about SOGA but the boots were a Christmas present so I would have to trace the paper trail. It shouldn't be a problem son and heir is visiting for free B&B tomorrow.
|
|
All my boots these days are Rohan branded Brashers....bought in their excellent sales...check their websites. Never pay full price for anything there !
|
|
The Rohan Souk is my first port of call for lots of clothing and pretty much all outerwear.
|
|
Mountain Warehouse man myself. Tho I do have Rohan system gloves
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 11 Nov 14 at 20:48
|
Rohan - do they still exist??
Years ago I got a pair of Rohan walking trousers - were they called Bags or something like that? Were supposed to be the bees knees at the time but looking back now I can't think what set them apart from all the walking type trousers you get now!
|
Bags definitely still around:
www.rohan.co.uk/Product/Detail/MensTrousers_00030
All sorts of other combat/cargo trousers around now with similar pockets etc.
USP for bags are weight, capacity to pack down to size of a Coke can and incredibly fast drying.
Been my alternative to jeans since around 1988; half dozen pairs at least in wardrobe.
|
|
I actually bought several pairs of Rohan's lightweight jeans (in the sale of course) - Ideal bike kit...packs into nothing, doesn't weigh anything like Lud's wallet.
|
>>USP for bags are weight, capacity to pack down to size of a Coke can and incredibly fast drying.
Pretty sure my £20 Craghoppers would do the same thing??
On a separate note, I wonder what percentage of people who shop in these types of places, Rohan / Go Outdoor etc every actually hill walk or camp out?
10% max?
|
I get my Craghoppers at TKmax
They are perfect for holidays, zip off trouser to act as shorts, dry quickly,
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 12 Nov 14 at 10:16
|
|
I wear Craghoppers for mountain biking. Ideal actually, wear them full length at the start of a ride when muscles are cold and as shorts once warmed up. The "legs" go into the backpack when required. I don't do tights or leggings or anything Lycra.
|
>> They are perfect for holidays, zip off trouser to act as shorts, dry quickly,
>>
They're called ' Douglas Bader trousers ' 'cos the legs come off.
Might be able to get Pistorius Pants to wear underneath !
|
>> Might be able to get Pistorius Pants to wear underneath !
>>
Oh dear - it's your age you know :-)
|
>> Pretty sure my £20 Craghoppers would do the same thing??
Friends swear by Craghoppers. I'm Rohan by years of habit. The clearance shops at Milton Keynes and Long Preston were, and remain, happy hunting grounds. As well as Bags I've got workaday slacks, 3 way zip off convertibles, a 'Universal Explorer' cagoule that folds into its own map pocket and a reversible blouson jacket, fleece on one side and airlight fabric on other. Excellent for winter commuting.
The one thing I miss is the 'smock' type garments in airlight or more modern fabrics, typically with chest pocket which seem to have totally disappeared.
|
I have Columbia boots and they are excellent for comfort, support, warmth and protection.
Not cheap, but they're in their 6th year of trampling through snow, mud, Chilean mountains and English fields.
Cheaper boots seem to me to be a false economy.
|
|
My Mephisto Sherpas are 20 years old now and still going strong. They were hideously expensive even then, but of course I didn't pay full price. Want to say if I had they would have been north of £200 though. I don't think they make them anymore but I guess if everyone who bought them has had the same usage out of them as me then they don't need another pair. Totally waterproof despite no fancy linings or membranes. Norwegian seamed. Heavy mind.
|
My Brasher boots must be 25 years old. Not much used now but have had plenty of stick on the High Peak. Still watertight and comfy.
Might try a few walks next Spring...perhaps starting with the Monsall Trail which is fairly flat being the old Midland Railway. If I don't get too puffed then I'll have a go at some gentle hills.
|
Was walking past a Sports Direct shop today so had a look in - loads of good brand (??) boots for about £40 (half price they said) - Karrimor, Gelert etc with Vibram soles . Only looked at the leather ones 'cos I have always preferred leather (with a good lot of Nikwax on!) but there were loads of the man-made fibre (?) ones also.
Must admit that I have always ignored Sports Direct before 'cos thought they only sold replica football kits etc - was quite impressed with the footware bit after a brief scan.
Mind you, my old Berghaus boots are still going strong, bought about 20 years ago. Only complaint is that soles are a bit hard when on rocky ground, even after at least 20 trips up Snowdon (no, not on the railway, for which standard dress is a miniskirt, high heels and don't forget the tiny dog on a lead!)
P
|
You really have been keeping that part of your life quiet Phil !
Fair play.
Edit- what kind of dog is it?
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Wed 12 Nov 14 at 18:59
|
|
Don't touch Gelert...crap.
|
>> Don't touch Gelert...crap.
Some of their stuff has been good value but they have sourced a lot of stuff from the far east over the years, good and less good (IMO)
Now owned by Sports Direct, funnily enough.
|
|
I knew the general manager under the old regime....a fellow Toss*er (GS rider) , I asked him once for advice on sourcing a tent. Without hesitation he said "Vango". Gelert is just a brand these days
|
Yorkie.
And in future I shall take notice of Mrs W who says "Never post anything after a couple of glasses of red - you'll give too much away".
However, the truth is that on one of the expeditions up Snowdon with a party of school kids on a really miserable June day we had gone up the Miner's Path, stopping frequently to make sure everyone was still warm enough, still dry (we had checked that all had good footwear, waterproof trousers, jackets, extra layers, food, drink etc before setting off).
The wind was blowing a gale at summit, some kids had struggled on the last stages of ascent, thick fog/low cloud, rain, temp near zero, etc and we were sheltering beside the station having a sandwich, drink etc with a party of 12 year olds who felt they had really achieved something by reaching summit and then, off the train in front of us emerged a "lady" in a miniskirt, strappy top, white high heeled shoes and with a little Yorkie on a lead.
Took the edge off our "expedition"!!
|
|
I was at the base of Snowdon today....looked pretty grim.
|
>> I was at the base of Snowdon today....looked pretty grim.
I think the base of Snowdon is called Wales, it would be.
|
Done this a couple of times. Hard graft but rewarding.
www.theedgecycleworks.com/mtbroutes/snowdon/
|
Mr Runfer,
One day you need to take a substantial period of time away from work and come down here.
I've mentioned previous the skiing and the walking.
There's also the mountain biking....
es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=8153475
www.ecotours.cl/andes-challenge-cycling-tour-pro-series-chile-tour/
This is not a place to come to for a 14 day package holiday. But it really does surprise me that more people don't come down here for everything from beaches through deserts to mountains.
|
|
I have a good Chilean friend, urban and from the capital of course. It's a very long thin country though, a pretty hefty bike ride from almost Central America all the way down to Tierra del Fuego and that hammer-toed jumble of islands some almost within shouters of our Falklands, oh sorry, the Gauchos' goddam Malvinas who gives a damn really except the Falklanders and the company and its shareholders and their assorted political supporters and so on, and the Gauchos of course...
|
You can go a lot further than that if you use the Pan-American Highway....
www.go-panamerican.com/pan-american-highway-map.php
Regards to your Chilean friend. Do offer my services if he needs stuff that he misses sent from here. I know how much I appreciate my regular packages of crisps, marmite & HP sauce from my sister in the UK.
|
|
Would that be narrow or am I being pedantic? I thought thin was reserved for lithe Builders like myself :)
|
|
Not sure really; but perhaps "narrow" is a description of the space between two things whereas "thin" is a description specifically of the thing.
|
|
I have some Salomon boots (an Adidas brand, I believe). They have vibram soles, are comfortable and have lasted well. Can't remember how much they were, but I really think you get what you pay for in boots.
|
That " Megaparvaso" (sp?) ride looks fantastic ! 30 years ago, I'd have found it thrilling, 20 years ago I'd have been up for the challenge, 10 years ago I'd have given it my best shot but now I suspect it'd be a bit much for these old bones !
Something happened to me on Sunday just gone. My son and I were on the bikes off-road on a trail we do quite often. It's a fairly tough climb to the trail head. Not all that far in the scheme of things but a good 3 or 4 miles of steep rough track, loose stones etc, winding its way up a Welsh hill.
He's 14, or in my defence, nearly 15 and I've been on the planet nearly 4 times as long as him.
Anyway, normally, I'm the one giving him encouragement on the tougher bits but this week, for the first time, I noticed that he was inexorably pulling away from me and I was having to work pretty hard to keep up. Well, I wasn't having that and found a bit more from the old legs and caught and passed him, but after a while, my legs and lungs felt like they were on fire.
Eventually, I had to feign a problem with my gears to make an excuse to stop for a short while !
He doesn't know it yet but I reckon he's got the better of his old man. Still managed to outride him on the descent but that was mainly due to my usual disregard for the consequences of error!
I suppose it's an indicator of the natural course of events but y'know...
:-(
|
Did you realise that the little circles with a blue cross on the map were available photos? Street view was also available for some of it.
Look, me old china, you're old and getting older. You're doing pretty well and better than most, but its coming and due to your offspring timing, its going to be made pretty obvious pretty soon.
So get down here pdq, bring him, and show off while you still can. I will stand a couple of attractive latin girlies on each difficult bit and I guarantee he will not notice your struggles. Just don't tell his Mother.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Wed 12 Nov 14 at 22:58
|
Please can you invite one of the former to help improve my skills in powder. I still struggle in the stuff, although enjoy it immensely.
Are there hot tubs and margeritas in your neck of the woods?
|
Not just hot tubs, of which we have plenty, but hot springs in the Andes. There are places, if you know them, where you can go above the snow line and find hot springs, hotter than you'd have a bath, and not be within 50 miles of another soul.
Sadly, Margaritas, not so much. be we have alternatives.
|
p.s. I wrote that note at 00:32. I am writing this one at 00:53.
So now you know how long it takes to;
1) Drop a glass of wine into your keyboard.
2) Thoroughly wash the keyboard in No. 1 daughter's shower
3) Dry keyboard with No. 1 daughter's hairdryer
4) Plug it back in and find that it still works, and is cleaner than it has been for a very long time.
Which is good, because its my favourite Dell multi-media keyboard which I've had for almost 10 years.
|
|
They are likely to be good.
|
The OP said:-
"I have a cost in mind of £50 or thereabouts".
Those boots are £90 odd to £107!
|
|
They're £59.99 in the deal today ! ( I mentioned the deal in my post !)
|
Well I'm now walking the dog wearing these
Columbia Men's Liftop II Trekking and Hiking Boots.
They were a Christmas present. Mark recommended the brand and I thought that trekking through the Andes was probably more demanding than strolling through the Cotswolds.
So far so good. They are breaking in nicely.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
MJM
|
Wow, you can type while walking? Thought that was only young people, just goes to show.
;-)
|
My Aldi boots gave up after c 450 miles and 7 months. I bought a pair Of HiTec Penrith low walking shoes early December tinyurl.com/pbhmkzl
So far - 3 weeks and 60 miles - very comfortable and keep good grip in snow..
|
|
I hope they last MJM, certainly I've been pleased with mine. The girls have the same brand and are equally happy. (happy = uncomplaining)
|
Walking boots - madf
