john bently wrote:
Now i have retired I would like to start walking. Would anyone know of a
good place to see some *critical* reviews of the different walking boots
available please? Apparently the last consumers association review was done
way back in april 2006.

Or would anyone know of some boots (preferably not too expensive) that are
generally believed by many people to be a good buy? Thanks for any advice.

When you say "walking" do you mean on trails where ankle support is
critical so you need actual boots, or on pavement and paths where you
can get by with lower walking shoes?

For hiking boots look for:

-One-piece, full grain leather uppers
-Goretex membrane for breathability and water-proofing
-Vibram soles for traction (nothing beats Vibram soles for traction)

For walking shoes it's a little easier:

-Leather or nubuck
-Goretex membrane for breathability and water-proofing
-Vibram or other sole with good traction

Look for boots/shoes which come in a lot of sizes, including different
widths and half sizes. In the U.S., it's often annoying that half-sizes
stop at 11 (on the cheaper shoes) though this is changing a little
because they're bringing in more of the European sized products where
there are more whole sizes that correspond to U.S. half sizes.


In the U.S., for actual boots, some of the brands and models to look for
a

Danner® Mountain Light II
Vasque Summit GTX
Asolo Power Matic 200 GV
Cabela's All-Leather Mountain Hikers