Another boot thread!

[Pteropus]

Hi all

I am coming up to replacing my boots in the next six months and am curious as to what other people are wearing on their feet for both long walks with heavy packs and short day walks. I am interested in brands and model of boot (or trail runner), plus what your thoughts are, such as whether you are happy with them or not.

I typed in ‘boots’ into the search box and it returned 83 pages of boot related talk, and though there were lots of advice or asking for advice, I didn’t see much talk of what people were currently wearing and how they rated their footwear (though, I really only skimmed the forums and didn’t look that hard....)

Anyhow, currently I own a pair of Asolo gortex boots (I can’t remember the model) and they are the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn. Unfortunately they weight a tonne and the soles have worn very fast (but they are two years old and have done A LOT of km!). My previous boots were Scarpa Trek Pros, which were also very comfortable and their sole’s never seemed to wear out, even after several years. But the leather broke down after years of use and abuse and they fell apart.

Now I am keen to get a lighter boot. I really like ankle support and I will use them for both multiday hikes with a heavy pack and day hikes. I do want something with a grippy but hard-wearing sole too. Is all that too much to ask from a boot?

So what do you wear on your feet and how do you rate your hiking footwear?

Cheers
Andrew

[norts]

I have also got a pair of Asolo ( dont know what model)and I agree with the sole wearing pretty fast ( lost alof its agreesive tread and is fairly smooth), my leather is in good condition.
Before the Asolos I had a Garmonts, very happy with them, still use them as a yard boot
I have just purchased a pair of Zamberlan Trail Lites - still wearing them in, havent worn them on a bushwalk yet just around town and on my property. These are not as heavy as Asolos that I have and have fitted like a glove from the start. Would be confident that I could have worn these on a multi day walk from first purchase. Couldnt have done that with my Asolo or Garmont.
Went for the Trail Lites as I wanted a lighter boot but still want a full leather boot with no goretex.

Roger

[Moondog55]

Heavy pack, big boots, La Sportiva Makalu for winter

[Miyata610]

For a winter boot I'm using a scarpa fuego at the moment... A bit of an experiment, so far so good. For more serious winter stuff I use a Scarpa Alpha, the predecessor to the Omega. All these boots will take crampons.

As to other footwear... Last season I tried five fingers and runners, even with some serious loads. Covered in another thread.

[nakedape]

Scarpa SL - Big, heavy boot but they perform extremely well. Was in Scarpa Trek Pro but was unimpressed by them & before that was in a Goretex Scarpa (they were extremely comfortable and lite but could not withstand even a relatively dry Tassie winter).

I would be keen oto look at Zamberlan next.

[Strider]

Zamberlan Trail Lite's here too.

Picked them up for $150 from a guy at work who had worn them on one day walk and claimed they were too tight across the top of his feet. While they fit very well, my feet did have a tendency to slide around on the factory insoles - to the point where I also had to over-tighten across the top (numb toes!). I've since added a pair of green Superfeet insoles (http://www.superfeet.com.au/) which have made a world of difference!

As with some of the above comments, they seem to be wearing relatively quickly. But that could just be related to most of my walking being in quite rocky areas.

[wayno]

salomon cosmic, supposedly a lightweight boot, but 1400gm for the pair more of a mid weight, very comfortable and supportive.. cheapest bought from the states if you know your size, around $500 bought locally......

[slparker]

My raichles recently died, just got some asolo powermatics, sounds like a vacuum cleaner - I know...

well when i say just got 'em... i mean just ordered them. I tried some lightweight and some heavyweight scarpaa on the same day, I was impressed with both but the Asolos felt pretty sweet.

[wayno]

for day walks Columbia SWITCHBACK™ 2 OMNI-TECH
very comfy good tread coverage, good on harder ground,
on softer terrain and beaches, Salomon XA Pro 3D U 2 GTX again another comfy shoe but the outsole is suited to gripping in softer ground, on hard ground there isnt much tread contactig the ground and they wear out fast.

[Pteropus]

Thanks for the replies I will definitely be replacing my Asolo boots soonish because I have lost confidence in their ability to grip on steep stuff. A shame too because there is nothing wrong with them and they are sooo damn comfy (as they were right out of the box..never had to break them in...actually, I have never had to break a boot in...).

[nakedape]

... I have never had to break a boot in...).

Get yourself some Scarpa Sls - they'll break that record for you

[biggbird]

... I have never had to break a boot in...).

Get yourself some Scarpa Sls - they'll break that record for you

Bought some SLs a few weeks ago, first overnight walk (hopefully!) this weekend... Wish me luck!

[Chrikka]

I bought a pair of Scarpa Kinesis GTX and have found them reliable and tough, fully waterproof and also bomb proof. Heavy at 1800g for a pair although well made in Italy and worth the money. Its my first pair of Scarpa boots so hopefully they last !