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#106
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walking boots-- which are good?
On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:45:10 +0000, Geoff Berrow
wrote: On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:49:00 +0000, Peter Clinch wrote: Take them orienteering instead and they'll be on rougher terrain with more need of good soles, and hardly anyone will think they're best off in boots with Vibram soles and ankle support. Certainly almost all of the experts won't be in them. I've been walking 3-4 miles a day on pavements to keep in trim and in the recent snow, I wore my boots instead of my usual North Face shoes. As I only have short legs, I found it harder to walk as fast with the boots because of the extra weight. This isn't usually a problem when doing day walks across country or up hills as my pace will be more relaxed. I can see, however, that someone concerned with speed would prefer lighter footwear. Speed isn't the only concern with weight. After some miles of walking in comfortable but heavy boots, a knee became painful and slightly swollen. I didn't connect it with the boots at first, but when I doffed the boots the knee problem very quickly disappeared. It's possible my gait in the above ankle boots was a factor, but I'm guessing it was mostly the swinging weight of the boots. --Vic |
#107
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walking boots-- which are good?
On Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:14:04 -0800, SMS wrote...
Maybe the original poster needs to spend a year in the U.S. to learn proper English. Nah, he wouldn't learn it proper like what English is spoke in England. One friend from the U.K. was in a Walgreen's here (a drug store chain) and his wife who had just moved to the U.S. yelled over to him, "hey Ray, do we have any rubbers in the house." On one backpacking trip I was on, it was time to wash the dishes, the leader asked one participant who had just moved from he U.K. to the U.S. if he had brought along a scrubber to which he replied "I didn't know that it was permitted." Just as long as he didn't have a fag in the tent. -- Tim Jackson lid (Change '.invalid' to '.plus.com' to reply direct) |
#108
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walking boots-- which are good?
On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:05:38 -0600, Vic Smith wrote:
On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:45:10 +0000, Geoff Berrow wrote: On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:49:00 +0000, Peter Clinch wrote: Take them orienteering instead and they'll be on rougher terrain with more need of good soles, and hardly anyone will think they're best off in boots with Vibram soles and ankle support. Certainly almost all of the experts won't be in them. I've been walking 3-4 miles a day on pavements to keep in trim and in the recent snow, I wore my boots instead of my usual North Face shoes. As I only have short legs, I found it harder to walk as fast with the boots because of the extra weight. This isn't usually a problem when doing day walks across country or up hills as my pace will be more relaxed. I can see, however, that someone concerned with speed would prefer lighter footwear. Speed isn't the only concern with weight. After some miles of walking in comfortable but heavy boots, a knee became painful and slightly swollen. I didn't connect it with the boots at first, but when I doffed the boots the knee problem very quickly disappeared. It's possible my gait in the above ankle boots was a factor, but I'm guessing it was mostly the swinging weight of the boots. I'm also guessing, but I think it's more likely that you walk differently in boots. In running, there are advocates of barefoot running, largely on the grounds of reduced injuries. There was a study that showed that injuries increased in proportion to the cost of the running shoes. Heavy boots can make your feet feel very protected, but may mean that you stride out in a way that puts more strain on other parts of your body. -- rob |
#109
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walking boots-- which are good?
rob wrote:
Heavy boots can make your feet feel very protected, but may mean that you stride out in a way that puts more strain on other parts of your body. I don't know whether the confidence will affect gait or not, but I'm pretty sure a stiffer sole will because your foot doesn't get to bend nearly as much as "normal" walking has evolved. And because walking is different, it's probably using muscles that don't usually get so involved. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#110
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walking boots-- which are good?
On 23 Feb, 10:49, Christopher Loffredo wrote:
SMS wrote: Look for the following features: 1. GORE-TEX® lining. 2. Vibram® outsole 3. Stitchdown construction (not just glued) 4. Full-grain, all-leather upper (not split grain, not "nubuck"). Though many, including myself, dislike Gore-Tex in a boot. It requires a different construction method, which leads to the boot not lasting as long, can create a sweatier environment, starts leaking fairly quickly and then does a good job of keeping the water *in*. Unfortunately, Gore-Tex-less boots are getting harder and harder to find.... Gore-Tex YUK!!! |
#111
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walking boots-- which are good?
On 19 Feb, 11:58, "john bently" wrote:
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. This is not so simple a question as you might think. I've taken to wearing fabric-sided walking boots for general travel through airports and cities, and even for walking to the shops. Most "fashion shoes" are now so paedatrically illiterate that even wearing them to walk down stairs is outside their design range. Problem with walking boots is that, despite all the manufacturers protestations that they know so much about feet, they don't usually make them in different width fittings! I can't get my feet into Brasher boots at all, but the pair of Contour boots I have (similar to their Nevada but 5 years old) fit me like a glove and are so supremely comfortable I am tempted to wear them everywhere. List price now is about 75 quid, I paid less than 60 5 years ago in one of those villages between Dartmoor and the A38. I've just finished a 6 week trip round Europe, wearing WoodWorld safety boots at work and a pair of Gore-tex Agile boots in the evenings and at weekends. I had to go to a meeting wearing a pair of Clark's leather brogues that cost over a hundred quid and I had a blister on the ball of my feet after 10 minutes. I buy my 'everyday' boots from a workwear shop in Stamford, trying on what they have that will fit my high instep and wide forefoot, and only rarely pay more than £35. I used to buy Hi-Tec boots from them down the years, but they seem determined to go the fashion route now and make footwear for youngsters who want to look like robocop. They are narrower at the front too. The soles on cheaper workwear-shop boots seem to survive walking on paving and the steel decks of ships for twice as long as those on e.g. Berghaus or karrimoor branded leather boots. Don't overlook Doc Martens and the Airwear sole either. They were originally designed as industrial footwear with a difference: they were comfortable to wear and did not feel like a steel box on your foot after 20 minutes. I had one pair of very cheap boots with mock-leather uppers and a padded ankle band of some synthetic rubbish that I wore for several years. They had a good vibram sole, and I changed the foot liner for an expensive one (all of two quid). Happening to be in the USA once I wore them for 3 weeks walking round the Big Bend national park and they were perfectly fine. Ten years later I still wore them for gardening and walking the dogs, until the welt failed. I'm sure they cost me less than a tenner in Grantham Market. Vibram and Goodyear workshoe soles are worth looking out for, especially if long life is important to you. |
#112
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walking boots-- which are good?
On 23 Feb, 17:03, Christopher Loffredo wrote:
My non-Gore-Tex boots are certainly neither cheap nor low-end. In fact, full-leather non-Gore-Text boots usually cost as much or more than the ones with. That would be my other bit of advice - keep a weather eye on prices. I've seen a 3-to-one variation in the same boots from farm shop in Lincolnshire to Barnard Castle hardware store to dedicated outdoor hyperstore in manchester |
#113
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walking boots-- which are good?
bobharvey wrote:
Problem with walking boots is that, despite all the manufacturers protestations that they know so much about feet, they don't usually make them in different width fittings! Can't speak for the UK, but in the U.S. the higher end hiking boots are generally available in two or three different widths. But if you're getting a lower end boot then you're usually out of luck--they don't want to manufacture SKUs that sell in low volumes if the product is cheap. Ironically, two stores I've seen a wide selection of widths for shoes (not boots) are the Sketchers store (not the other stores that sell Sketchers) and Wal-Mart. I thought it was rather strange that a store like Wal-Mart would have a better choice of wide shoes than most shoe stores. In any case, the bottom line remains the same when buying walking (hiking) boots. First look for the necessary design elements which a 1. GORE-TEX® lining (or other breathable waterproof membrane lining) for breathable waterproofness (nearly all mid to high end boots have this). NEVER buy hiking boots that lack a breathable waterproof membrane lining. 2. Vibram® outsole for best traction (cheaper boots may have a lower grade outsole). 3. Stitchdown construction (not just glued) for durability (very rare except on extreme high end). 4. Full-grain, all-leather upper (not split grain, not "nubuck") for support and durability. Once you find all the boots with the necessary design elements you begin to narrow down your choices based on other factors like fit, aesthetics, price, etc.. |
#114
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walking boots-- which are good?
SMS wrote:
In any case, the bottom line remains the same when buying walking (hiking) boots. First look for the necessary design elements which a 1. GORE-TEX® lining (or other breathable waterproof membrane lining) for breathable waterproofness (nearly all mid to high end boots have this). NEVER buy hiking boots that lack a breathable waterproof membrane lining. sigh What was that about the constant repitition of an idea imprinting it in the consciousness of an audience? Didn't it have something to do with Hitler? It seems it did... "But the most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly and with unflagging attention. It must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over." -- Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, p. 184 You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is already a breathable waterproof material. -- Phil Cook, last hill: Am Bodach in the Mamores on a sunny day :-) pictures at http://www.therewaslight.co.uk soonish... |
#115
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walking boots-- which are good?
On 27 Feb, 20:36, Phil Cook wrote:
You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is already a breathable waterproof material. I'd go along with that. I've got gore-tex boots but I've been perfectly happy with ones that didn't have it. proper leather boots have a tradition going back, ooh, millenia. For much of the late 90s young blokes in Europe bought second hand east german airforce boots, which laced up to somewhere near the chin. They wore them for work, cycling, hill walking, and (in the case of some I knew) for job interviews. The construction was leather, leather, with added leather. They were fantastically popular with people who had no money, and seemed nearly indestructible and comfortable enough to sleep in. |
#116
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walking boots-- which are good?
Phil Cook wrote
sigh What was that about the constant repitition of an idea imprinting it in the consciousness of an audience? Didn't it have something to do with Hitler? Gosh, Phil. That's desperately close to Godwin's law :-D Or was that the idea ;-) Chris |
#117
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walking boots-- which are good?
On 25 Feb, 09:30, Phil Cook wrote:
I worded it rather poorly. What I should have said was that boots or shoes that are uncomfortable because of poor fit will never become comfortable. There is much in that, although the human being will adapt to almost anything. My father told of being issued the boots he wore at D-day: MD: "Sarge, these boots don't bend anywhere!" Sergeant: "No, lad, but your feet do. Put em on now" I do think that comfortable fit, at the front and round the heel are really important ways to choose a boot. I've also had to reject some that simply don't come high enough up the ankle. There also needs to be a clear space under the instep - trying to match the whole sole to the arch of the foot is fraught with risks of blisters. Don't forget that your forefoot spreads sideways (and a tiny bit forward) after walking a while, especially if you normally wear fashion shoes in 'real life'. I tried some anti-shoes in Germany last week - they had a wierd shaped sole which had a convex curve from front to back. Standing still only the bit under your instep touched the ground, the toe and heel (there wasn't a heel) had a good 10mm of clearance. Designed by all sorts of sports experts I thought they were just horrid. I might be wrong, but that's how they seemed to me. (http://www.mbtshoe.co.uk/ these seem to be similar idea, but less extreme) |
#118
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walking boots-- which are good?
On 19 Feb, 13:49, ®óñ© © ²°¹° wrote:
After you've got the boots, don't forget that it's virtually illegal nowadays to walk outside the house without the use of Nordic Walking Sticks, even if you're just popping round the corner for a paper. Tell me about it. I was perforated in about a million places by people carrying them on the tram in Zurich, just to get from the house to the tram stop, or up the stairs at work. Now that we arn't allowed to carry swords as part of our daily office work, someone has come up with the idea of carrying two spears instead. |
#119
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walking boots-- which are good?
Phil Cook wrote:
imprinting it in the consciousness of an audience? Didn't it have something to do with Hitler? Godwin's Law. You lose. You made a mistake and I'm man enough to admit it. |
#120
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walking boots-- which are good?
Phil Cook wrote:
You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is already a breathable waterproof material. You only need a waterproof boot if you intend to walk for long periods of time in wet conditions or in mud. |
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