Bushwalk Australia

Another story

Looks as though they have done a lot of work.

oldpiscator wrote:Looks as though they have done a lot of work.

Dunno. Still have a lot of tread (except the missing heel, but that's another issue).

north-north-west wrote:

oldpiscator wrote:Looks as though they have done a lot of work.

Dunno. Still have a lot of tread (except the missing heel, but that's another issue).

Agree with NNW. Plus the shredded sole on another. Falling apart rather than wearing out smacks of poor quality rather than use to me.

stry wrote:

north-north-west wrote:

oldpiscator wrote:Looks as though they have done a lot of work.

Dunno. Still have a lot of tread (except the missing heel, but that's another issue).

Agree with NNW. Plus the shredded sole on another. Falling apart rather than wearing out smacks of poor quality rather than use to me.

The tread edges look significantly rounded to me.... I'd think there is a few miles on 'em.

I remember reading years ago that particularly the glue but also the rubber used for the midsole can be affected by some type of (acidic?) water and if my memory is correct that is found in some area of Tasmania.
It had to do with soles coming apart and rubber sort of crumbling away.

I have certainly heard that and seen it occur in boots in Tassie where you get boots constantly soaked in tannin rich water. Some materials though just seem to break down after several years without an obvious reason. I recently threw out a pair or Ecco shoes (around town use) where the mid sole had crumbled - plenty of life left in the sole and uppers. They hadn't been immersed in water or otherwise mistreated.

Mark F wrote:I have certainly heard that and seen it occur in boots in Tassie where you get boots constantly soaked in tannin rich water. Some materials though just seem to break down after several years without an obvious reason. I recently threw out a pair or Ecco shoes (around town use) where the mid sole had crumbled - plenty of life left in the sole and uppers. They hadn't been immersed in water or otherwise mistreated.

The obvious reason as I understand it is that the break-down of the mid sole has to be due to faulty manufacturing. Generally in products made about a decade ago.

A friend had Ecco shoes that suffered the same fate. I had Scarpa shoes that crumbled. (No problem with several pairs of Scarpa boots.)

Those shoes had never been near tannic water. Or even pure water!

According to one knowledgable source, it's dry rot and common with footwear that gets infrequent and irregular use.

Yes to the tannin in the water (that jogged my memory) and yes about rubber crumbling after infrequent use.
I have read that several times including references to manufacturers.
for example : https://www.safetyjogger.com/en/academy ... -explained

Some old-timers told me that the tannin-rich acidic water in some areas of Tasmania (especially button grass pains) would dissolve the nails in their nailed-on-sole boots.

Obviously this is not the problem with any boots made since I started walking, though.

The boots did one Overland trip but plenty in the Lerderderg Gorge and that always a wet trip.

I doubt that the tannin in the running water water makes it particularly acidic it is the peaty swampy mud that is acidic from what I've read.

On boot/shoe soles: hot weather and age kills them, at least the types manufactured in the 1990s/2000s. When I lived in Darwin I had two pairs of boots disintegrate in Tasmania but nowhere near the SW. I swore off expensive boots after that but newer ones seem to be better perhaps the foam in the soles has changed somewhat?