Getting the right boots......can get expensive

[weeds]

I should just wear the steel cap boots I wear at work everyday.

Started with a pair of Scarpa's......paid RRP, did a few shorts walks and figured they would come good.....they killed my feet on the Green Gully trips we did last year. Given the expense I thought I would soldier on but six week out from a planned eight days on the Overland Track and the training walks are killing me.

Funny thing is two weekend ago I was in them all weekend on a 4WD/Camping weekend with no ill effects......put a pack on and go up and down some hills the total opposite.

Monday I purchased a pair of Kathmandu Tiber, than did a 8km walk with 10kg pack along the Brisbane river including the stairs at the kangaroo point cliffs many times.....it appears I might have jagged a pair of boots. Hopefully over the next week or two they continue to be good as I load up with more weigh and hit the hills.

Otherwise it will be the work boots.

[Zapruda]

I think I have spent close to $2000 on boots in the past 5 years. I was never able to find a pair that fit me correctly or didn't give me hot spots or blisters.

Try some runners on your next training walk and see how you fare with them before spending more money on boots. You will wonder why you ever wore them in the first place.

[JohnStrider]

I got lucky with my Salomon Quest 4Ds. I wore them straight out of the box and didn't have to break them in.

@weeds, did you visit a couple of stores and try on multiple pairs of boots before you bought your Scarpas? I find that can make all the difference.

[Ant71]

Yeah i went through 2 pair before the 3rd pair that worked and fitted great. I had a pair from Katmandu they fitted ok but they had no grip on smooth surfaces nearly went over a few times. Then i got a pair of hi tech fitted great in the shop when i was training they would jamb my toes together and i would end up with feet cramps. The pair i have now are Berghaus they are great wore them on the OLT feet stayed dry comfort plus but i can not find where to get a pair for my wife

[johnk1]

How long have had the Scarpa's for and how much use have they seen?

You have said a few walks but they may need more.

My Trek Pro's were bought 17 years ago (maybe more)and I still use them for mowing the lawns and any other outside work at home.

Took a long time to break in but were perfect once that was done.

When I bought them I did everything in them from walking to mowing the lawn etc.

Some boots just aren't right for some people.

I bought Zamberlan's two years ago and they have also been a great.

I would stick with the Scarpa's and live in them for the next 6 weeks.

[weeds]

I've probably done 150km in the scarpas.....I reckon that's enough time to work out if you're going to become best mates.

I have walked many a mile in my younger days with heavy packs in the army......

Visited the four big stores in Brisbane....tried many brands of boots on but it's hard to gauge in a shop.

I have a training walk tomorrow night at mt cootha, will report back.

[benoloughlin]

I swear by my Scarpas and Zamberlans. I did the Overland Track in both of them (on separate trips).
In fact, there hasn't been many days in the last 2.5 years when I haven;t been wearing one pair or the other.
I'm sorry you;re having trouble with yours and hope you sort it out.

[Gadgetgeek]

been a year in my doc martin combs, yep that's right doc martins. nylon upper, only just replaced the insole because the original was getting pounded out.

There is a lot to be said for having the right sock/boot combo, but the downside with multi-layer combo material boots is they don't seem to break in the same way as single layer boots. too many things to create hard spots as other things stretch out. It sure isn't fun doing the trials though!

[Hallu]

I used to have big Zamberlan boots. Yes there is a break-in period, especially on the heel. But then it went fine. What made me give them up was the weight. On long day hikes it was too much. I only wear comfortable hiking low-cut shoes from late spring to early winter, and hiking soft synthetic boots (the Salomon 4D mentioned previously) for snow walking. I really don't believe the myth that you need thick heavy boots for hiking with a pack. You do if you wear metal crampons for glacier walking and alpinism, but for everything else it is not mandatory, it's just a matter of personal preference.

[photohiker]

There are likely other factors involved as well.

When you're relatively young, your foot joints are in really good shape. Most likely no meniscus damage or foot and ankle distortions due to accidents or overuse etc. The fat pads on the soles of your feet are thick and resilient. Over time, things wear and damage can occur. As a teenager, I wore any kind of boot, most common was the leather boots supplied as a cadet at school. These were hard army boots with almost no flexibility but I could walk mountains in them with no issues at all. A decade on and I moved to some Scarpa boots with no issue at all once worn in. In fact I wore them out which is a big ask for a quality boot! Of course I bought the same boot again, and spent a long time wearing them in before heading off to walk Scotland, a 320km over two weeks. My feet were not happy, they were very painful. My conclusion is that with age, my feet needed more shock absorption, more room, and more flexibility than my younger feet. After switching to softer boots (that wear a lot faster than the scarpas), I was able to do long distance walks again without foot pain.

http://www.propod.com.au/fat-pad-atrophy-syndrome

[north-north-west]

Thought when I found Asolo that all my boot problems were finished. Since being sort-of retired (hopefully temporarily) I seldom wear shoes unless out bush. Spend most of my time in sandals (plus socks if it's cold*) or slippers or barefoot. And now the latest hardly-ever-been-worn pair of Asolos cramp my toes something fierce. Sometimes you just can't *&%$#! well win.
Maybe I should just wear the Tevas full time . . .


* I wear socks with my sandals;
You do that when you're old,
And care less 'bout the scandals
Than your tootsies getting cold.

[Son of a Beach]

I avoid buying anything that needs "wearing in". I appreciate that for some models of boots wearing in may be required. But if they are not comfortable in the shop, and the sales person says that they need to be worn in, how can you be sure that they will be comfortable after they're worn in??? I used to go along with this until I had a pair of boots that were still uncomfortable after worn in but they were so expensive (Scarpas) that I kept using them for many years. They never became comfortable, even thought they appeared to be a correct fit.

These days, there are some good brands that sell boots (or shoes) that are tough and do not require wearing in before they feel comfortable. My current Zamberlains were comfortable when trying them on in the shop, and after a few years of use have shown no significant signs of wear.

As much as "wearing in" is real, it's also a serious risk. You can never be sure if a non-worn-in uncomfortable boot will be comfortable until after it is worn in. And you can't get your money back at that point! (and it's a LOT of money).

(Sorry, this is a little off-topic, I guess.)

[gayet]

NNW - Maybe I should just wear the Tevas full time . . .

Highly recommend it. With socks for the cold. TEVAs (Dozer types) have reasonable grip, are comfortable, light on the foot (compared to boots), don't hold water, mud washes off at the next crossing and with waterproof socks your feet don't get wet if the water level is not high.

I may not get out very often but I prefer the TEVAs. Wore some Scarpa low shoes last trip. While I had no problems with them, I prefer the socks and sandals option.

[north-north-west]

For someone as clumsy as me there'd be too many broken toes. And how on earth do you get the mud out of your socks?
Oh yeah, wear diving booties instead of normal socks you stupid woman!

[zac150]

Is it the boots that are wrong?

I have found over the years that blisters come from either ill fitting boots or the wrong socks. Rubbing can occur if the boot doesn't actually fit your boot i.e too big too small or the shape of the boot doesn't match your foot, but lets face it most people would get this part right in the shop.

Friction can also cause blisters, I find that if i wear the same socks for more than say 2 days I get blisters or if I wear really heavy socks that make my feet sweat i can also get blisters. I tend to rely on light weight socks that only just extend past the boot and find these work best for me; I have friends who use super light weight wool business socks and others that use more traditional thick hiking socks.

I guess what i'm saying is don't throw the boots away until you have tried them with a series of different options to work out the overall combination.

[north-north-west]

Nah. They're Scarpas. Chuck 'em. 'orrible things, Scarpas. If your feet fit them they're great. Otherwise it'd be less painful to soak your feet in kero and throw a match at them.

[weeds]

Never had a blister with the scarpas...walked plenty of km's....they've been wet, tried different socks

Although I have been wearing them to work everyday without issue.....Camp boots is all they will be.

Did 8km around my cootha last night on gravel fire trails in the new boots......so far so good

[dunamis]

I do about 10km in my Scarpa SL's before I have to tape the heels. My Zamberlans don't give me blisters but they are narrow so I get some arch pain and toe squishing. Still looking for a boot that I can put on and not have to think about them for the rest of the day. I did 12k yesterday up Meander Falls track and back via split rock track in Columbia outdoor runners carrying a day pack and they were brilliant. Only downside was on the boulders stones can bash the foot arches a bit whereas with full grain leather that's not a problem.


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[Strider]

I do about 10km in my Scarpa SL's before I have to tape the heels. My Zamberlans don't give me blisters but they are narrow so I get some arch pain and toe squishing. Still looking for a boot that I can put on and not have to think about them for the rest of the day. I did 12k yesterday up Meander Falls track and back via split rock track in Columbia outdoor runners carrying a day pack and they were brilliant. Only downside was on the boulders stones can bash the foot arches a bit whereas with full grain leather that's not a problem.


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Maybe try the wide last Zamberlans next time? I have the Baffins and find them amazing and no issues with comfort or blisters. I think the Vioz is also offered with the wide last.

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[dunamis]

Yeah good suggestion. I didn't realise I had wide feet but it's slowly dawned on me now. I'd probably rate the Zamberlans over the Scarpas in full grain cowhide for comfort so I think a wide model would hit the sweet spot for me.


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[puredingo]

Always having feet/foot ware problems I recently bought a pair of KEEN boots and thought I'd hit the jackpot. They wore like an absolute dream in the shop and came at an excellent price. BUT after a few walks I soon dawned on me all was not well in paradise. After about an hour or two of walking I would experience an agonising pain down the right side of my right foot, something between a burn and a cramp. So crippling was the pain I'd eventually have to sit down and take the boot off and let the feeling naturally subside...if I tried to wiggle my toes before the pain was gone it was tears time.

So now the KEENS are car camp boots and I've got myself a pair of Merrill shoes which I haven't looked back from...way it goes?

[waggy]

Beware of the Italians...their sizing can get very tight around the base of the foot. The explanation given to me was that they tend to go bare foot less than us when younger. Australians have a tendency to go more around bare foot when younger and it has widened our feet a bit.

[north-north-west]

... bare foot when younger and it has widened our feet a bit.

It doesn't 'widen your feet'. It prevents them becoming cramped into shoe shape.

[Tai]

Bought a pair of size 4 Scarpas full grain leather hiking boots and all was good from day one while hiking in cool weather. As the weather gets warmer, started to get aching toes and bleeding under a few of the toe nails, especially if the hike involves lots of steep descent, can feel my toes knocking on the front of the boots. Suppose this is due to swelling feet in hot weather.

So bought a pair of Kath. Hiking boots one size bigger (size 5) thinking that might solve the problem. Went for a 19 km hike with 869m ascent and 1084m descent with 2 pair of socks, aching toes again (though no bleeding under the toe nail).

Someone suggest stuffing sheep wool into the front of the boots, has anyone try that?

[Strider]

What is your lacing technique, Tai? Sounds like you might need to lock in a bit tighter/more effectively at the ankle.

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[Tai]

Was shown the "correct" lacying tech. by chap @ Paddy. Usually lace up pretty tight around the ankle.

[warnabrother]

So I went from boots to trail runners after reading all the positive comments on this forum and BPL and while they were comfortable and I didn't get blisters, I hated them. I missed the support my boots offered, I didn't like feeling every pebble under foot and walking through muddy/boggy terrain was a disaster. I was not as confident bombing along the tracks and off track, having to pay too much attention to where and what I was stepping on, I missed much of the scenery I was there to look at.

I can see the appeal of lightweight shoes/runners and while they are comfy, just not for me.. now to find a new pair of boots.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

I missed the support my boots offered, I didn't like feeling every pebble under foot and walking through muddy/boggy terrain was a disaster. I was not as confident bombing along the tracks and off track, having to pay too much attention to where and what I was stepping on, I missed much of the scenery I was there to look at.

What sort of trail runners were they? If they were, say, ultralight mesh-only (eg. inov-8's) or something I could understand your misgivings, but I find that a sturdier trail runner with support and forefoot protection (eg. I use La Sportiva ultra raptors) provide just as much support and protection as boots... not quite as light as the mesh-only shoes but at about 300g still far more nimble and comfortable than boots. I've always had cr@p ankles but made the switch from boots a couple of years ago and haven't looked back (still wear my scarpas for really rough off track stuff, horses for courses, but the TRs are fine for 90% of my walking). If anything, the TR's strengthen the ankles etc through increased proprioception (admittedly takes a little while to develop) which ultimately negates the need for a lot of support, which is a bit of a myth in high-ankle boots anyway. If they have a rockplate or other forefoot protection, you don't "feel every pebble". And the lack of any Gore-Tex or other membrane means your feet breathe better and dry quicker when wet (admittedly takes less for them to get wet, but there's nothing worse than lugging boots for a few more days after they've been waterlogged).