Hi,
After about 20 years, my all leather boots are just about done in.
I have a pair of non-leather boots for summer use, but want another pair of full leather ones.
Can I ask for recommendations as most of you on here are far more experienced walkers than me.
Need to be waterproof and I wont need crampons attaching.
Thank you
John G1STQ
Worth every penny!
http://www.meindl.co.uk/products/burma-pro-mfs
Alternatives might be the British made
Both should be good Steve.
I will probably go for Altberg when my Meindl are worn out!
73
Matt G8XYJ
These take a lot of beating for comfort, pretty light as well.
http://www.millets.co.uk/mens/113652-brasher-mens-hillmaster-ii-walking-boots-brown.html
Hi John, I got these from Go Outdoors in Hanley and they are great - really comfortable and every bit as good as Meindl boots that were three times the price.
A cheap and chearful leather âown brandâ 3 season boot is on offer from Go Outdoors. I bought a pair last January for ÂŁ82, quite a wide fit and very comfortable. Now ÂŁ72 but i have seen them up at ÂŁ120.
You will get a better stiffer soled 4 season boot for twice or more the price of course⌠Read my review by yorkshirewalker on the Go Outdoors website:
Go Outdoors
I have a pair of Mammut 4 season boots when there is a lot of rock involved in the walk, but for moorland type walking where there is no scrambling these have proved quite adequate. Over the last 10 years I have worn out, Scarpa, Altberg and Meindl (the Meindl pair I got were very poor and leaked within 6 months - repaired by Meindl and still leaked, finished up using them for gardening after 8 months!),. Scarpa (2 pairs) and Altberg (2 pairs) all good but obviously costing more. A pair of boots normally lasts me about 18 months unlike yours which lasted 20 years, but I walk as a hobby and to keep myself fit and not just for SOTA so they get a lot of use.
73 Phil G4OBK
Hard to recommend any particular brand, they all have their good and bad points.
I would suggest you go to somewhere like Cotswolds as they have trained staff for boot fitting, and try different boots until you find some that you are happy with.
Do not dismiss synthetic uppers.The better quality synthetics are just as waterproof as leather, are faster drying and much easier to break in.
My experience of the cheaper trail type boots are that they are useless on anything other than flat dry ground, avoid them like the plague.
73 m0wbg
They look really good value Tom and worth trying on alongside the ones I thought may also be suitable for John.
73 Phil
We all have personal favourites and we all have different shaped feet. What you can get away with in shoes you cannot do so with boots. This means you need to go somewhere where the staff know how to measure and fit boots.
There is an element of you get what you pay for but also you do end up paying a lot for the brand name too.
You cannot guarantee life based on price either, sometimes you are lucky and sometimes not.
Iâve had a number of boots since starting SOTA.
Berghaus Explorer IV, Meindl BurmaPro, Asolo Flame Meindl Bhutan
As a diabetic, foot care is critical so I donât worry about the cost of boots. If you buy leather you need to keep them cleaned and waxed.
The two synthetic boots lasted 2 years and 4 years but much more comfortable than the leather boots. The Burma Pros are 8 years old this easter. The sole is worn but nor worn out, the leather is creased but not cracked and the Goretex is still working. The Bhutans were bought as the Burma Pros are on the run-in to retirement so the replacements are all already broken in. And you can punish the old boot as they donât owe me anything.
As you had leather boots last 20 years, you must be looking after them!
There is little to add to what has been said here, particularly by Andy, but I will add a more general point. It all depends on what sort of summit that you like doing and how much you might do in winter. You need a different sort of support from your boots on grass than on scree, rock or snow. Any boot with a comfortable fit and a reasonably well cleated sole will be fine on the more grassy sort of summit. For scree or snow you need a stiffer sole. In fact for general purpose use I am a strong advocate of a boot with a half plate, that is a boot with a stiffening in the mid sole but which still has some bend in it, on loose ground or on snow the support that this will give is invaluable - but it will feel confining and you would need to become accustomed to its reduced bendiness. It is some years since I last bought boots so I will make no recommendation.
Brian
Most of the year I use the Northface Hedgehog walking shoes (Gore-text) - for more difficult terrain or when very muddy like now boots - plenty to choose from but I favour Vibram soles.
73 Angel
I havenât worn hiking âbootsâ in many years. I use trail running shoes (which can be had in waterproof gortex if need be). They do wear out, but they are so much lighter, so much more secure, so much more nimble, so much more comfortable! If I was still carrying a 40 pound pack, I might want boots, but I am not 
73, Fred KT5X ( WS0TA)
⌠or you have the opportunity to test a great number of different shoes/boots until you find the boots that fit the best.
On one of my last SOTA tours last December, at the trail-head quite a number of shoes were hanging around the sign-post. May be a special service for hikers, who still have not found comfortable boots 
Unfortunately, the quality of all of them were rather questionable 
Seems to be best practice Some Nepali carriers are wearing just sandals when carrying a weight of 30kg over a glaciers, even at higher altitudes:
Anyhow, wouldnât recommend it
73 Stephan, DM1LE
I like and use Brasher Boots now owned by Berghaus. Light but not âlightweightâ waterproof with GTX, they give amazing support but feel like Iâm wearing trainers. Just Google âBrasher GTX Bootsâ and see what comes up.
73 Glyn
Thanks guys.
Plenty for me to get Googling over.
Then go and try a few I guessâŚ
Much appreciated.
John
As usual, the kind replies to OP benefit more than the OP!
There are replies that discuss matters Iâve never considered, because my rough country travel is confined to the eastern US and my needs are more than adequately served with good socks and a well fitted pair of Rocky Eliminators.
As usual, the several voices of experience are worth considering, and my thanks as well for information of good value!
Hi John
It really comes down to what is comfortable and also ankle support is very important.
it is so easy to turn a ankle coming down off a summit
I was luck were I bought my walking boots in nearby town.
they had a set of stairs and the salesperson said go and walk up and down the stairs a few times
I did and tried four different boots before I was happy.
I have used those boots they are Scarpa calabash i bought them in 2013 and have climbed
150 plus summits I am so happy with this boot I have gone and bought another pair when they were on special .
I feel that the first pair will last at least another year
73 and good boot hunting
VK2TWR Rod
Hi Fred,
agree with you. I use these shoes.
73 de Dani EA5FV
My wife was out shopping and she rang me to ask if I needed anything, I replied that I needed something to re-wax my 12 year old walking boots.
My wife returned with some high gloss brown polish 
I sure hope itâs not a sunny day when I wear them!
Iâve had these Scarpa SL M3s since I started with SOTA back in 2004. Iâm hoping theyâll see me through to Mountain Goat. Iâm still on the original laces 
Just 119 points to go.
73, Colin M1BUU
I have exactly the same boots Colin, they are excellent boots. I bought them when i was a âpoorâ student in the boxing day sales in the Lakes one year. Still going strong 10-13 years later. original laces on mine too 
. Thankfully i bought mine with really big thick socks as I now only need normal thickness hiking socks for them to fit lol.
73, Anthony M0VED
Iâm in the same camp as Fred KT5X. Other than hiking in the snow, I exclusively use sturdy, lightweight Goretex trail running shoes. My favorites are Salomon Eskape GTX and North Face Ultra 109 GTX.
Initially I feared the lack of ankle protection, but this has never proved to be a concern at all. I love the lightweight and added agility.
73, Barry N1EU
