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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: wilson491845 on 17:19:32, 11/11/19

Title: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: wilson491845 on 17:19:32, 11/11/19
Hi folks I have just seen a pair of Karrimor shoes called Karrimor KSB Tech Approach Hiking shoes,I just want a casual pair of shoes for walking my dog and going to the shops in the winter,can anyone tell me if they ahve any experience of this shoe model,I heard that Karrimor were quite well regarded years ago but have been taken over by another company,and I'm wondering if they would be good quality they are on sale at £39.99 and the original price was £134.99  (https://ibb.co/cX80vWf) I have tried to add a photo,but it hasn't worked I wasn't sure how to do it
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: harland on 17:40:35, 11/11/19
I guess you get what you pay for but I have just bought a pair of Karrimor Summit walking shoes from Sports Direct £29.99.  I had a previous pair that I used for walking around where I live mainly to get fit for "proper" walks however they were very comfortable and whilst the soles eventually wore out I must have walked over 1,000 miles.  They were pretty knackered before I started walking the Camino earlier this year, they were perfect for that although to be honest they did fall apart - they were my backup pair so it didn't matter but it was only the soles that gave out and not the tops so I could still use them in the evening.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: wilson491845 on 18:04:17, 11/11/19
Hi,yes they were bought by SD,I think I might give them a try I'm on a tight budget and my trainers at the moment are useless,thanks for your help
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: fernman on 18:06:11, 11/11/19
Ignore the "original price" of £134.99. It is a sharp practice of the company that owns the Karrimor brand to inflate the figures - will I get sued if I say invent? - to make you think you're getting an absolute bargain.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: wilson491845 on 18:13:31, 11/11/19
Yes I agree,it draws a lot of people in
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: BuzyG on 20:55:01, 13/11/19
Ignore SD's pricing practices.  They are there to pull people in.  Just look at the current sticker price.  Then give them a go. 

Currently I have 5 pairs of Karrimor walking shoes in various states of wear.  In fact I have a pair on now sat in the lounge.  I find them very comfortable, water resistant in puddles. No shoes will keep the moors out. Reasonably hard wearing, as I rotate mine it's hard to say how long they last.  They are quite heavy for shoes due to a decent thick and very grippy soul.

What's not to like. Very little for £30 a pair.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: wilson491845 on 21:27:33, 13/11/19
Hi thanks I visited SD today and was amazed at the amount of shoes that they have,a lot of them looked so similar it made me wonder if 1 or 2 companies are making them for everyone else,I tried on 4 pairs and the only shoe that was comfortable was a Karrimor panther low,they were £64 though and after seeing how good the prices of a lot of the other shoes were,I have decided to see if the Panther gets reduced or I will go back again when I have more time and try of some different shoes
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: gary m on 21:41:18, 13/11/19
If it is comfort you want, I always buy merrell, give them a go
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: jimbob on 21:51:02, 13/11/19
If it is comfort you want, I always buy merrell, give them a go
Boyes are selling Merrell boots at extremely low prices.

I think Karrimor are real vfm. As per previous posts on this forum.
 I slashed near the lacing area of my Allotment karrimor boots four days ago but fixed them with Gaffa tape, superglue and spray on waterproofer. They are as bad looking as they can possibly be, but after the rain of the last few days dry and comfortable.


Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: sunnydale on 04:45:55, 14/11/19
I’ve only ever had one pair of Karrimor, although they were walking boots, not shoes. Never again! After a fairly short time, they started leaking badly & one of the soles started to split.
In most cases, get what you pay for! ::)
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: wilson491845 on 10:18:03, 14/11/19
Boyes are selling Merrell boots at extremely low prices.

I think Karrimor are real vfm. As per previous posts on this forum.
 I slashed near the lacing area of my Allotment karrimor boots four days ago but fixed them with Gaffa tape, superglue and spray on waterproofer. They are as bad looking as they can possibly be, but after the rain of the last few days dry and comfortable.
Thanks
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: Sleepy on 23:22:19, 30/11/19
I've had them.... for general use and dog walks they're ok. They don't last well and are cheaply made and/or heavy


The best advice I've come up with is to get boots properly fitted at one of the bigger shops (preferably not go outdoors), make your excuses and go find them online, go outdoors or even second hand if you have to - It's the best way to get the right boots (or shoes) for you at the best price. Chances are, the leading brands (with a few exceptions) will last long enough to make the price difference worthwhile - I.e. they may cost three times as much as karrimor but last four times as long  ;)




Once upon a time, karrimor were one of the best (mid eighties at a guess) sadly now they're on par with go outdoors' own brand rubbish  :-\
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: fernman on 08:41:41, 01/12/19
Likewise I got excited when I saw a post in the Bargain Thread for Berghaus Hillmaster boots on Amazon for £67. I soon lost interest when I read all the bad reviews for them, and I could understand why they were being offloaded cheap.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: Sleepy on 09:35:50, 01/12/19
Likewise I got excited when I saw a post in the Bargain Thread for Berghaus Hillmaster boots on Amazon for £67. I soon lost interest when I read all the bad reviews for them, and I could understand why they were being offloaded cheap.


I've never tried them but had a quick look at a pair in go outdoors once - they went straight back on the shelf; they felt [censored] even just from picking them up
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: gunwharfman on 10:02:06, 01/12/19
Hillmasters? Why did you take the view that you did? What did your 'quick look' tell you about them?

I don't own a pair but I do own a pair of their Superlights. For me, they are a great boot, comfortable and light but I know that others might say otherwise. Like so many boots their weakness is that they have poor grip on slippery surfaces. Are two boots from the same brand so really different?

I've actually seen good write-ups on the Hillmaster and if I am correct a Forum member has recently bought a pair. I wonder what he thinks about his purchase?

One thing does interest me though, are we very sure that the shoes, boots and running shoes that we buy are really unique to the brand thats stuck or printed on them? Or are we buying from a range of 'basic' items that are essentially the same or at least similar but its the brand name that tends to make the difference to us?
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: fernman on 10:36:56, 01/12/19
I knew someone would come on and say something like that!

I read quite a number of reviews saying they wear out very quickly, particularly the soles, in two years of nothing more than walking the dog, and a number complaining that the soles came apart from the uppers. More than a few found them too narrow, while it was commented that the brand has gone downhill since being taken over.

My present Meindls are generally wearing out after 9 years, they have plenty of wear left in the soles, but I must replace them because they let water in - literally. They become absolutely sodden after just one day of walking in wet hills, and when I hold them in a bowl of water to clean them they fill with water.

I have £200 put to one side in my pocket money account, and next year I'll be going to Cotswold for a fitting and forking out for something top of the range, possibly Scarpa. (When the time comes I'll be posting on here for suggestions.)
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: Sleepy on 10:47:44, 01/12/19
I think he meant me fernman  :-\


I'll stress it's just my opinion and that we're all entitled to one


But to answer your question, they felt light... flimsy.....cheap whatever, just more like "fashion" wear than something I'd like to trust on a sodden moor somehere
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: jimbob on 11:07:18, 01/12/19


But to answer your question, they felt light... flimsy.....cheap whatever, just more like "fashion" wear than something I'd like to trust on a sodden moor somehere
Certainly not in my daily experience. As per previous posts.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: Dread on 11:17:53, 01/12/19
Outdoor wear is fashionable these days. Just as most people that buy sportswear don't play sports, most people that buy North Face, Berghaus, Gelert, Rab etc aren't going anywhere near a hike. The manufacturers know this and realise that it's far more profitable to produce cheap, shoddy replicas in Far East sweatshops than good technical gear. The majority of their customers won't care.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: gunwharfman on 11:18:04, 01/12/19
Sorry Sleepy I didn't mean you, I'm sure that another person bought a pair recently? Maybe I'm not thinking correctly?
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: GnP on 12:38:59, 01/12/19


One thing does interest me though, are we very sure that the shoes, boots and running shoes that we buy are really unique to the brand thats stuck or printed on them? Or are we buying from a range of 'basic' items that are essentially the same or at least similar but its the brand name that tends to make the difference to us?
Something I see a lot is the Vibram soles on many different brands are the same pattern/design. Although they do many different patterns and depths of course. I have Anatom boots and I love the Vibram soles. Great grip and flexible. I see the exact same sole on quite a few different brands of boot. I`m sure with the the reputation Vibram seem to have now, they are making a fortune in licensing their soles to so many different boot manufacturers.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: kinkyboots on 12:43:26, 01/12/19
Regardless of what some people may think the retail price of any boot is actually an excellent guide to the quality of the materials and components used in the manufacturing process of any boot and the overall build quality and quality control processes used in that manufacturing process.

In today's market place a top of the range high quality boot will retail at somewhere between £150-£250. The truth is that with boots you actually do get what you pay for in terms of quality and if you disagree with this the only person you are deceiving is yourself.

The bottom line is if you are paying less than this that price reduction comes from reduced labour costs, the use of lower quality materials and components and a reduction in the strigency and tolerances of any quality control processes used in their manufacture. Other useful guides to quality are to look at who actually owns the 'brand' name and where the boots are manufactured.

Some people are just happy to pay less, some people set an unrealistic budget for the specification they require and some are simply deceived by false claims made in the marketing. I just hope they all understand why they are paying less and are not diappointed when the boots let them down or wear out prematurely.

In my opinion Karrimor boots are poor quality rubbish but they are priced accordingly (the big clue is in the price and the unrealistic suggested RRP quoted). Sports Direct have ruined the Karrimor 'brand' name in their attempts to deceive the public into thinking they are buying from the reputed Karrimor brand of old.

Similarly Berghaus (Pentland Group) bought the Brasher 'brand' name only because the Hillmaster boot was at one time the best selling boot in the country. Unfortunately the Brasher brand name and previous reputation for quality had already been destroyed by disastrous overseas manufacturing prior to the purchase. Changing the brand name on the boot models to Berghaus and adding a slightly different sole unit actually changes nothing.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: WhitstableDave on 12:53:33, 01/12/19
Sorry Sleepy I didn't mean you, I'm sure that another person bought a pair recently? Maybe I'm not thinking correctly?

Might be me... I didn't buy a pair of Berghaus Hillmaster II but I did win a pair as a result of a letter to Country Walking magazine.  :)

My usual boots are Scarpa R-Evo GTX which I love. I wouldn't have chosen boots like the Hillmasters but I have to say the quality is good, they've never let in a drop of water, and they feel good to walk in.  O0 (I still prefer my Scarpas though!)

Just to pick up on a point made earlier about trying on boots in a store then buying them online... To my huge disappointment, my local Cotswold Outdoor closed down a few weeks ago. The staff were excellent - knowledgable and friendly - and I spent a lot of time and money there. I find it very sad indeed that so many people chose to get free personal attention in a local shop before buying online to save a few quid.
Title: Re: Karrimor shoes are they good?
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 14:09:28, 01/12/19
Just to pick up on a point made earlier about trying on boots in a store then buying them online... To my huge disappointment, my local Cotswold Outdoor closed down a few weeks ago. The staff were excellent - knowledgable and friendly - and I spent a lot of time and money there. I find it very sad indeed that so many people chose to get free personal attention in a local shop before buying online to save a few quid.
I agree with you. If we sell try the products in the shop and then buy online, there will soon be no shops left. In any case, it is pretty easy to get discount in Cotswolds or our more local store Craigdon. I continue to buy fuel in my village, even though it might be cheaper at Tesco, because I want there still to be a business selling fuel locally. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t cost a great deal more to support local and bricks and mortar businesses.