Brett wrote:Zamberland and sizing anyone with experience in how they stackup against say against the Scarpa sizing?
As usual the issue of sizing is a vexing issue with no direct comparison but at least Zamberland give specifications on foot length.
Hi Brett,
I can't answer your question directly but can provide some advice on Zamberlan boots ...
I've had a pair of full leather Zamberlans (Womens Trek Lite) for 9 years - they took 5 - 6 weeks (I guess pretty normal for leather) to break in but have been awesome boots ever since (comfortable, provide great protection, take a bit of punishment, no blisters ever - sock combo helps there too I guess) and have been all over Australia/the world as high as 5000m (double/plastic boots above there).
Until 18 months ago I'd always used Zamberlan's Hydrobloc to waterproof them (good stuff!) but when I ran out I couldn't find any anywhere and used Snowseal instead - have been suffering "hot feet syndrome" (for want of a better term) ever since which is darned uncomfortable on a multi-day hike.
As a result of this and feeling the need to experiment I sussed out a pair of Zamberlan synthetic boots (womens, can't remember the name) - same size as my old leather Zamberlans. They didn't come close to fitting well and I sent them back. I finished up with a pair of Asolo FSN 70 GTX which I'm really happy with so far. (They haven't been in anywhere near the conditions I subjected the Zamberlans to - yet).
I had a similar problem with some Keen hiking shoes - which I use on day hikes (day pack only) in more forgiving terrain (extra ankle support not required). After some friends raved about the Keen Targhee II I tried some (US womens size 10), along with the Keen Voyageur (same size) - a very similar shoe that is just more ventilated and not waterproof. The Voyageur fit me perfectly but the Targhee (same size) were too short (and they seem to have exactly the same sort of toe box). (The Voyageurs are soo comfortable!! Great shock absorption, very well made, very stable and great grip).
The moral to the story - don't expect boots/shoes from the same company to have the same sizing and where possible, try before you buy (or at least ensure the price you're paying if buying online is substantially less than what you'd pay here to cover the cost of any need to swap sizes) My on-line boot/shoe purchases have been at half the cost of the boot/shoe here so that is well and truly covered.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
JB