Boot recommendations

I'm after some walking boots and thought i'd see if i could get some recommendations first. I'm generally looking at a goretex fabric boot, as i need it lightweight (i do quite a bit of backpacking, so i need good ankle support, but not a heavy leather thing), and i don't think i'll be doing much walking in snow (is there any other reason i should be looking at a leather boot?). So far i've got by with a pair of catapillars, which have served me well on multi-day tramps in New Zealand, and bumbling around the Himalayan foothills, but aren't waterproof enough for the UK winter. I guess the most hard-core walking i'll do is on scree, though not very often. Other than that, it'll just be for the Peak/Lake districts, and maybe some multi-day trekking in Iceland next summer.

I'm looking at the Karrimor KSB300GTX, and the Berghaus StormGTX. Both are around £100. Is this type of boot suitable for my requirements, and what other similar boots are out there. I'll be going to london to try on lots of boots, so wanted to first get a list of ones to investigate.

Thanks, Alex.

Hi Alex

I wouldn't touch the Bergahaus Storms with a bargepole, I owned a pair and found them to be very slippery on wet grass and rock. The sole unit is very poor indeed.

Another boot worth considering are Scarpa Peak's at £100ish and Scarpa Super Trek's at £120ish. They are both fabric/suede and the main difference is the Trek's sole is stiffer and you can use them with C1 crampons. You also get the build quality associated with Scarpa and their customer service is excellent.

The main consideration when buying boots is how well they fit you though, feet are very different shapes and sizes and if a boot fits me well it may not fit you at all. Best thing is to go to a shop and try them on 'til you find a pair that fit.

Alex, there are a lot of boots around which would fit your requirements.

Leather boots needn't be heavy, so I wouldn't automatically dismiss them on those grounds. Scarpa's all-leather Rangers are lighter than both of their fabric boots which John mentions above, for example. And leather can be waterproofed without the need for Goretex. A non-Goretex boot will always dry out more quickly than a Goretex-lined one, which is a consideration for multi-day travel. Also, a leather boot can be made with only one main piece, reducing the amount of seaming. Seams are usually the first area to wear, and to let in water. And whereas Goretex will eventually wear or tear irreparably, leather can be reproofed with brush-on wax ad infinitum.

Manufacturers are keen to push fabric because not only is the basic material cheaper, they don't need Italian craftsmen to put them together, so manufacturing costs are lower. But it doesn't mean fabric is inherently better overall, or more suited to everybody's needs.

That said, you will find a far wider range of fabric boots than lightweight leather to choose from. A good fit is by far the most important criterion for purchase and material is really secondary (for your purposes anyway). Very few of the major manufacturers' boots are total rubbish, and most have their fans.

By the way, London shops don't necessarily carry all the styles they show on their websites in all sizes. If you're hunting a particular boot, it's a good idea to phone first and check before you make a special trip.

Alex...another Alex! Cool.

Wise words from the two posts above. Fit is the most important thing, and you should consider that above all the other recommendations and features another pair of boots has.

But for what it's worth I had a pair of the Karrimor 300GTX'x and they were great FOR THE FIRST YEAR.

After that the tread began to lose it's grip and I don't wear them for scrambling anymore. I just don't trust em!

They were very waterproof and I still wear them for walking the dog down through the water in the marshes. I wouldn't wear them for a full day in the wet on the hills anymore as I'm not sure if they leak or if it's just me thinking that they do.

I'd agree with Joan that they take ages to try out. Once waterlogged in a river crossing they took forever to get dry and I was staying in a bunkhouse with a sauna for a drying room when I did that!

The one thing GOOD about a fabric boot is that they tend to need less breaking in than a leather one. My KSB's were like slippers from the box.

Also I'd consider looking at 3/4 season boots too. There's nothing worse than being limited by your kit. I am in that position at the moment where I want to get out into the hills over winter and have a play in the snow but my boots just aren't crampon compatible. You may not want to go on the snow AT FIRST, but this time next year you may want to and then will have to pay out another £120 (and more) for another pair of boots.

Cheers everyone, that's the sort of advice i was after. I know the fit is most important, but was really just trying to narrow my options a bit first. Choosing the right boot is probably the most important buying decision for a bit of outdoor kit, so i want to make the right decision, and hopefully the right boot will give me years of use.

I reckon london's the best place to look, as i'm in leicester, and i'd like to avoid Blacks and Millets (they don't even have a slope to try the boots on)! I usually need a 7 1/2, so i figured london shops are more likely to stock half sizes, but i'll make some enquiries first.

Thanks again, i feel i've got a bit more of a clue about it all now :)

Alex

Alex - think about what shape your feet are; for example if you know you have wide feet, Zamberlans will be too narrow and if you have narrow feet, you will be swimming in Berghaus or Scarpas. Bob and I both have a wide forefoot and normal ankle and several manufacturers are simply not an option for us. My son, whose feet are wide all over, found instant comfort in a pair of Meindl Perus.

Very true...I just can't wear Salomons, but Scarpa's/ Zamberlans/ Berghaus/ Karrimor do me fine.

ALSO it's worth doing a bit of research about manufacturers: for instance Garmot are made in the same factory to the same last as Karrimors...

well i suppose i have a wide forefoot, but a fairly skinny ankle. I just tried on some karrimor KSB300s, which felt good apart from my foot moving slightly at the ankle. I thought that it was important that the boot be quite snug at the ankle.?

Definately staying away from Salamon though... I had some Exit-lows, which the sole split slightly after about 6 months (a tiny hole on both shoes that would suck up rain water as i walked!)... i guess they're ok for trainers, but i want something a bit tougher for boots ...decisions, decisions. Better get down the shops then.

DOn't touch boots that allow your heel to move around, You will get blisters.

If you still have your Exit Low's take them back, if they're not in really poor condition they should change them.

My current boots are Meindl Borneo (non goretex) - there are great and I have only had wet feet in extreme, and I mean extreme, conditions.

I have never bought gear in London, but having once returned a pair of Brasherboots to a YHA shop after being crippled from few hours wearing them at home, I always buy boots now where I can return them without any hassle (most shops will take them back within a week or so if you have only worn them indoors).

if you're at Leicester I'd give CMM a try at Nottingham or Snow & Rock, Salomon do some good boots further up the range (I've heard a Salomon rep slag off exit low's), I prefer stiffer boots for scrambling and backpacking anyway, they're better for getting on small edges when scrambling and for backpacking, the stiffer sole unit spreads the load more evenly on rough ground, they also take crampons so are more versatile, (handy when we went to the Pyrenees, one pair of boots for all occasions), but as always, fit is everything!

If you're in Leicester (so am I, nearly - Whitwick) try a trip to Bakewell. There are (from memory) six shops there selling decent boots, although one is Millets & one is Karrimor only.<p>
You'll be paying full whack, but at least you can try them on to your heart's content.