Author Topic: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.  (Read 8053 times)

r21442

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First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« on: 22:34:41, 21/09/17 »
Mr angry today. Bought a dog 1.5yrs ago. He gets walked in country parks on gravel tracks and very occasional bit of grass. West Scotland so it can be damp. Quickly realised I needed better footwear. £40 pair of HiTec Ortholites lasted 6months. £154 pair Meindl Caracas similarly lasted 6 months. >:(


They only get worn average 1.5hrs a day and he gets walked in the streets for other walks and I don't wear the walking shoes. I'm 110kg which don't help but its flat paths I'm walking not the Himalayas.


My experience over the Meindls is such that having spent thousands over the years in Tiso they will not see a penny from my family ever again.


Seen many comments on t'interweb saying stick to things like the HiTecs and throw them once they leak because nobody makes waterproof.


If the suggestion is to wax them after every use forget it. Based on my usage what should I have been doing? Does the wax need melted into seams?


Don't know where to go and want to avoid wellies as they offer no support and freeze in the winter.




kinkyboots

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #1 on: 08:27:04, 22/09/17 »
It may be that your walking shoes are not leaking at all. The problem with walking shoes is that they're low cut and any rainwater can easily run down your trousers and then wick down your socks into the shoe or when walking on wet grass it can easily wick up from the bottom of your trousers and then down your socks into the shoe. A higher cut boot may help reduce or prevent this from happening.

Have a look at the Altberg Defender military boots available on eBay and some military surplus shops and websites. They're ideal for use as dog walking boots and won't break the bank.

Used examples are available from around £25 upwards or brand new in box from around £55 upwards.

A couple of YouTube video reviews of them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6IsjCXknZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTVYfp0wRAs

As with all leather boots they will require regular waxing to keep them waterproof and to keep the leather in good condition but that should only be required as and when they get a soaking.

A sizing guide for them is available here http://www.altberg.co.uk/military/sizing-info/

The cheapest place I can find for Altberg's Leder Gris Original wax @ £4.50/80g tin with free delivery is Clear/Natural http://www.odintactical.co.uk/leder-gris-boot-wax or Brown http://www.odintactical.co.uk/altberg/leder-gris-boot-wax-brown

r21442

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #2 on: 08:58:33, 22/09/17 »
Thanks Kinky. Know all about wicking but its a giveaway when the only part of your sock soaking is the toe box. And it really is 99% gravel paths with just the odd 'off road' trip to retrieve balls & sticks.

gunwharfman

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #3 on: 09:09:31, 22/09/17 »
As a hiker who has suffered from the nuisance of wet feet I can get quite irritated about all the marketing and conflicticting advice that's offered. For my part I just use anthing that's to hand, polish, dubbing, beeswax, I'm mostly now trying to use old Christmas presents. I do not notice any change from one product to another. The boots I use now, Berghaus Superlight 2's for me are ideal for now,  they are comfortable and to date are DRY! I'm not going lose any sleep worrying about them, I'll plonk the 'polish' on throw them in my garage and forget about them until my next hike. Life's too short! 

r21442

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #4 on: 09:09:41, 22/09/17 »
And specifically I'm looking for a shoe because its not serious cross country walking. Want to be able to drive there and back in them and not be faffing with a big lace up. Also has to take my own orthotics.


Really its just yet another moan that truly waterproof shoes are very very tough to come across and questioning whether paying for premium is worth it? I am sure I could have done more maintenance than I did but how much is enough?

r21442

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #5 on: 09:12:27, 22/09/17 »
Thanks gunwharf - sounds like my regime but using them daily but only for 1.5hrs I certainly can't afford the time to wax with that frequency. I look at the advances in automotive reliability since I were lad and wonder how the humble shoe cannot replicate!

jethro10

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #6 on: 09:26:32, 22/09/17 »
And specifically I'm looking for a shoe because its not serious cross country walking. Want to be able to drive there and back in them and not be faffing with a big lace up. Also has to take my own orthotics.
I'd agree with previous comments, dew on grass get's in easily, the boots don't know it's not serious cross country walking  ;)
It may be the issue.
J

kinkyboots

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #7 on: 09:39:55, 22/09/17 »
Thanks Kinky. Know all about wicking but its a giveaway when the only part of your sock soaking is the toe box. And it really is 99% gravel paths with just the odd 'off road' trip to retrieve balls & sticks.

Then I would suggest that either the waterproof liner, the stitching or the seal between the upper and the sole unit has failed.

If the Meindl's are less than a year old I would be returning them to the retailer as faulty. Your contract is with the retailer and they should arrange to send them away to Meindl for examination and if found to be faulty should then either be repairing or replacing them or giving you a full refund if they are no longer available. Most decent retailers will not argue. Even if you are offered a replacement there's no guarantee that the exact same fault won't occur again. I've seen a number of complaints reported recently regarding various Meindl footwear and I don't think it's a coincidence that the complaints seem to have dramatically increased since they moved some of their production out of Germany.

Here's a link to a post I made a while ago about your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which may help http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=34052.msg490404#msg490404

NeilC

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #8 on: 09:40:22, 22/09/17 »
You don't need to wax leather shoes or boots every day. In fact you shouldn't because that much can soften the leather too much and will completely kill any breathability.
You just need to top them up every now and again or a bit more if they're actually letting in water. Every week or two depending what's happening to them. Wet grass is amongst the hardest thing for boots to deal with IME. It effectively rubs water into the boot.  Always look up the care instructions for your kit and follow them. It's not a massive thing - you just dip a brush into a tin of wax and brush it on. Takes a few minutes. Sprays and creams are also available.


So where is the water getting in, in your opinion? if you're on flat gravel, even mesh trainers don't just let in water. So is it rain, wet grass or puddles or what?


1.5 hours a day solid walking is actually quite a lot of use. Backpackers often don't get that much walking in when you average that out over a few months. So you'll read people saying "my boots are still waterproof 3 years on" and all that, but some of them will not have walked c.1600 hours in that time, unlike you! So I'd be tempted to have a couple of pairs on the go.



However, even with that, if Meindl goretex shoes are leaking in 6 months then take them back. They've not lasted a reasonable amount of time and shop is obliged to do something about that.

gunwharfman

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #9 on: 10:16:11, 22/09/17 »
I did stop the leaking on one pair of my boots, I bought a tube of silicon gel/glue from Halfords and rubbed it along and over every stitched area. I'm confident that it worked on that pair of shoes, but by then the irritation that they had leaked in the first place was so strong I had to have new boots! I got a refund, then succumbed to buying a similar pair (different brand, low price) which then leaked from the word go! That's why, in the end I decided to go back to all leather boots. So far I don't regret it.

Kukkudrill

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #10 on: 13:39:04, 22/09/17 »
Some brands of footwear are more reliable than others where waterproofing is concerned. I'd recommend Ecco. They're not the best known but they're the only brand I've tried that have never let me down so far.
Make the most of the available light

Mel

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #11 on: 17:51:43, 22/09/17 »
Gonna throw a curve ball in here...


.... when the only part of your sock soaking is the toe box...


Is it possible that your feet are sweating and this is being mistaken for a failing waterproof shoe? 


I currently have some Meindl shoes (suede/nubuck) and the only time they let in water is when it comes in over the top but (certainly in the warmer months) my socks have felt damp, particularly round the toe area.


... just a thought...

sussamb

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #12 on: 09:32:01, 23/09/17 »
The cheapest place I can find for Altberg's Leder Gris Original wax @ £4.50/80g tin with free delivery is Clear/Natural http://www.odintactical.co.uk/leder-gris-boot-wax or Brown http://www.odintactical.co.uk/altberg/leder-gris-boot-wax-brown

Thanks, just ordered some  O0
Where there's a will ...

r21442

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #13 on: 23:01:55, 24/09/17 »
Thanks Mel, The tell tale sign is the wet patch on the sock either side of the foot just before the toes. Soaked but the rest of the sock dry. Not sure about you but a heck of a strange place to sweat profusely yet be dry elsewhere  ;) . It is not sweat, wicking, in the top or anything else.


I went to buy a replacement pair today but the stock in Cotswold was appalling - about a tenth of what is advertised on the website. Waste of a visit tbh. Still not decided what I'm going to do. While I can easily afford to write them off there is a point of principle. However, there is also a finite amount of time and energy I can put into it and I can assure that the episode will cost Tiso much much more than they have notionally saved and my experience will be relayed to anyone I meet who wants to talk outdoor gear. Meindl? Hmmm, they already appear to be damaged goods on the other forums I've looked at but for sure there are so many manufacturers churning out gear I doubt I have to go there again for the rest of my life. Pity as the shoe was exceptionally comfortable from the off.


In the meantime, while I look for a replacement, I've tried yet another waxing but, as mentioned before, treating the Granger to the hairdryer treatment to melt it into the seams. A technique recommended on another forum. I can't imagine it doing much good for the leather though it melts pretty quick. Don't much care what it looks like if its watertight. I will report back.

r21442

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Re: First post. Leaking shoes. Again.
« Reply #14 on: 23:06:12, 24/09/17 »
Kukk, good shout for Ecco. Had a look - good range and a shop near me - i may give them a try?

 

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