Some years ago i had some really good Chris Brasher Town and country
ladies shoes/boots which were fabulous for gardening being quite stiff
and with lots of support for the ankles with a high back. They were good
because they weren't soft and flimsy and lasted ages but as in all
things they stopped making them and substituted them with shoes rather
than the boots/

They kept my feet dry and I could wiggle my toes in them yet the toe was
protected, good for my stony flinty clay. The soles were thick as well
and the leather was really waterproof/

Can't seem to find as good pair any more, i don't actually want HUGE
boots but again i don't want goretex pliable .

Anyone got a line they might recommend?

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
Two that are nationwide are Blacks and Cotswold but there are some
real specialists out there especially in the Lake District. Good excuse
for a holiday?


Thanks for the information Bob, unfortunately not an excuse for a
holiday as I live only 10 minutes walk from Fox's the outdoor shop and
we have two more in the town
As a member of the ramblers I can get a discount as well . I'll look
tomorrow.
I was also told to try men's shoes as i have flat feet which means my
feet are quite wide. I have got Mendl walking boots (men's ) for that
reason.

The same person said they'd bought ladies boots as they have a high
instep and so narrower than normal feet.


At the moment I use Hotter shoe, very comfortable but not hard wearing
enough really.

Help appreciated!

Janet

(still in shock over the death of Nigel Pargetter on the Archers !!)
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In message , Janet Tweedy
writes
Some years ago i had some really good Chris Brasher Town and country
ladies shoes/boots which were fabulous for gardening being quite stiff
and with lots of support for the ankles with a high back. They were
good because they weren't soft and flimsy and lasted ages but as in all
things they stopped making them and substituted them with shoes rather
than the boots/

They kept my feet dry and I could wiggle my toes in them yet the toe
was protected, good for my stony flinty clay. The soles were thick as
well and the leather was really waterproof/

Can't seem to find as good pair any more, i don't actually want HUGE
boots but again i don't want goretex pliable .

Anyone got a line they might recommend?


not directly, but you might want to look at work boots/shoes they move
on a bit and there is more variety in styles and comfort from the old
black leather steel toecapped boots.

A couple of links to get you going

http://www.ebrookes.co.uk/footwear

http://www.greenham.com/c/se/1145/Footwear
--
Chris French

Mendl are often quoted as a wide fitting, but I found them too narrow. My new pair are Zamberlain, fairly lightweight, totally comfortable and totally waterproof. I can't remember for sure, but I think the guy I bought them from said they do both a narrow and a wider fitting. I used our small local outdoor shop - they offered to stretch the boots slightly if needed - one of your shops may have the same facility.

Don't despair - good quality leather boots are still being made, and they are lighter nowadays than they used to be.

On Jan 5, 12:30*pm, chris French
wrote:
In message , Janet Tweedy
writes





Some years ago i had some really good Chris Brasher Town and country
ladies shoes/boots which were fabulous for gardening being quite stiff
and with lots of support for the ankles with a high back. They were
good because they weren't soft and flimsy and lasted ages but as in all
things they stopped making them and substituted them with shoes rather
than the boots/

They kept my feet dry and I could wiggle my toes in them yet the toe
was protected, good for my stony flinty clay. The soles were thick as
well and the leather was really waterproof/

Can't seem to find as good pair any more, i don't actually want HUGE
boots but again i don't want goretex pliable .

Anyone got a line they might recommend?

not directly, but you might want to look at work boots/shoes they move
on a bit and there is *more variety in styles and comfort from the old
black leather steel toecapped boots.

A couple of links to get you going

http://www.ebrookes.co.uk/footwear

http://www.greenham.com/c/se/1145/Footwear
--
Chris French- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'd second that, I've been looking at some shoes in this catalogue

http://www.axminster.co.uk/?sessionI...fd89e1dc283 7.

Don't forget these are protective shoes and as such are free of VAT
so great value.

Rod

In article ,
kay wrote:


Don't despair - good quality leather boots are still being made, and
they are lighter nowadays than they used to be.

Unfortunately, traditional wide fittings haven't been made in many
decades, and the situation is worse now than it ever has been. The
point there is that there used to be boots with a normal width heel,
and the maximum width at the toes. No more :-(

However, almost everyone in the UK has feet that have been distorted
by wearing hard (often narrow) shoes since early childhood. It's
typically only those who were brought up in the topics who haven't,
and not all of those - even in that subset, it is the people with
the widest feet that have the worst trouble.

Work boots are usually better than walking boots, but normally come
with steel toecaps, and the ranges of even those are becoming more
restricted.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , kay
writes
Mendl are often quoted as a wide fitting, but I found them too narrow.


Ah but i got men's ones as they are apparently wider for the size.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , writes
However, almost everyone in the UK has feet that have been distorted
by wearing hard (often narrow) shoes since early childhood. It's
typically only those who were brought up in the topics who haven't,
and not all of those - even in that subset, it is the people with
the widest feet that have the worst trouble.


Ah well not sure if New Eltham is in the sub tropics, though it was near
Sidcup and Mottingham

However in the 70's ( in Chatham, which isn't too tropical either come
to think) I wore Scholls a lot and I have flat feet rather than wide
feet per se, so didn't wear high heels for too long at any one time.

Looking at taxi shoes it's a wonder anyone can balance on the things
they make now for fashion!


--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article ,
Janet writes
I agree. I wear leather work boots from a builder supplies shop;
fortunately they start at size six ; and being mens style are cut wider
than womens which is just what I want. They are waterproof, not too
heavy, supportive and completely comfortable, and only cost about £40;
far cheaper than comparable quality in outdoor sports shops.

Janet


Brilliant Janet, I'll see if i can find a shop or perhaps online that
sells them. Good idea!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article
,
Judith in France writes
Janet, I have always found gold leather mule slippers the very best of
gardening attire, no, I'm not joking, I have many relics mud encrusted
laying outside, wonderful things :-)


I wonder what kind of animal has gold leather for skin? I did buy a
pair of those cloggies the other day for nipping out to get the logs in
etc. Much better than my normal slippers which Tom used to tell me off
for wearing and then coming in with them wet or muddy !

Saw a programme about real clogs and thought they might be useful, I did
used to garden in Wood soled Scholls at one time. They seemed easy
enough and I can wash my feet easier than washing shoes
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

I wear my wellies for gardening can't go wrong!

In article , hollierose
writes
I wear my wellies for gardening can't go wrong!



You can if it's a hot day!!

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Steel capped wellies?

True! haha

Seems a bit illogical for them to wear steel capped boots when its dry but ordinary wellies if its wet, when its possibly even more likely to drop something.