Gear

Hi,

Has anybody got any feedback on these: Karrimor KSB Coniston eVent Boots???

After a replacement for my contour navigators and found these at a reasonable price. Just wondering of they're worth further investigation.

2.4mm full grain leather upper

event lining

vibram sole

I walk mainy in the peak district 10-15 miles over moorland, but am also looking to spend some time in the lakes and welsh mountains. I am more a walker than a scrambler but I do want to try some more adventurous routes as I progress.

Any comments appreciated. Never heard anything about karrimor boots, but not really needed to pay attention to reviews until now.

Mike

Comfort will be mainly down to fit.  They fit Helen well, may not fit others so well: try them on to find out.  Fit is the biggest factor in how good a walking boot will be IMHO.

Pete.

Thanks for the input guys.

Pete I agree, fit is the number one priority!

Mike

Hi guys, I do a lot of scrambling and mountaineering and I think you should stay clear oof leather if you are scrambling. I would check Scarpa boots to be honest but as I'm sure everyone will agree boots are all to the individual.

 if you're going for a walk in south wales for example, then any leather boot (Karrimor or not) will do the job.

 Ben

I agree with Ben.

I'm an oldie but my Scarpa M5s did 250 miles straight off over rugged country 'out of the box' without more than softening the cuff. The fit is everything, you must allow enough room for thick socks and in the toe area.

I find good footbed like cushion step can also improve comfort and fit. The Scarpas are now getting a little heavy for me but if you need something reliable and rugged they are one of the best around.

Don't expect cheap lightweight boots to be waterproof, whatever the label says. In some conditions, particularly on a long trek even top range full leather boots (including Scarpa) won't be, even if maintained on a daily basis.

A good pair of Gortex gaiters will help in keeping some of the water out of the top of the boot when crossing streams.

In the dry a decent pair of lightweight fabric boots are suitable for summer trailwalking and scrambling provided that they have a good footbed and sole. 

Mike

I've got a pair of Karrimor KSB meridan low event trail shoes and think they're brilliant for what I've used them for to date which has included most of the for days the snow was around and many very wet days before that. So I used these (not a boot cut) for bad weather town use, cycling to work (often in v poor waether) and low level dog walks.

Had no problems with water ingress (unlike my Merrell Moad Mids with goretex which are as waterproof as a sieve) or comfort.

I wasn't expecting much from them (for some reason I have a poor view of Karrimor products, now totally unjustified, especially as their Epic mountain bike shorts have also been a great purchase) but have been pleasantly surprised. If all goes well, I will certainly use them on the less rugged Scottish mountains (i.e. those Butterfield describes as boring) in summer.

I bought a pair of leather Karrimor KSB eVent about 6 years ago and I have to say I have  no complaints with them (other than they're a little tired now).

I have used them for scrambling over Striding Edge (in summer) and winter walking on Red Screes and used them in Snowdonia last October over a mountaineering weekend in the worst rain ever and my feet where perfectly dry.

That said, I know Karrimor went bankrupt not long ago and i think was bought by Mike Ashley's company (Newcastle United owner) so i don't know if they would still be the same quality. 

I am looking to replace these with Scarpa Rangers and hope they live up to their reputation.  I also own a pair of Scarpa Manta GSB which are great for winter use but (for me anyway) terrible for normal mountain use as they are far to rigid.

Remember that boots, when fitting, is all down to personal prefrence and feel, what's good for one person may not be good for another so take time when buying. I have learnt from experiance that rushing into this can be  expensive and painful mistake.

Steve