Here's a thought.
Waterproof shells using Goretex, eVent, or whatever specify regular washing to maintain breathability and waterproofness. How the hell does one wash their boots/shoes with a membrane to maintain breathability/waterproofness???
I am trying to follow this boot and shoe thing because it is nearly the last thing I need to sort for my kit. (Although my love of gear will see endless research and shopping , I'm sure.)
I have looked at the Hitec Ion Mask concept and it sounds great, but reports are not so great on the shoe construction side of things and leaking seams/untreated fabric tongue. Apparently it works awesome on the leather.
I am swinging toward the leather boot with no membrane as I see the membrane only having a short lifespan for waterproof service and will be slow drying forever. As for spending $500 on a pair of shoes, I don't think so.
My current shoes were $145 on sale at Kathmandu and were never bought with bushwalking in mind. I got them as approach shoes for rock climbing and general knockabout kind of stuff. They have served very well. They have a membrane, but start walking through anything that reaches up to fabric tongue and the socks get soaked. They are called oboz sawtooth I think. I have done several 50+ km walks in them and have not had grief from them. I have scrambled over never ending scree on Ben Lomond, cooked them too hot in a fire at Junction Lake hut (to the point where the glue started to let go and I could have pulled all layers apart, whoops!) and walked through calf deep water for 15 metres at a time.
I need something that offers better initial waterproof protection and faster, easier drying when thoroughly waterlogged.
Can any one offer 1st hand experience of boots like Rossi or Redback that have decent soles, good support and good tongue construction? I have found that with gaiters on, the only water that does get in is through the mesh fabric tongue of my current shoes, even when the water is calf-deep. I am conptemplating seam sealing with beeswax and treating the leather. I have used Nikwax suede and nubuck on my current shoes, but have not been overly impressed by the performance. Maybe the leather is getting waterlogged from behind, i.e. the membrane side??? Not sure, but waterlogged all the same, despite frequent and thorough treatment.
There must be a leather boot alternative to the $500+ Scarpa option. I hope so. If there is anyone out there who are happy with their alternative, please do yell out!!!