I have the burmas - very comfy for me in my usual or just slightly smaller shoe size but I couldn't honestly advise how another persons feet would fit as its extremely personal. I suggest a pressie of along the lines of an IOU a pair of 3 and a bit season boots that fit properly would probably be a practical alternative! Not sure that helps....
Kate, I agree with RogB... buying a pair of boots for someone could be risky. Even if they fit reasonably well, he might prefer something else and find it difficult to tell you seeing as you chose something so nice! At the very least, make sure you get it from somewhere that will give you a refund if they aren't suitable. You might pay a little more but it would be sad to see them on the OM classifieds in early January!
I'd go with the IOU - add a photo of the ones you were thinking of if you want. Plus you might be able to benefit from the January sales!
As they're for a present and I will inevitably by them online, can anyone advise how to buy the right size for these boots.
I tried on the Meindl Burma's yesterday, normally I would take size 8 for "Next" shoes with normal socks of course.
The most comfortable Burma's with thick socks ended up being size 10 which was much larger than I was expecting. With the boots being so rigid at the toe it's difficult to feel how much space you've got left for the toes, size 10 felt better though.
Most decent retailers will let you send them back if they're not right for whatever reason, they normally give you a few weeks. If you buy them as close as possible to Christmas it should give you sufficient time to send them back if necessary to get them changed, it might be worth checking out their terms and conditions.
Personally I found the Meindl Vakuum GTX to more comfortable than the Burma's, but after reading the earlier posts it's got me thinking about the consequences of having a gore tex lining.
Are the gore tex ones that bad, you're supposed to be able to buy the Meindl Vakuum without gore tex but I cannot find them for sale anywhere?
german shoe sizes e.g. meindl are the same as british shoe sizes (along with sharing our desire for the milliard instead of the american billion - i always lament the disappearance of the italian lira as they would get horrendously confused if you used billion instead of milliard) rather than an american/FRENCH! vague conversion. i've always found their sizing to be extremely consistent (unlike saloman who make it up as they go along). if you know what size you need with the appropriate socks they are most likely to fit with a "blind" buy.
(sorry about the rants!)
the meindl web site meindl will show exactly what they make. i've had excellent service and advice from w slack w slack & sons , whom i cannot praise highly enough, who can order exactly what you want from germany. however, if they don't fit you would have to establish what they would want to do about it. i'm lucky i guess, meindl fits me perfectly with their consistent sizing so i can order with confidence.
I've worn them in 25C temperatures with 2 pairs of socks and had no overheating. I had a pair of unlined boots before the Burmas and I've noticed no difference in either foot temperature or sweatiness.
You can just pull the insole out. It fits snugly but is not glued in. If you're worried, just work your fingertips under the heel section of the insole and you'll feel it lift.
Parky's pretty much spot on with the boot care routine, although I wouldn't use a hairdryer to melt the wax; it could drive it too far into the leather. The heat of your hand should be enough to melt it. Also, I can't be arsed to polish my boots and I don't think it's necessary when you have a Goretex lining.
I use Meindl Sportwax on my Burmas and it is a very different product to the more popular Nikwax. Nikwax is liquid and can be applied lightly after every other outing without damaging the leather but Sportwax is much thicker and needs to be used more sparingly. It darkens the leather and leaves a slightly tacky finish until it dries fully but it seems to do the job.
I'm on my second pair of Meindls with a goretex lining and have had no problems with them. My current Meindls are the Island Pros which are higher in the ankle than most UK walker boots but as I have 1) a club foot and 2) often carry the load for all the family, I don't mind having a bit of extra support. That said, I rarely use them outside winter as I have lighter Garmont Synchros that are great in the warmer months (thanks to a chance TKMaxx haul!).
That's why I still advocate an IOU. There are several excellent brands out there and - though Meindl are undoubtedly one of the best - their shoes don't suit everyone.
