Author Topic: Gore Tex boots  (Read 3835 times)

gunwharfman

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #15 on: 11:27:16, 21/09/19 »
My feet are very happy with Berghaus Superlites. I'm not sure they are good for all feet because I think they only made in one width? They suit me because I do not have wide feet. They are 'midi' in height which is what I like best. The only real issue I had with my second pair was on a long walk, the left boot area, inside and above the toes, cracked across the boot and the jagged edge quickly made my foot very sore. When I got to the next village, I had to throw them away (they were nearly done for anyway, the soles were very worn) and buy a cheap pair of trainers to finish my walk. My first pair gave me no problems and my third pair only leaked after about 2 years use. The thing I like most about the boots is that they are light in weight and when descending I can be nimble as I like with them. I'm just not into heavy boots. I'm sure there are better leather boots out there but not necessarily lighter boots and I've always managed to get a good price, for me, I like to aim below £100 if I can.

kinkyboots

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #16 on: 12:12:32, 21/09/19 »
The only real issue I had with my second pair was on a long walk, the left boot area, inside and above the toes, cracked across the boot and the jagged edge quickly made my foot very sore.

I seem to remember us discussing that issue at the time and I put it down to lack of proper maintenance. From what I remember it turned out that you hadn't been wiping out the inside leather lining with a damp cloth on a regular basis to any remove sweat/salt/dust build up and this eventually lead to the leather lining hardening and splitting causing your problem. You also hadn't put any Berghaus leather conditioning cream (or similar leather conditioner) on the leather lining to keep it soft and pliable and in good condition as Berghaus recommend.

Man wae a dug

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #17 on: 13:02:24, 21/09/19 »
I took the boots back to the Blacks store (online purchase) and they were exchanged without any issues. A brief explanation of the issue, copy of the order note and quick examination of the boot was all it took.
For the second time in as many days I was treated to excellent customer service and tried on a few boots while they 'entertained' my pup!  I don't work for Blacks btw, but terrific service should be noted every bit as much as poor service is.

I tried the Brashers Hill master? walker?  - very nice, but a little tight and felt a bit clumpy. I also tried Scarpa Cyrus - Very, very, very soft and comfortable.....until I walked and the give on the sole ran right across the bony part of my big toe (would have killed my feet after a few miles). Then I tried the Scarpa Terra GTX and bought them. Very comfy, leather (so the GTX concerns I had are negated as the leather will be waterproof to a degree anyway) and a good hard wearing sole. More rand on the toe would have been ideal, but not a deal breaker for me.
I didn't spot the Berghaus supalite or I'd have given them a try based on the advice here if I had.

So, full leather, not a lot of stitching on the uppers, nice durable sole and very comfy (reminds me of my Docs)......if anything goes wrong with these I'll be getting slippers and watching Countryfile!

@kinkyboots - Spot on about cleaning imo. I used to wipe my DMs inside and out (I reckon most folks will clean/polish the outside only) and they have lasted me a lot more years than anyone would believe.
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kinkyboots

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #18 on: 13:13:40, 21/09/19 »
@ Man wae a dug - This previous post may be of some help/interest to you http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=39039.msg555671#msg555671

Man wae a dug

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #19 on: 13:20:29, 21/09/19 »
Thanks. I'll have a wee read through it.

I always used dubbin as well as boot polish on my DMs. It was years back and I doubt you can still get the dubbin; a proper greasy substance when applying, kind of like a cross between vaseline and grease! lol Worth the effort though as I had soft, shiny, supple and pretty waterproof boots for years......pity they didn't insulate them in winter though!
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kinkyboots

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #20 on: 13:33:16, 21/09/19 »
I always used dubbin as well as boot polish on my DMs. It was years back and I doubt you can still get the dubbin; a proper greasy substance when applying, kind of like a cross between vaseline and grease! lol Worth the effort though as I had soft, shiny, supple and pretty waterproof boots for years......pity they didn't insulate them in winter though!

Times have moved on a lot since the good old days of dubbin although various concoctions of "dubbin"are still available but it's the processes and chemicals now used to tan modern leather that have changed the most rendering dubbin an almost obsolete substance.

Man wae a dug

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #21 on: 13:43:41, 21/09/19 »
You reckon the Leder Gris mentioned in the thread you linked is the way to go with the boots I got then?  They mention using Nikwax (but I'm sure there are better alternatives out there for those in the know than the commercial tie ins with Grangers and Nikwax provide (as good as those products are).
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kinkyboots

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #22 on: 14:20:42, 21/09/19 »
Scarpa recommend using their own SCARPA HS12 cream for many of their boots including the Scarpa Terra GTX. See the leaflet you probably got with your boots or details on the box.

The choice is yours but for those boots I would suggest you will be fine using a combination of the Grangers G-Wax for everyday all over use and the Cherry BlossomWaxed Leather Oil for high wear areas such as the flex point and tongue used as per the Whalley Warm & Dry leaflet. Buying both those products should save you a couple of quid over the price of a tub of the Scarpa HS12 cream.

I have personally found that Nikwax boot proofing products do not keep boots waterproof for very long at all and seem to just wash away with any prolonged contact with water.

The one Nikwax footwear product that I have found very useful is Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel.

Regardless of the brand name on the tin or pot the vast majority of all waxes available on the market today are made by Grangers on behalf of the other companies. Grangers obviously also make their own brand footwear cleaning and proofing products.
 

Islandplodder

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #23 on: 15:23:37, 21/09/19 »
I live by the sea, and usually have a couple of pairs of boots on the go, the good pair which I try to keep out of the sand and the pair that goes on the beach.  For the last couple of years the 'good pair' have been Scarpa Terra GTX, and I have been quite happy with them, but they are getting demoted, partly because they are beginning to seep a bit, and partly because the beach pair finally got chucked out.  The 'beach pair' were Lowa renegades, which I loved, but the 2nd pair I bought only really lasted a year before they got demoted to the beach - though I did get another couple of years out of them before they went in the bin.
So it's the Scarpas I am wanting to replace.  I'll look at the same again, and maybe the Lowas, but I'll also try the Berghaus Supalites, and I was going to explore the fabric boots as well, I'll try some salomans, I get on very well with their trainers.
The trouble is my feet aren't the elegant things they were 40 years ago, and it always takes me ages to find comfy boots, and whenever I think I have and go back for another pair, they've changed them.

WhitstableDave

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #24 on: 17:08:27, 21/09/19 »
I've only been on here a short while, but it hasn't taken me long to realise I'm out of step with most members. I've got boots (both non-leather and leather), but I do the great majority of my walking in shoes.

Mostly, I walk briskly and my feet get far too hot in boots, so I save them for our holidays in northern hills and bogs. Here in the sunny south, shoes work best for me.

But whether boots or shoes, the question of breathability seems to take a poor second place to waterproofness in these discussions. And in my case at least, I haven't found waterproofness to be a real issue since I discovered waterproof socks (mine are Bridgedale).

My current and favourite shoes at the moment are my two pairs of Merrell Cham 7s - one pair is leather and the other pair is fabric. Both are non-waterproof and they are identical in construction, so a comparison is simple...

The leather pair are far less breathable than the non-leather pair.

Given that all else is equal, it seems to me that leather shoes are much sweatier than fabric ones. I assume the same applies to boots.

Oops, I should have mentioned GoreTex... In my experience, GoreTex (and similar) makes footwear less breathable. Except in winter (and in cold places the rest of the year) I prefer non-waterproof shoes simply because they're cooler and they dry far more quickly if they do happen to get wet.
« Last Edit: 17:14:13, 21/09/19 by WhitstableDave »
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Islandplodder

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #25 on: 17:34:09, 21/09/19 »
You might not be as out of step as you think. I do an increasing amount of walking in trainers, especially in the summer.
One of my favourite books is John Hillabys walking through Britain. When talking about the gear he bought to walk from Lands End to John o Groats, he says he did the walk in shoes, and that included some pretty serious Highland hill walking. As he said, you can't trot along in boots

ninthace

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #26 on: 18:55:53, 21/09/19 »
As he said, you can't trot along in boots
  You can.  It just needs a bigger stimulus!
Some years ago when Mrs N hurt herself in the Alps a few years ago, I got her to the road and then trotted a few miles up hill and down dale to get the car.
I've tried shoes but my feet always ended up feeling bruised and my ankles ached.
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sussamb

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #27 on: 18:57:27, 21/09/19 »
As he said, you can't trot along in boots

Oh I don't know, I 'trotted' in boots many times during my 25 years in the Army  ;)
Where there's a will ...

ninthace

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #28 on: 18:58:50, 21/09/19 »
Oh I don't know, I 'trotted' in boots many times during my 25 years in the Army  ;)
  I think that comes under the heading of sufficient stimulus.
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Man wae a dug

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Re: Gore Tex boots
« Reply #29 on: 19:08:02, 21/09/19 »
@ kinkyboots - Thanks for the advice, I've ordered some G wax and leather oil.


@ Whitstabledave & Islandplodder - I looked at walking shoes prior to purchasing the North Face boots. Merrel moab popped up a lot when googling for info on walking boots/shoes.  I might go down that route for the summer months myself, the ankle support would be the only concern I'd have, although better agility with shoes might negate the risk?
Be ye man or bairn or wumman
Be ye gaun or be ye comin
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