Author Topic: Berghaus boots and blisters!  (Read 1757 times)

WhitstableDave

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Berghaus boots and blisters!
« on: 12:58:37, 24/09/19 »
My question concerns a pair of Berghaus Hillwalker II GTX boots that I've had for about 4 months and worn only 4 times.

I was fortunate (I suppose!) to have won these boots, but that meant picking a size and having them sent to me direct from Berghaus - so I didn't get to try them on first. My other walking boots/shoes are size 9 or 9.5 so, to be on the safe side, I chose a pair of 9.5s. I figured that too big would be better than too small.

I wore them around the house for a few hours then went for a walk on a very wet day to test them out. For about 4 miles they felt great. Then a mile or so later, I started to feel blisters forming on the balls of my feet behind my big toes so I headed back. By the time I got home I had huge blisters and walking was seriously painful. I do a lot of walking in lots of different boots and shoes and I thought I was immune to blisters!

Although the heel area felt right, my feet had a fair bit of room in the front half of the boots. So I bought a pair of Superfeet Trailblazers to add volume (I use Superfeet in my Scarpa boots and shoes and they're excellent).

I waited a month then tried the boots again. I got further this time (5-6 miles?), but when I felt the first signs of blisters I headed back. I waited another month and the same thing happened.

Today, and another month later, I wore them again. It was just like before... I walked for about 4 miles thinking how comfortable the boots are before I felt that slight burning feeling on the balls of my feet and it was gradually getting worse.

Except for the first time I wore the boots, I haven't actually had significant blisters form but I know for sure that they would have if I'd gone another couple of miles. I don't trust them so I've only tested the boots on shortish walks.

To be honest I can't say I need the boots, but they do have potential - they feel good for a while and the 30-or-so miles I've done in them have seriously tested their waterproofness and they've stayed bone-dry (but it's early days of course!).

I think the problem is that my feet still move slightly in the boots and I wonder if I should add more volume with basic foam insoles. Or perhaps I'll just have to admit that they don't fit my feet properly and give up!

Any thoughts or advice would be very welcome...  :)
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richardh1905

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Re: Berghaus boots and blisters!
« Reply #1 on: 13:26:47, 24/09/19 »
The insoles are worth a try, I would have thought.


Failing that, you might just have to accept that the boots are not for you.
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Islandplodder

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Re: Berghaus boots and blisters!
« Reply #2 on: 14:42:49, 24/09/19 »
I have suffered badly from blisters under my feet, though in my case it was more under my toes than the balls of my feet.
I found cushioned insoles helped, then I started using a Boots blister stick to rub over the soles of my feet (though I think Vaseline would have done as well) and always wore liner socks under the thick ones.   Some of it must have worked, I haven't had one for years.
The trouble is though, that however much you walk round the house in new boots, they are always quite comfortable until you are a long way from home. Then you find out whether they are the right boots or not.

kinkyboots

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Re: Berghaus boots and blisters!
« Reply #3 on: 15:00:58, 24/09/19 »
It sounds to me like you've still got too much volume in them allowing your feet to move around inside causing friction. The Berghaus versions of the previous Brasher boot models are and were generally known to be quite wide fitting leading to a sloppy fit for some people.

I would suggest adding volume reducers under your insoles may help and is a relatively cheap fix @ around £5 pair. Superfeet make them along with a few other brands and I seem to remember both 2mm, 3mm, 4mm and 5mm versions being available although I can't remember which brands do what thicknesses so you'll need to have a Google. Decathlon do a 3mm Aptonia Hike 50 volume reducer for £1.99.

The other more obvious thing to try is wearing two socks instead of one to take out the excess volume. The idea is that the socks rub together taking out the friction instead of your feet but you'll need to experiment with different sock thicknesses to find the right combination.

Lastly a different lacing technique may be worth a try and YouTube is always worth a search.
« Last Edit: 15:14:56, 24/09/19 by kinkyboots »

WhitstableDave

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Re: Berghaus boots and blisters!
« Reply #4 on: 16:17:32, 24/09/19 »
Thanks for the replies!

Excess volume resulting in friction does seem to be the problem. Two pairs of socks wouldn't work for me though because one pair is usually too warm, but I'll investigate volume reducers.  O0

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GnP

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Re: Berghaus boots and blisters!
« Reply #5 on: 18:23:48, 24/09/19 »
Sounds like they are tad wide...
I used to wear Brashers and permanently suffered from blisters. I used to think maybe I had "soft" feet and put up with blisters for years....when the last pair wore out, I bought a different brand of boot and they were like wearing slippers on my feet....they say ignorance is bliss....in my case ignorance was torture...
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gunwharfman

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Re: Berghaus boots and blisters!
« Reply #6 on: 21:40:17, 24/09/19 »
I used to get blisters but one day a nice elderly man measured my feet at Cotswold Camping and suggested I should buy women's boots. I did and have done ever since, I no longer get blisters.

 

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