Author Topic: Good value hiking boots?  (Read 9729 times)

gunwharfman

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #30 on: 18:00:48, 10/02/17 »
oooh! £99, I'm really jealous!

dan76

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #31 on: 19:12:38, 10/02/17 »
I have work Karrimor boots for the last few years.Never had a problem.


As long as you get the ones £35+, they are fine IMO.
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Penygadair

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #32 on: 19:24:40, 10/02/17 »
I bought Karrimor KSB's and binned them after less than a years wear. They literally fell apart.


Sticking with Saloman now. Have Quest 4D, the lighter version and the non-Goretex shoes which I use for everything from shopping , driving to light walking. I'm getting like Imelda Marcos when it comes to boots and shoes.

gunwharfman

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #33 on: 09:07:10, 12/02/17 »
I hiked for the first time in my Berghaus (brasher) Superlights 2 yestarday and had to walk through some very wet, muddy and sticky large puddles of goo. They felt comfortable from the start and my feet stayed dry. They are so light too, I'd just forgotten how nice it is to not have so much weight on the ends of my legs. I've now got to wear them over time before I can feel real confidence in them.

Jim Parkin

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #34 on: 10:21:51, 12/02/17 »
I hiked for the first time in my Berghaus (brasher) Superlights 2 yestarday and had to walk through some very wet, muddy and sticky large puddles of goo. They felt comfortable from the start and my feet stayed dry. They are so light too, I'd just forgotten how nice it is to not have so much weight on the ends of my legs. I've now got to wear them over time before I can feel real confidence in them.

Mine are now a couple of years old (Berghaus Hillmaster) and they are doing well

nicthedeacon

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #35 on: 14:17:03, 17/02/17 »
if its waterproof and hard wearing then you are going to have to sacrifice the light weight and go for Leather.
I have never had a cloth boot that was 100% waterproof like my leather ones

sussamb

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #36 on: 15:03:54, 17/02/17 »
Then you've been unlucky, I've worn fabric boots for years and with only a few exceptions my feet have remained dry.
Where there's a will ...

Jim Parkin

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #37 on: 15:58:54, 17/02/17 »
if its waterproof and hard wearing then you are going to have to sacrifice the light weight and go for Leather.
I have never had a cloth boot that was 100% waterproof like my leather ones


I do have goretex lined trainers and boots (which I use when cycling, for example) and I have noticed that a fair number have untaped seams, so I can't see how they could be. I do remember getting some goretex socks in the late 1980s, and they had taped seams, so the taped seams weren't (aren't?) considered a bad idea for footwear. 


I have found that fabric boots with goretex liners provide adequate performance against heavy dew for a few months but then something tends to give, and all the liner does, is hold the water next to one's feet. 




kinkyboots

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #38 on: 16:59:42, 17/02/17 »
I followed up Kukkudrill's comments with an email to Alt-Berg regarding the lack of warranty information on their website.

Their response was that they now include a guarantee booklet with every new pair of boots. I've had several pairs of their boots and have never seen this (or anything like it) before so it must be new and seems to match the new branding on their boots now.

For those who are interested a PDF file copy of the new Alt-Berg Hiking Boots User Guide is here http://www77.zippyshare.com/v/GyxaEa8r/file.html


It's still not clear and is extremely ambiguous as to exactly what period of time the guarantee covers. I will attempt to obtain a definitive answer to the exact period of time covered by their warranty but this is the wording they're now using. (I've corrected their spelling mistakes for them).  ;D


                                                                                                                              GUARANTEE

Altberg's limited guarantee is to the original purchaser and is non transferable. It guarantees that as of the date of purchase the boots are free from defects of manufacturing, materials or components.
 
A precondition of the warranty is the proper usage and treatment of the boots as well their proper care (see instructions).
 
NOT included in the warranty are normal wear and tear, as well as results of improper usage, wilful damage, the lack of proper care and treatment, or faulty adjustment and modifications.
 
In the event of a justified warranty claim we shall provide the original purchaser (which may be the retailer) with our choice of a repair or a replacement.
 
Honouring a guarantee will not prolong the original warranty period.

I thought I'd better provide an update to this. I received an email reply a few days ago from Joe Sheehan Alt-Berg's Sales Director as follows:-

Quote
We do not put a time on our warranty due to the very wide range of uses and conditions that our boots are used in – we make boots for Military, Police, Walking, Motorcycling as well as other uses.
 
Some customers will wear the boots for 12 hours all day every day in harsh conditions – such as Gamekeepers and Police officers who may get less than 12 months life from a pair of boots. Others will only wear the boots a few times a month and the boots will last for years and years – so a time frame on our warranty is very difficult to have.
 
Our warranty is one against defects of manufacturing, materials or components as set out in our user guide.
 
We deal with all warranty issues on a case by case basis – and in over 25 years of manufacturing we have had no issues with our warranty policy - in the few instances there have been faults or defects these have been resolved with the customer.

If you are not happy with our warranty policy as outlines in the user guide we sent to you then I would suggest buying boots from a boot company with whom you are 100% happy about their warranty and guarantee terms.

Personally I understand where they're coming from and I honestly don't think anyone would have a problem with any genuine warranty claim providing you're not trying to pull the wool over their eyes and have complied with the terms specified in their guarantee booklet (download link above).

Kilo Romeo

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #39 on: 15:46:06, 17/05/22 »


So for me from now on, leather boots only and no more than £150 a pair.


I am confused now. From your recent posts I thought you were a textile footwear fan. Is the Berghaus Superlite a leather or textile boot? I understood the leather models to weigh around 1.0 kg very similar to Altberg Fremington.
« Last Edit: 15:56:05, 17/05/22 by Kilo Romeo »

kinkyboots

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #40 on: 18:17:38, 17/05/22 »
I am confused now. From your recent posts I thought you were a textile footwear fan. Is the Berghaus Superlite a leather or textile boot? I understood the leather models to weigh around 1.0 kg very similar to Altberg Tethera.

Make no wonder you are confused because you've somehow managed to drag a 5 year old thread back to life.  ;)

Time and personal preferences have moved on a lot since 2017 and people's bodies and feet do change over time as they get older. To the best of my knowledge gunwharfman currently owns both the Berghaus Supalite II GTX leather boots which unusually have both a Gore-Tex and a sheep's leather lining plus an unknown quantity of leaky Salomon textile boots.

I believe the Berghaus Supalite II GTX boots are currently marketed as the lightest leather boot on the market (men's 1122g/pair size 9, womens 970g/pair size 6) but because of the lighter thinner 1.6-1.8mm Pittards full grain leather used in their construction they are at best a 2 season boot with absolutely no winter capability.

By contrast the Altberg Tethera which you mention is a 3 season boot which uses much thicker better quality 2.4-2.6mm Anfibio leather in it's construction with better quality fittings/components and build quality and it can be used in winter hence the price difference (men's 1472g/pair size 9, women's 1252g/pair size 6).

Some people set themselves a strict budget (sometimes unrealistically low), for others boot weight is the deciding factor whilst for others fit, build quality and longevity are the most important. As I was reminded earlier it's horses for courses, everyone has their own particular priorities, you need to decide what's most important to you. Every choice you make is essentially a compromise however the one thing you can't afford to get wrong or compromise on is the fit. Get this bit wrong and it can easily mean that you're stuck in an expensive world of pain with no way out which is why it's essential that you get properly measured by a trained boot fitter and you won't find one of those in your local Go Outdoors, Millets or Blacks. Finally you pay your money and take your chances and hope that you're not back in the shop in 6-12 months time or less buying new boots again having made poor choices the first time around.

I hope that explanation clears up your confusion.

gunwharfman

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #41 on: 18:23:01, 17/05/22 »
I have both, I tend to use my leather boots in the colder and wetter months and my 'fabric' boots at other times. I've also found from experience that leather or fabric is fine for me for up to a 10-14 days hike but after that, I much prefer the comfort of fabric boots.

Kilo Romeo

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #42 on: 20:37:25, 17/05/22 »



you need to decide what's most important to you. Every choice you make is essentially a compromise however the one thing you can't afford to get wrong or compromise on is the fit.


I totally agree. I own a pair of Altberg Tetheras fitted for my feet by Si at Mountain Feet (now closed). Never had a problem with leaking or comfort. I have had them 5 years and it is just getting time to resole them. I also own a pair of Altberg Peacekeeper P3 safety boots fitted at the Altberg factory. I am on my second pair after 5 solid years full time at work service. The sole started flapping on one boot. I phoned them for the second pair and they arrived in less than 24 hrs.


I also own a pair of MOAB shoes goretex lined, which I thought would be good for low level Summer paths. Had to get them a size larger to accomodate my width. I find that they are too sweaty. The soles are very flexible which does my halux rigidus no good at all. The soles are also very thin meaning that you feel every stone. Finally, the toes on my right foot feel cramped. I have relegated them to walking the dog. They haven't leaked to be fair.
If there was a lighter boot that did the job of the Altbergs I would give them a go but to date the specialists haven't found me one.

WhitstableDave

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #43 on: 12:03:22, 18/05/22 »
Despite this being the WalkingForum.co.uk, I sometimes wonder if a good many members actually believe that hiking only takes place in hilly national parks on barren terrain. And if it doesn’t happen there, then it doesn’t really count.

Two season boots; three season boots; boots that are only suitable for low-level summer walks. This country has more than scrubby moorland and stony hills you know - in fact, we have great swathes of ancient woodland, green rolling hills and lots of mud as well, and so much more.

Pictured below are my favourite four season trail shoes. Like most of the shoes I wear all year round, the Inov-8 TrailFly Ultra G300 Max shoes are not in the slightest bit waterproof, but they are comfortable enough to wear all day and cope brilliantly with all but sloppy clay terrain. At a bit over 300g, they’re not my lightest shoes, but they’re still a lot lighter than most boots!



I wore the Trailfly shoes on our trail marathon through the Kent Downs AONB last Midwinter Day together with my lightest Bridgedale Coolmax (non-waterproof!) socks. My feet weren’t cold and when they got wet they dried quite quickly.

My wife did choose to wear waterproof socks in her very lightweight non-waterproof Merrell Moab Flight Trail shoes. Even wading across fords, her feet stayed dry.



I watched a video on YouTube the other day where an experienced long-distance hiker was explaining why he had stopped wearing boots in favour of highly breathable, lightweight trail runners. He said that with trail runners, it was like putting on comfortable socks - because they mould themselves to the shape of your foot, while leaving the necessary wiggle room in the toe box. On the other hand, you put your feet into boots…
« Last Edit: 12:07:11, 18/05/22 by WhitstableDave »
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

gunwharfman

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Re: Good value hiking boots?
« Reply #44 on: 12:57:37, 18/05/22 »
I've worn walking shoes, no problem with them at all, but I choose when I'm hiking to wear boots, I just prefer my ankles to be covered by a bit of padding. So for me, a midi boot is fine, I once owned boots where the lacing secured them above my ankles, I didn't like them at all, they just made the area above my ankles sore.

 

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