This summer we were going to hire a pair of boots from George Fisher in Keswick (like we did last year. The hire boots were brand new out of the box but I can't recall the name). This year was the same. Only the excellent salesman told us he had a pair of used boots which were less than the cost of hiring. George Fisher have a scheme where you trade in the child's boots and get a credit towards the replacement pair of half the cost of the traded in pair. I think it only works if the first pair are bought new. Anyway, we got an excellent pair of Meindl's for £13. As expected the used boots are barely used. George Fisher sprayed them with Nikwax before we left the shop. They fit perfectly as you would expect from a pair of boots bought from GF. Our 7 year-old walked up Dalehead & Hindscarth from Newlands Church the day after purchase without a murmur and no ill effects. Best bit, of course, is that we have spent very little money and we know she will grow out of the boots very quickly, certainly she will outgrow them before they are worn out. I cannot recommend GF boot fitting highly enough. They don't do boots by mail order though. I know GF are nowhere near where Jackie lives but if you were in Keswick it is well worth popping in and seeing what they have available. They also, as expected, have an excellent range of children's boots. There may be boot shops near you who run a similar scheme to GF.
