Boots recommendation - can't believe I'm having to do this so soon.

[forgotmyoldpassword]

Given the timing you might want to pop along to a proper boot retailer and get fitted for something with a quality sole. 


Can't recommend a specific brand because people have weird feet!  Someone seems to get on with £50 cheapo boots brilliantly and I've had a £200 pair skin my feet to death so badly I sent them back.

[richardh1905]

I'm going to dodge that question I'm afraid, as there are so many brands out there. My latest boots are a budget pair (~£100) from HiTec - full leather of course - can't say that I am overwhelmed by them but I have been up on the hills with them as much as lockdown has allowed (including in fresh snow), and they have performed OK. Time will tell as to whether I have made a good choice.


If I were prepared to spend a bit more, I would certainly look at Altbergs, maybe Meindl, and I did want to try on some Anatom Q3 Braeriach boots before I plumped for the HiTecs, but couldn't find any locally. Most important is to try on before you buy though, whatever the brand.

Further to the above, I would also be interested in leather lined boots, as my experience is that the durability of so called waterproof membranes is poor. When my Hillmaster did split, the water poured straight through the liner, it had obviously given up being waterproof long ago.

[WhitstableDave]

...
@WhitstableDave
It would appear that you are now arguing for arguing's sake. You are of course entitled to your opinion and nobody is doubting the reasons why you walk or that you get enjoyment from it but you probably need to understand and accept that your view is in the minority and it's not an opinion shared by the majority. It's an argument you cannot win. 

I'm not trying to win an argument. I'm simply in favour of the view that there are many and varied ways to get pleasure from walking.

[Ronin83]

If you're tentative about splashing out or even want something to tide you over until shops re open why not try a British army boot? They are available at a varied price range depending on condition and seller.


The iturri patrol boot is non gtx full leather and identical to many classic hiking boots.
The iturri cold wet weather boots are proper beasts with gtx and would certainly handle the worst of water land's, sorry I mean snowdonia's extreme wetness.


If you don't like them in a couple of months you could keep them just for winter or sell them on and probably not lose much.


Just a thought

[GnP]

The iturri patrol boot is non gtx full leather and identical to many classic hiking boots.
The iturri cold wet weather boots are proper beasts with gtx and would certainly handle the worst of water land's, sorry I mean snowdonia's extreme wetness.

Just did a quick search and I like the look of the Iturri boots. It is the first time I have heard of them. How do they compare to Altbergs would you say .?

[kinkyboots]

Just did a quick search and I like the look of the Iturri boots. It is the first time I have heard of them. How do they compare to Altbergs would you say .?

Had a quick look at the videos available on YouTube.

Iturri Patrol Boot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxuEKS7dhBY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhTKPnX8v1w

Iturri Cold Wet Weather Boots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXQP0LCFnds

The Iturri Patrol Boot looks very soft and lightweight with mucho mucho padding  and flexes very (too) easily so it's probably not suitable for anything other than very low level walks. The Iturri Cold Wet Weather Boot is completely at the other end of the scale and very heavy weighing over 1Kg per boot!

The happy meduim would be somewhere between the two but this is the British Army specification after all so it's not really surprising that they can't get anything right is it! 

In my opinion build quality looks reasonably good but not comparable to the Altberg hiking boot range.

[GnP]

Those Iturri remind me of Anatom Q2`s in regards to them being soft and for low level walking etc. I am tempted to buy a pair in width L .

I have Q2`s in 45 EU which equates to size 10.25 UK according to Anatom anyway . I do sometimes wish they were a tad wider but I still enjoy walking in them .

So looking at the Iturri I am intrigued to find out what a size 10 in width L would feel like .
I might live dangerously and lash out and buy a second hand pair off E bay ...

[kinkyboots]

@GinAndPlatonic

This makes interesting reading https://www.joint-forces.com/footwear/23476-uk-mod-patrol-boot-by-iturri

If I'm reading it right it looks like Iturri are also supplying the Altberg Defender Mk II as part of their UK MOD contract which seems rather strange and something I wasn't previously aware of?

[GnP]

Indeed .   


It would appear that Altberg have either lost their British Army contract (?) or still supply, albeit in limited numbers to The British army and so are happy to supply Iturri , although with less profit per unit . 

This made me chuckle :

"One other minor point, as they do not have a deep rand like the Desert Combat High Liability or Cold Wet Weather models it is relatively easy to scratch the leather on stony going, which could cause problems if your SNCO or WO expects you to have uber-shiny boots, so I suggest you inspect them closely after a day in the field and carefully follow the boot care instructions supplied "

My Q2`s scratch easily from rock or even thorns on low lying brambles , and I guess it is the price to pay for added flexibility , when there is no rand .

Ps @ kinkyboots...maybe the MOD haven`t yet noticed who is actually supplying what ...

[kinkyboots]

My understanding for some time has been that all Alberg boots apart from the custom made stuff and specials are supposedly made in Altberg's factory in Northern Italy with the contract stuff being produced at unspecified factories elsewhere in Europe. Maybe Iturri is one of or the unspecified factory in Europe as I believe they are based in Spain.

A bit more info on Iturri is available here https://www.joint-forces.com/footwear/22951-iturri-footwear-factory-visit

As far as I understand it the only boots now made in Altberg's factory in Richmond, North Yorkshire are the custom made stuff and specials - the main reason the "Made in England" badge is no longer on Altberg boots.

[GnP]

I have just looked at the Iturri web site and unless it is me , it feels like a bit of a dogs dinner to navigate  .

I hope they are better at producing boots than they are at hiring web designers ..

I clicked on the Union Jack emblem in the menu where their main page was in English but when I clicked to go through to the footwear & other goods it displayed the page in Spanish with Euros in pricing . 

[Kev06]

As the topic has come around to army boots then FWIW: I've currently got three pairs of alberg ones (Defender) in various stages of being worn in/out. They're surprisingly light for a tough leather boot, and if looked after with leder-gris still water proof enough to wade through streams and walk through wet grass all day even on their third+ sole. This is because of the quality of leather, not a membrane, so they tend not to be fragile and if they do get submerged they'll dry out fairly quickly.

They're quite stiff (compared to typical fabric boots like salomons), but more flexible than crampon-compatible boots - the feel through them isn't good for knowing precisely what you're standing on but is very good for rough/lumpy stuff. The standard footbed/insole is pretty firm and minimal, which suits heavy backpacking but for general walking I prefer to replace it with something softer (which typically means thicker) so that needs to be accounted for in sizing.

Their vibram sole is a reasonably hard wearing model so (as it is a trade-off) not the grippiest,  though I've had worse even in approach shoes. They tend to come up in standard or large (wide) variants instead of half sizes, and use inserts to reduce volume. The more recent versions have closed lace hooks right to the top which is a bit annoying (so not to snag parachute lines etc!). They do take a fair amount of breaking in, and IMO look a bit old fashioned, but I'm too poor to buy cheap boots (or new full-price ones) so the turnover of nearly new ones on ebay are helpful.

Which may not mean much if buying new.. Except, I've found them so good that even if I were a millionaire I'd instantly choose Altberg's civilian equivalents for day-to-day off-road walking. They come in more normal half sizes, too. I've not tried the A-form last but suspect that might also be an improvement 'if' it happens to suit your feet. 

All this is just IMO and for info; preferences are so very personal and feet so individual that your mileage may vary considerably, all you can do is pick out anything that seems relevant to you. But FWIW then for quality boots I would say altberg is one of the top brands.

[GnP]

Kev all Interesting stuff .

Have you worn the Altberg microlight sneeker boots .? If so what is your opinion of them . ?

I like the look of them as well as the Iturri . The Altberg sneekers would suit me if they felt right as I do not go climbing mountains and look for comfort as well as being waterproof . I do not mind looking after good leather either .

[Kev06]

Unfortunately I've not tried the sneeker myself, though have heard good things about them so would also be tempted. Just happens that the defender seems more available, I think it is more commonly issued, and (once worn in, which does take a while) I've found it light and comfy enough for me and tends to suit the mix of dryness and bogs I tend to encounter very well indeed.

That said, I've just bought a pair of meindel desert boots, which I think are also MOD issue though not as common on ebay, just to see how they work - Suede and fabric jobs, not waterproof. It is too early to call yet, but first impressions are that they are a much more sculpted fit to the heel, and very decently built, but seem to generate more sore spots in various places. They almost certainly won't last as long and (IIRC can't be resoled anyway) but of course are for quite a different application.

I should mention that there is a lot of rubbish on ebay too, quite worn ones still going for a fair rate (presumably for other uses than walking) so one needs to be careful. Standards seem to be sinking unfortunately, so where once I'd buy super-grade with a fair degree of confidence, these days I tend to go only for those where there are clear pictures of the actual boots. Especially their soles, since a re-sole now costs around £80 which is no less and sometimes more than a nearly new defender.

Cheers,
Kev

[Ronin83]

Once again kinkyboots can be a little dramatic with suitability...


"The Iturri Patrol Boot looks very soft and lightweight with mucho mucho padding     and flexes very (too) easily so it's probably not suitable for anything other than very low level walks. The Iturri Cold Wet Weather Boot is completely at the other end of the scale and very heavy weighing over 1Kg per boot!"  

 

At the end of the day it depends on the person. I've seen people skipping up mountains in trail runners. I've done plenty in my lowa renegades including off trail, which are apparently only suitable for well groomed paths and trails.
More ground feel = more proprioception, but potentially more bruised soles if you're not well conditioned. Some people even use barefoot shoes and at the real extreme completely barefoot.
Obviously extremes are just that. Usually the truth is somewhere in the middle for most people. It's what works for you!
I find that overly stiff boots with thick soles feel clumsy and I feel like I'm walking on stilts, with MORE chance of twisting my ankle, but I do prefer boots not shoes and like SOME protection.

The iturri patrols are a full leather boot with defender soles. All good. The leather is soft and so will suit walking, be comfy quicker (if they suit your feet) and won't break the bank. The cww ones will be good for cooler temps, more a winter boot obviously, but actually aren't as stiff as you'd think.
Either should be thought of as a secondary pair though and if they suit you so well that they become your main hikers, that would be a bonus not an expectation.

I've tried the altberg defenders. Brilliant construction, but never fitted me properly. Sloppy fit, loose heel, narrow toebox. Lots of people love them find them comfortable though!