Walking Forum
Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: WILDWALKINGUK on 13:58:22, 03/05/19
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I have just walked about 1200 miles on my Lands End to John O'Groats walk in these boots and reviewed them at wildwalkinguk.com if anyone is interested. These are a very good light weight boot and with the new Graphene soles lasted the distance. I was extremely surprised as the Inov8 Roclite 325 are usually worn out in 400 miles.
The only issue I had with them is the Gore-tex waterproof lining failed at about 300 miles. This is the 3rd time this has happened to me at about the same mileage, has this been an issue for anyone else or is this just me?
Many thanks
Mark
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Yes - the gortex membrane has failed on 2 pairs of roclites that I have had - I would estimate around the 250-300 mile mark
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Weren't these the footwear of choice for Jasmin Paris ?(I believe she does a bit of running ;D )
Unless hers are specially produced, given what she does, I wonder if she has problems with the gortex lining too ?
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Yes - the gortex membrane has failed on 2 pairs of roclites that I have had - I would estimate around the 250-300 mile mark
I have never had a goretex lining last on any boots or shoes. I've decided that if I want something approaching waterproof performance, I've gone back to leather outers. Otherwise, I prefer something that drains and dries quickly. I do walk in the "Peat" District (Kinder Low is 90mins walk from my house) so getting wet is common, but at least it's not wet clay.
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The Inov8s look like lovely boots - crazily light and quite comfortable despite being minimalist, but of the three pairs I've been daft enough to buy not one pair has lasted thirteen months before failing - Main failures I've had have been the sole delaminating, the lace loops detaching, the gore-tex liner giving up within the space of a good wet autumn or winter, and the toe rand also delaminating from 'perfect' looking to completely detached in the space of two hours on Peak District moorland.
R
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Do these not come in a non gore-tex version?
I thought the idea of mesh fell shoes was that the water would squigg out through the mesh.
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Hello Owen
It is a shame that this model doesn't come in a non gore-tex version.
My usual boot is the Inov8 Roclite 325 but only lasts about 400 miles. Great on the dry TGO Challenge last year.
I found sand got through the mesh and built up around the edge of the liner and the rubber around the bottom edge of the boots.This is possibly the reason the gore-tex lining failed so quickly, because the grit was trapped and rubbing the lining.
There are other Inov8 boots and shoes without the gore-tex lining. I plan on trying the Inov8 Roclite 275 shoe this summer and the 335 boot next winter. I will review them both at wildwalkinguk.com
Many thanks for your interest
Mark
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I have just returned mine. I bought them for Offa's Dyke Path.
They did about 90 miles before leaking
They have superb grip and were extremely comfortable. However, just short of the halfway point, I walked through a dewy field and found I had wet feet. It then rained for 2 days and I had wet feet for the next four. I wished I had taken my Sealskinz, but I was travelling ultralight.
I need replacements.
I am thinking Saloman GTX 4D, but have read THEY can leak, too. Meindle Kapstadt have been recommended.
Are there any boots that NEVER leak after reasonable use.
My old Berghaus Explorer check plus have never leaked in 10 years, but I want something lighter.
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I had a pair when they first came out. They started leaking after a couple of months and fell apart after about 5 so have never gone back to them. I am old now and need good supportive boots with a supportive insole so superlight stuff is out for me.
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Are there any boots that NEVER leak after reasonable use.
Yes: wellington boots :)
There can be no guarantees with membrane-lined footwear, it depends largely on where you walk, and also a certain amount of luck as always. Assuming the liner is intact on purchase (no manufacturing process is perfect all the time), if you stick to easy paths like most of the Lake District for instance, they might last a fairly long time before leaking. If you walk in wild trackless terrain they might even fail on the first day. The problem is mainly the area below the laces where the boot bends, it traps lots of tiny sharp tares from the heather and other vegetation and scrunches them around in the crease. A membrane won't last long under that treatment, we can attest to that!.
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Membrane lined boots mean that you are effectively walking with your feet in very thin plastic bags. The thinner the boot material, the more porous/stroke ventilated the upper, the more pieces it is made of, the more likely the membrane is to be perforated from the outside. Poor fit and untrimmed toenails can wear the membrane through from the inside. Again, the less there is between your foot and the membrane, the sooner it is likely to abrade. Bottom line, lightweight fabric boots are likely to start leaking more quickly than more robust boots. I have over 2200 miles on one of my pairs of leather boots, I am told the membrane has finally worn through from the inside but they still don’t leak. Fabric boots I have owned in the past have not lasted nearly as long.
Ultimately it is a trade off, weight and durability versus lightness with quality of workmanship/materials and an element of chance thrown in. Each individual makes a choice depending on budget, walking style and terrain.
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Are there any boots that NEVER leak after reasonable use.
I've never come across a fabric or fabric/leather combination boot yet that does and none of them seem to be durable and have a long life. Once the waterproof liner fails (and they all do eventually) the boots are useless and you are back in the shop buying new boots again.
To answer your question yes of course there are but to get that you need to move to a full leather boot with a Goretex, Sympatex or other waterproof liner and the less stitching on them the better and of course you need to look after them properly. Unfortunately the unavoidable penalty for the added waterproof protection and extended life of the boot is the added weight and cost of better materials. Some people are prepared to pay the penalty and carry the extra weight and some are not. For me personally dry and comfortable feet are worth that penalty but then again I'm not trying to shave grams off overall weight which to me just seems like a false economy in the long run.
If you want the added protection and don't mind the extra weight and cost have a look at the Altberg range - you really will struggle to find a bad review anywhere.
Depending on the type of walking you do most the following models may be suitable options. If the model of a boot made on the standard last doesn't quite fit or suit your particular foot shape, width and volume it's a fairly safe be that a boot made on either the A-Forme or G-Fit last will. All Altberg boots can be resoled if and when the need arises.
2-3 Season Boots
Altberg Fremington Men's 1412g RRP £179.99 (standard last with 5 width fittings) https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/the-fremington-mens-boot-mto/ (https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/the-fremington-mens-boot-mto/)
Altberg Malham Men's 1344g RRP £184.99 (A-Forme last with 1 medium width fitting) https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/the-malham-mens-boot-mto/ (https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/the-malham-mens-boot-mto/)
Altberg Keld Unisex 1428g RRP £189.99 (G-Fit last with 1 wide width high volume fitting) https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/keld-boot-factory-stock/ (https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/keld-boot-factory-stock/)
3 Season Boots
Altberg Tethera Men's 1472g RRP £214.99 (standard last with 5 width fittings) https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/the-tethera-mens-boot-mto/ (https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/the-tethera-mens-boot-mto/)
Altberg Nordkapp Unisex 1460g RRP £219.99 (A-Forme last with 1 medium width fitting) https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/factory-stock-nordkapp/ (https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/factory-stock-nordkapp/)
Altberg Kisdon Unisex 1622g RRP £219.99 (G-Fit last with 1 wide width high volume fitting) https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/kisdon-boot-factory-stock/ (https://www.altberg.co.uk/product/kisdon-boot-factory-stock/)
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Reckon you must be employed by Altberg, if not they should pay you commission as you constantly recommend them O0
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I am thinking Saloman GTX 4D, but have read THEY can leak, too.
I've switched to them via their Prime GTX boot having like you used Berghaus Explorer Treks for many years, but they changed the design which got bad reviews. I have two pairs of the GTX 4D. My first started leaking, very minor leak, after a couple of years, my second are still fine. As already said eventually every boot will leak O0
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Another cheer for leather boots and Altberg
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Thanks for the advice.
I don't expect boots to last indefinitely, but I reckon they should give good service.
I need to check my Berghauses to identify the design features that seem to make them so reliable and compare them to modern lightweight offerings
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Reckon you must be employed by Altberg, if not they should pay you commission as you constantly recommend them O0
I'm definitely not employed by Altberg in any capacity (they're stingy Yorkshiremen like me) but so far I've not found any boot from any other manufacturer that comes remotely close to the build quality and long life of Altberg's boots and believe me I've have tried really hard.
Those who use Altberg's boots will probably all confirm the build quality and long life but I do appreciate that Altberg's boots may appear to be too expensive or over budget for many even though those same people will usually all end up buying two or three pairs of other brands to my one pair and end up spending more money than me. ;)
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Another cheer for leather boots and Altberg
Hip, hip!
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Altberg leather boots and inov8 trail running shoes? not really a straight comparison is it? They're designed for very different approaches to the hills.
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As I keep explaining to Mr I, you need more than one pair of walking footwear. I have a pair of Altberg tetheras, but don't actually wear them that much and actually gave away another pair of Altbergs (Malham or Fremingham I think) I know a lot of people swear by Altbergs, but they aren't my favourite. They have their days, mainly walking across winter bogs. But mostly I prefer lighter boots, and find I increasingly walk in trainers. So that's 3 pairs of footgear plus the old pair I keep for the beach.
I suspect boots/walking trainers are like rucksacks. The ideal number is N+1 where N is the number you already have.
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In view of Owen's comments perhaps I need to clarify and reiterate that my recommendation regarding Altberg's leather boots was a specific answer to andyapanel's question below.
Are there any boots that NEVER leak after reasonable use.
I had hoped that quoting andyapanel's question before my earlier response would have been enough to make that perfectly clear and was definitely not intended to be a comparison between the Inov8 Roclite 345 GTX and Altberg's leather boots. ::)