Brasher Hillmaster GTX

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 15:58

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 17:45

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 17:54

It's not really Brasher's fault if your boots don't fit properly, Davey! Though if they ate your heels it might be worth you trying to find a make of boot that does fit you properly.

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 17:56

I did exactly that: took 'em back and bought a decent pair of boots!

I had a pair of their Superlight GTX which fell apart in 9 months too. 

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 18:15

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 18:15

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 18:17

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 21:15

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 21:49

Davey Mole wrote (see)

I had some, gave me the worst blisters I've ever had. Heel fit was terrible. Went off Brasher from then on and wouldn't buy from them again.

I had to take someone to A&E because of the blisters caused after 4 hours walking in a pair of these! - heel blisters were massive.

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 22:17

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 22:24

hang on a mo.

I had the boots fitted at a "proper" shop etc etc. One of the selling points of Brashers is their lovely wonderful softness and, to judge from their new website, "durability", "comfort", "protection" and "performance" . OK, all standard marketing gibberish and I fully accept that everyones feet are different etc etc. 

BUT of the two pairs of Brashers I've owned: one pair failed within 9 months of nothing-out-of-the-ordinary wear. The fit was fine and Brasher had the decency to admit that they shouldn't have been so short-lived and gave me money off my next pair of boots. Having had a decent fit with one pair of Brashers I bought another in the same size, but admittedly in a different style, supposed to be more durable. Tried on in the shop and seemed fine......These were the Hillmasters which were, frankly, a terrible boot. I persevered with them and gave up. The uppers were horrible, the soles nasty and they seem to have some sort of abrasive in the heel area, inside the boot. I'm assuming this was in an attempt to make the boots stick to the feet better, but it was like having sandpaper in the boots.I'm convinced that the Hillmasters are a poor design: it's not just the fit of the things.

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 23:01

I started a thread about these a couple of years ago. Same story, with many folk getting blisters and complaining about the heel cup fit.

One person summed it up by saying - 'you never hear of anone buying a second pair'.

Alas, Davey... you did.

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 23:07

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 23:11

Posted: 09/12/2011 at 23:13

I wore Brasher Supalites for around eight or nine years, going through five pairs in that period of time.

I initially loved them, which is why I kept going back for more. Very light, no blisters (actually that's a tiny exaggeration as I think I had a blister once but that was probably after walking a long way after water had come in over the top), 100% waterproof (by this I mean no water ingress other than over the top in wet grass as well as just a quick dip in the occasional puddle: I even had a pair which I'd not looked after particularly well which had split leather across the bridge of my left foot and a visible gore-tex layer which remained dry) and very comfortable. I know the latter is a fit issue but as Chris Brasher himself once said I'd often be wearing them all day and not want to take them off at the end of the day.

However, all this changed with my last pair. The soles wore down around twice as quickly as previous pairs and I started to get blisters. They did still stay dry though. I've since been wearing a variety of different footwear and about once a year I try on a pair of Supalites (1s and 2s), for old times sake, but I still find them too tight in my usual 8 and too long in an 8 1/2. This is despite the fact that Brasher themselves have told me there's been no change to the last!

I loved my Brashers, but, to paraphrase Fisherman's Friend: I won't be buying a sixth pair!

Posted: 10/12/2011 at 07:58

Hard to slang one of the most successful boots of modern times.

It tickles me that people moan about light boots lasting only a few years. They can't last long, they are light. Why expect anything else.

My Scarpa Bronzos are fine. Only 21 years old though and they do tend to get a bit battered and covered in oil.

Posted: 11/12/2011 at 15:36

mattsccm wrote (see)

Hard to slang one of the most successful boots of modern times.

Who says they are??? Dog walkers and the WI???  

Here are three similar threads to this one started on this forum  -  yeah yeah fitted properly etc etc..... Of course people have their boots fitted properly!!!

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages.asp?v=1&urn=5&utn=29978&umn=

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages.asp?v=8&urn=1&utn=35164&umn=

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages.asp?v=1&urn=5&utn=37417&umn=

Posted: 11/12/2011 at 18:27

Well fit really isn't trivial to sort out in a shop etc, so a certain percentage of people just will have that sort of trouble. Thus for a popular boot....

(the importance of heel fit is especially not entirely obvious.). 

Posted: 11/12/2011 at 18:39

I'm on my third pair now in as many years, Brasher need to sort out thier sub-standard sole composition and these will be one of the best boots on the market.  The sole on my first pair came away after 6 months and the second wore unevenly, but fortunately they can be returned to Brasher within the first 12 months and I was fully refunded for both.  Also as we in the British Army are converting to brown boots very soon, they need to sort this problem sharpish in order to remain a big player in the game.  Brasher, if your reading this, please contact me if you need someone to trial boots for you.

Posted: 21/12/2012 at 08:05