Author Topic: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?  (Read 14732 times)

Theo Frum

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #30 on: 14:10:03, 28/11/14 »
@ forgotmyoldpassword:
As I said above, it depends greatly on what assumptions you make, and I’ve lost the details in the decade or more since I did it. I haven’t run a car or done much walking for over 10 years, so I don’t have any recent data to repeat the exercise with. Whether you’re talking about utility travel or leisure travel is relevant because it affects whether you calculate per mile or per hour. That makes a large difference because of the difference in speeds, but my calculation was on a per mile basis.

I’ve a feeling that I was getting about 1000 miles out of a pair of Brashers costing about £70 at the time, but there’s a lot more to the cost of walking than just boots. If you’re walking, you need to include the wear and tear on all your other clothing, and the cost of additional food is about 10p/mile (at today’s prices). People complain that motor transport is expensive, but the cost of travelling 100 miles by car is a fraction of the cost of a week’s food and accommodation (and possibly a week’s lost earnings, too). The cost of maintaining my bike has been an average of 3.6p/mile which offsets a lot of the saving on food.

When it comes to the car, it depends whether we’re talking about giving up the car altogether, in which case you save the fixed costs like insurance and tax, or whether you’re just costing on the basis that the car is left in the drive, in which case you only save the marginal costs of the additional mileage. With the cost of servicing, you need to separate the fixed and variable costs, but that depends on how many miles you do. Most cars have a service schedule which says something along the lines of “every 12,000 miles or 12 months”, in which case if you’re already doing less than 12,000 miles/year cutting the mileage only saves wear and tear, not routine servicing costs.

@ Callmesteven:

The benefits of moderate exercise are substantial and well documented, but I think that most people who enjoy an active hobby are going to be doing quantities far in excess of that required for optimum health (like I did, to my cost).
« Last Edit: 14:15:16, 28/11/14 by Theo Frum »

carolina2k9

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #31 on: 14:29:39, 28/11/14 »
I've had my Altberg Fremingtons 6 years and they have done loads and loads of miles, they have no grip left now as it's worn away, brilliant boots, totally waterproof and comfortable for me, they will look lovely in the garden with plants in... :)  Just got a pair of scarpa's so hopefully these will last just as long.
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ninthace

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #32 on: 16:14:23, 25/05/15 »
My Mammut Brecon GTX boots have just given out after only 640 miles.  Got them from Go Outdoors last July, current price £148 so that works out at a little over 23p/mile.  A piece of the sole about 1cm square has split away just under the tip of the rand on the right boot and is flapping in the breeze.  Remaining rubber is about 1mm thick - can't say I'm impressed  >:( but would be surprised if I got anything back if I complained.

Thinking of going to the Altberg factory this week and getting some "proper" boots.
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nicthedeacon

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #33 on: 12:55:11, 11/06/15 »
I used to wear fabric boots but found that they were never waterproof enough and the soles wore out easly.
I then bough a pair of Karrimor KSB's to try and they lasted about a year of constant use and abuse. for walking i now have a pair of Karrimor Orkney 5 boots.
Nic and stiff with really good verbram sole. very please with these.

Penygadair

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #34 on: 14:29:52, 11/06/15 »
I
I then bough a pair of Karrimor KSB's to try and they lasted about a year of constant use and abuse. for walking i


Mine lasted about 6 months. Soles were fine, but the rest slowly disintegrated.

ayox

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #35 on: 17:14:18, 11/06/15 »
I buy trail running shoes to wear as walking boots and Im lucky if they last a year but I dont mind as I find them far more comfortable and £80 a year isnt a lot

nicthedeacon

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #36 on: 18:00:52, 11/06/15 »

Mine lasted about 6 months. Soles were fine, but the rest slowly disintegrated.
I use high quality dubin on mine and make sure they are cleaned after every use.

ninthace

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #37 on: 17:00:59, 18/06/15 »
My Mammut Brecon GTX boots have just given out after only 640 miles.  Got them from Go Outdoors last July, current price £148 so that works out at a little over 23p/mile.  A piece of the sole about 1cm square has split away just under the tip of the rand on the right boot and is flapping in the breeze.  Remaining rubber is about 1mm thick - can't say I'm impressed  >:( but would be surprised if I got anything back if I complained.

Thinking of going to the Altberg factory this week and getting some "proper" boots.

Just heard from Go that I have been credited the price of the boots to buy new boots or anything else I fancy. That reduces my walking costs to 0p/mile for the past year.

Happy with that  O0

Shan't buy more Mammuts though - got Alt-Bergs now!  ::)
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Moonraker

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #38 on: 14:51:51, 12/07/20 »
I see there are several old threads about longevity of boots, and I've chosen this one to which to add my whinge. After 20 years of walking 600-700 miles a year  I’m in despair about boots. At first I was prepared to “buy cheap, pay twice” with boots that lasted 12 months or so before becoming very tattyand having to be replaced, then was prepared to pay a bit more, but have never had a pair that outlasted its guarantee period of a year, with one exception that lasted 16 months (and luckily I had an extended guarantee for these).

More often than not, the rand starts to separate from the upper (and I’ve yet to find a “wonder adhesive” that effects a repair that lasts more than a couple of outings). Occasionally the uppers start to split above my toes.

My last pair cost £130 and lasted nine months. I bought my current pair (priced on some websites at £99) in January and didn’t use them much during Lockdown and then mainly in dry conditions. I did suspect that the  “fully waterproof membrane that provides reliable wet weather protection” wasn’t coping even with wet grass, then last month noticed that the rand on both boots was coming away. I gently probed with a stiff piece of paper and found that the “parting” was 20mm deep.

The only plus is that I average nine months’ use before the shops replaces them with a “free” pair. (And I was lucky this time that I got a new pair two months before Lockdown.)
Before buying the latest pair, I did research some well-known brands and inevitably, I suppose, found all had their detractors.
Is there any point in my spending more - £150 say - in the hope of getting better usage?

ninthace

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #39 on: 16:02:53, 12/07/20 »
Welcome Moonraker
I have a pair of Altberg Tetheras.  They had to be resoled after 2100 miles but the uppers are still good.  I am told by Altberg that there is a hole in the membrane near the big toe but, being leather, they remain waterproof and the uppers are still in good condition.
My wife is heavier on boots as she wears out the heels quickly.  Her Altberg Fremingtons had to be resoled after about 1800 miles.  The uppers are now beginning to wear out but they will have lasted at least 2600 miles by then which, is reasonable, considering the leather had to be reshaped to fit.
Stating the obvious - proper boot care can have a significant effect on the life of a boot.
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WhitstableDave

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #40 on: 16:27:47, 12/07/20 »
I think it's worth paying £150 or more for boots.

When I started walking for leisure, I was amazed by the price of walking gear - and especially boots and shoes. I thought getting boots from my local high street outdoors shop for under £50 would do the job. They were useless.

I moved up to Salomon GTX boots, which I liked very much... except they soon began to leak. As did the warranty direct replacements.

I moved up again. This time to Scarpa R-Evo GTX and they've been brilliant. I must admit though that I wear shoes much more often than boots, so although my boots are nearly three years old, they've not done a huge distance. I tend to choose boots when conditions demand it rather than as the default state. However, the Scarpas have never let in water (even in really challenging conditions), the soles show no sign of wear, and they're very comfortable.

I should add that I look after them well. After use, I remove the laces and wash and brush them before spraying them liberally with footware proofer.
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Birdman

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #41 on: 14:21:54, 13/07/20 »
When I first visited Scotland 12 years ago, I didn't want to pay much for expensive boots because I wasn't sure if was going to use them much. I bought £60 Regatta boots and climbed Ben Nevis via the Carn More Dearg arrete. That went well, but the next day the sole already started to fall apart! That scared the [censored] out of me. What if that happens when you are on top of a mountain?! So I threw them in the thrash and went straight to a good outdoor shop in Fort Williams and bought good boots at double the price, which I have never regretted (unlike the cheap boots).


The boots I've been using for the last 9 years are Meindl and on Scottish munros I typically get about 1000 miles out of them before the soles wear out. But this depends very much on the ground. For example, on the PCT in the American west (mostly sandy and forest ground) I got 2000+ miles out of a pair that I still use for dry day hikes on easy ground. Their total use must be over 2500 miles now.


My current pair worn on the Cape Wrath Trail and in Australia now has well over 1200 miles and I expect them to last another 500 miles. They are leaky now but still comfortable and with enough thread.


I always have several pairs of the same boots in varying states of wear. In my experience, the goretex of waterproof boots first starts leaking after about 500 miles. So if I go somewhere very wet, I prefer to use a new pair. Also when I'm going on a long adventure and am carrying weight, I use the newest pair. But the old pairs I still use for dryer areas and for dayhikes where I don't need to carry a heavy pack. Even my most degraded pair of boots is still comfortable to walk on for light hikes so I'm still using it to save the best pair. After all, boots remain my main outdoor expense (tents, matresses, sleepingbags, backpack, etc all outlast boots by a big margin).

« Last Edit: 14:37:50, 13/07/20 by Birdman »
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Birdman

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #42 on: 14:37:10, 13/07/20 »
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Moonraker

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #43 on: 17:38:09, 13/07/20 »
Thanks for the above comments.  Someone else has recommended Altbergs, though my nearest stockist is 21 miles and open "only by appointment". As I suggested in my first post there's a bit of life in my present boots (and so they should be, after just six months, some of which was spent in Lockdown), so it's the usual case of gauging exactly when to return them. Before I do, I'll carry out some detailed research into recommended makes and check their local availability.

Moonraker

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Re: Cost to Mileage Ratio of Boots/Soles..?
« Reply #44 on: 10:53:16, 23/06/21 »
Oh dear!
Following my above posts, last September I spent £130 on a pair of Berghaus boots and now the stitching on both sides of the lower parts of both toe-caps is breaking up. I've done 300-350 miles of "real" walking and about 100 miles of walking on pavements around town. Little of the real walking has been on stony surfaces that might abrade the stitching.

I would have got better value out of two pairs of cheap boots.
It's getting embarrassing going back to the shop with faulty boots, especially when the receipt for the latest boots shows that I've previously returned a faulty pair.

 

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