I am after some advice. I am looking to buy some new boots but am unsure which to buy. I do hill walking, mainly summer at present but are planning on doing some year round walking in the not too distant future (with some possible crampon use) and so believe that 3-4 season boots are the way to go.
When I have been looking I have been having some trouble figuring out which boots are actually 3-4 season, are there any sites/shops which have the organised in this way so I can see which ones are going to be suitable.
One of the boots I have in mind at the moment are the Meindl Lhotse GTX (women's). Does anyone use these boots?
I am just sussing out on the internet which boots are possibles before we go out shopping at the weekend. Call me cynical but I am nervous of going unarmed and taking the shop assistant's advice on the boot's suitability!
Any help/recommendations/advice gratefully received.
If you want to do stuff with crampons then it may well be a Cunning Plan to get a boot that's at least "B1", designed to take flexible walking crampons. In practice quite a few folk get by with boots that are "officially" not rated for rampon use: i won't particularly recommend that, especially if you have limited crampon experience, but it can be done if it's crampon use for simply not falling over on ice as opposed to tackling Grade i snow climbs or the like.
Personally I wouldn't want to go walking in crampon compatible boots unless I was expecting to use crampons: they're stiffer and heavier than you'll otherwise need, so I'd suggest something much lighter (perhaps not even boots) for the nicer conditions and get some winter boots for winter.
As for makes and models, fit is the most important factor and that will depend on your feet and how they compare to the differences between different makes and models. Try everything you can that fits the specification and then go by comfort of the fit. Don't assume that a sex-specific boot will be better than others, all feet (and boot lasts) are different.
So, for the boots simply ask to try every B1 boot in the shop in your size. And look for something lighter as well for more temperate use.
The whole 3/4 season boot concept was invented by magazine testers a few years back for boots that weren't quite full-on winter boots, but would still take a crampon without problems. It's a bit confusing and I'm not sure many boot makers work that way in reality.
The problem with using boots like that all year round is that they tend to be overkill and quite clumpy, particularly in dry, hot, summer conditions, personally I'd rather have a light, nimble feeling boot for use below the snowline and buy something with crampon capabilities for full-on winter use, though some of that is personal preference and traditionally Brits have tended to use stiff boots on mountain paths. But it depends a lot on what you're happy with. What are you using now?
Take a look at our Boot shopping tips for some general points on boot buying and also have a look in the Buyers' Guide section of the site for some more info.
Some outdoor boot fitters / sales people are great btw, some aren't, so it's hard to generalise. What you shouldn't do is go into a shop with a really fixed idea of what you want. Boots are all about fit and the best made boot in the world is useless to you unless it suits your particular foot shape. Meindl is a good brand which makes excellent boots, but your foot may not be Meindl shaped.
If you're only planning to use crampons occasionally and for walking use, then look for a boot that's graded B1 for crampon use, anything stiffer (B2 or B3) will become progressively less pleasant for general, year-round use.
An alternative is to stear away from big heavy stiff boots, and go for lighter footwear, esp. for non-winter stuff. Not saying I am an advocate or an expert of this approach (just starting to look into it myself), but I wish I had considered it before shelling £140 for the biggest baddest heaviest toughest boot I could get my hands on. Even for winter walking there are lighter weight alternatives to big heavy stiff boots, with suitable crampons if your not going to be ice climbing. Do some googling on lightweight backpacking/walking before you buy. I am sure there are some experts on here that can advise about lighter weight stuff. You dont hvae to go extreme, but it makes sense not to lug an extra 2kgs up the hills if you dont need to (yes you could save 2kgs just in footwear choice!!!). But as always its down to what works for you, not what works for the person who can argue their point the best. Check out icebug (google it) for a light weight approach to winter footwear.
I was going to link to Jon's Boot shopping tips, but I see he's already done it. Some good basic but really helpful advice there like taking your own socks and shopping in the afternoon.
I'd add, give yourself loads of time. You may be lucky and find what you want in a good fit fairly easily but a lot of us need to try on lots and lots of pairs before we're happy.
Last time I went serious boot shopping my feet got quite confused after a while. Trying on different pairs that seemed to be 'almost' right and then making adjustments with foot beds and different sock combinations got really complicated. Don't be afraid to give your feet a break and go away and let them calm down before returning for a rethink.
I'd agree with everything Peter said, apart from -
So, for the boots simply ask to try every B1 boot in the shop in your size.
A decent boot/shoe fitter should be able to steer you towards ones that are more likely to fit your foot shape. Some brands are more likely to suit narrow or wide feet. So I think you can save yourself some time there if you take the advice of the fitter (assuming they know their stuff).
I started off with one pair of leather boots that I wore all year round in all conditions. I've now got a whole range from sandals to B1 winter boots. The lighter the better for me and at this time of year I get away with sandals when I can. It's great to be able to pick and choose depending on the terrain and weather and if you can afford the initial outlay it's no more expensive in the long run because you'll wear each pair less compared to having one or two pairs that you wear all the time.
Maybe you're happy with what you've got for Summer and feel that the gap you're trying to fill is for a Winter boot?
SPARK, i asked the same question a while ago scarpa sl's or manta m4's are really good but go to a reputable shop and ask them i did even though i knew what boot i wanted they were a great help . my m4's are the dogs althoug after breakin one of the boots are a little loose on the heel . anyone with advice on what to do about this would be greatfully accepted . sorry for nicking your boot buying blog spark , but this may also help you . there are inserts that can be put in the heel i believe so getting a boot that is perfect for your feet is slim and you may need somthing of the same ok .
good luck getting some tasty boots , lets hope there's some snow in the lakes this year so we dont have to travel so far .
I think the two-boot (or shoe/mid when there's no snow) strategy is good. But remember that staff in some shops are completely useless. Some will happily sell you a pair of wellies for walking, because they know no better, and others with a little bit more knowledge will claim it is dangerous to go on the hills with anything other than a "sturdy boot" costing £130 or more. If you mention winter walking to the latter, they'll recommend something like the Scarpa Manta, which is way over the top imo. Most "three-season" boots (Meindl Borneo, Scarpa Nepal, Raichle Mountain Trail etc.) will quite comfortably take flexible crampons for quite long periods.
Guy, what's wrong with wellies for walking? You'll find it entirely likely that shepherds and gamekeepers etc. cover quite a bit of very rough mileage in wellies with no regrets. They're actually not uncommon for serious walks in Scandanavia, and I certainly saw a few Norwegians wearing them in pretty serious terrain when I was there last summer. As with boots and shoes and sandals, not all are created equal. The good ones are comfortable, have excellent soles and are better than any walking boot for keeping your feet dry.
Just got a pair of scarpa zg 65 a couple of weeks ago. After having had a pair of asolos for donkeys years, and still wear them, I wanted to try another scarpa boot. I was not let down. Great in everyway. Try 'em. G
Depends on what amount ofsnow walking you're gonna be doing , some might prefer wellies i prefer scarpa m4's at least i feel confident that i can walk all day and enjoy the odd grade 3 . i'm sure if you're deciding on 3 4 season boots you've already started spending more time out in the winter , and your thinking about equipment that will make life a little safer . good on ya .....
still if you fancy some scarpa's wait till the autumn when the new ones are gonna be sold with crampons as a give away .......yep you get a freebie with them so i've benn informed .....
