Boots for daily use

[Gilharrad]

Hi all, last year I made the jump from walking as a hobby to walking as a job and started a dog walking company with my partner in the South east coast.


With my increased step count I've found that my otherwise suitable mid range boots feel apart fairly quickly. Admittedly a large part of this was probably my lack of proper up keep and care.


I have since tried a few different boots with my latest pair (army surplus stock) lasting only a few months with a weekly deep clean and polish. The leather had now started to crack and my feet are getting wet by the end of the day.


I was wondering if anybody had any bit recommendations. I'm out and about 6 days of the week in any and all weather so would need something waterproof. Summer time I use a decent pair of trail shoes to avoid sweaty feet. I very rarely stray from footpaths and the most rugged terrain I've got to deal with is a muddy hill. Budget wise I'm pretty flexible and would rather spend some more money to get something that will last more than one season.


Any and all help is very much appreciated!

[jimbob]

Oh boots!

The search key at the top of the forum may surprise you. If you have a week or two to spare,
 I dare you to enter "Boots" into that rectangle.

The most important thing about boots, indeed, all footwear, is to absolutely make sure you have the correct fit for your feet.

This is the starting point after that then budget is secondary.

Next after the boots you'll find a week's worth of debate on socks,
 A couple of days worth on inner soles. Then we get to the debate on waterproof vs non waterproof,
 Followed by at least three days of the correct way to keep your new boots nice and clean etc.   All actually good and enlightening stuff.

From this you will gather that boots are a very important topic on this forum.

Welcome to it from Lincolnshire You'll wonder where the lockdown went.

[kinkyboots]

Daily dog walking is very hard on all types of footwear and the more walking you do on street footpaths and roads the quicker they will wear out.

Use the search box top right and put "Altberg Defender" in it and look at the results. Available from eBay and they're cheap enough to replace when the soles do wear out.

The better you care for your footwear the longer they will last. Do not use polish!

This previous post should help and give you some idea of what you should be using http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=39039.msg555671#msg555671

 

[Sevenup]

I’m not a professional dog walker and I don’t know where you walk or what the terrain is like. I do walk 2 vizslas daily on a minimum of 6 miles using road and path. I’ve been using lightweight boots from Hoka for some time. A pair lasts between 4 & 6 months and they’re waterproof. I buy them in www.sportsshoes.com sale usually 2 or 3 pairs and Chuck them when they start to let in water or have no tread left whichever arrives earliest. I have used Toa or Speedgoat (the latter more of a running boot and very light). I’ve tried Adidas and currently have a pair of Terex waterproof boots on the go which are slightly less cushioned than Hoka but might be durable enough for winter use. I’ve tried merrells but they tend to collapse on me at the heel through heavy use (my heel strike must kill the cushioning). I’m over 65, walk on the wet west coast and can’t afford not to walk the dogs even if it’s raining cats and cats. I couldn’t afford to use leather no matter how well I looked after it.

[gunwharfman]

I have had three pairs of Berghaus Superlights and I find they are very good on or off-road. I paid £69 for my last pair. I prefer to wear leather boots in the wetter and colder months.

[Jac]

Why not try a pair of 'stable'  boots such as horsey people use. There are several brands. The one I remember is muckers

[Gilharrad]

Thanks for the replies all!


jimbob, I had a look through a few posts before quickly having my head scrambled with the choices and varying info!


kinkyboots, I'm currently using a pair of Alt Bergs! I think my poor maintenance is to blame for the slight leakage if I'm honest so may look at buying a pair new instead of the 'pre-loved' ones.


Sevenup & gunwharfman, thankyou for those suggestions I will look into both options.


Jac, I had looked at a pair of Muck boots recently but was worried about the comfort over several hours.


Overall some great options to look at and keep me going!

[NeilC]

If you're out that much you need more than one pair really IMO


They need to dry completely between uses if you don't want them to fall apart and it's easier to maintain them if they're not still mucky

[Sevenup]

If you're out that much you need more than one pair really IMO


They need to dry completely between uses if you don't want them to fall apart and it's easier to maintain them if they're not still mucky

In my opinion, one of the benefits of the man made fibre boots is the quick drying the material provides. I use the same pair of boots every day for months. If I use leather it won’t stand up to being soaked daily. I walked up a wet stream bed and through some marshy ground the other day as I explored my local area and used the same boots, which were sufficiently dry (Hoka) for the next days walk. My leather boots would still be sodden and heavy today. I’m walking from Arrochar to Garelochhead today and my hokas will be up to the boggy stretches

[Gilharrad]

I had thought of getting a second pair to use but my current pair has taken nearly 4 days to properly dry out which is pretty insane. Perhaps synthetic is the way to go...

[kinkyboots]

I had thought of getting a second pair to use but my current pair has taken nearly 4 days to properly dry out which is pretty insane. Perhaps synthetic is the way to go...

Synthetic boots might be worth a try but in my opininon they won't last 6 months of daily dog walking use before the waterproof liner fails and the boots become totally useless for any wet weather walking and that's with daily care.

Your leather boots have taken that long to dry purely because of the lack of care you've given them providing no resistance to water. If you're using them daily they need caring for daily. It's a quick 3-5 minute job and it's a poor workman that blames his tools when he's the one to blame. How do you think the army copes with constant daily use in all weather conditions? They have to to be water resistant enough to be able to dry them out overnight to be ready to go the next day.

You mentioned using polish and if that's what you've been using on a weekly basis there's no wonder they get soaked through. Polish is purely cosmetic and provides little in the way of water resistance and  does not put any of the oils lost through use back into the leather. Use wax daily to build up some water resistance and to replace the oils lost through use to keep the leather soft, supple and to prevent the leather from hardening and cracking!

I'd suggest you have a read

https://www.altberg.co.uk/Portals/0/Documents/UserGuides/Defender-Combat-UG.pdf

https://www.altberg.co.uk/bootcare/bootcare-advice

https://www.altberg.co.uk/bootcare/drying-boots-out

This previous post should help and give you some idea of what you should be using http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=39039.msg555671#msg555671

[Gilharrad]

@Kinkyboots thanks for even more info! After reading through your previous links I have purchased a boot care kit and leder bok from alt-berg and am eagerly awaiting them in the post.


On close inspection now the boots are properly clean and dry i've noticed some small cracks in the leather around the toe bend and the boots look very 'dry'. Undoubtedly due to lack of care as up until now i've only put polish on them as the guy in the surplus shop told me (i've since found out his airsoft hobby is the closest he's got to a proper hike out so probably ignore him from now on).


Hopefully I can get them back to useable shape, if not they'll be reserved for warmer days.

[kinkyboots]

Are you aware that Lederbok is a spray and is only suitable for use on nubuck leather with a sanded/brushed finish?

https://www.altberg.co.uk/bootcare/nubuck-care-advice

[Gilharrad]

You are correct. Turns out I didn't order Lederbox at all but rather ledergris xtreme along with a hiking bootcare kit.

[kinkyboots]

For new boots follow the procedure as specified on the Whalley Warm & Dry leaflet in the link at the bottom of Post #10.

Altberg boots tend to have a minimal quite dry finish to the leather when brand new and I would recommend applying a couple of thin coats of a good quality leather conditioner all over the boot including the soft nubuck ankle cuff if they have one and tongue (inside and out) before you start the waxing regime recommended by Whalley Warm & Dry.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Grangers-Leather-Conditioner-odours-from-all-Sportswear/402062296177

If you're trying to revive your existing boots give them a thorough wash and scrub under running water, allow to dry naturally then try using something like White Spirit or Isopropyl Alcohol to try to remove as much of the remaining existing polish from them as you can before you begin applying the wax. Again I would recommend applying a couple of thin coats of a good quality leather conditioner all over the boot including the soft nubuck ankle cuff if they have one and tongue (inside and out) before you start the waxing below.

Remove the laces then apply a couple of thin coats of Leder Gris Xtreme to the whole boot and really work it down into the leather with your fingers before brushing them vigorously. The more you can work the oils contained within the wax down into the fibres of the leather the better it will work and put some life back into the leather. There should be no wax visible on the surface of the leather when you've finished - less is more so spread it as far as it will go.

Following that apply 2 or 3 thin coats of the Leder Gris Original to the whole boot and really work it down into the leather with your fingers before brushing them vigorously. Again there should be no wax visible on the surface of the leather when you've finished - less is more so once again spread it as far as it will go. With the Leder Gris Original you may find it helps to warm the tin (on a radiator) to soften the wax a bit before applying it.

From then on after each wet walk give them a quick clean under running water, allow to dry naturally until the leather is just slighly damp then apply a thin coat of Leder Gris Xtreme across the flex point and the tongue followed by a thin coat of Leder Gris Original all over the boot.