UKH

Quite a specific query here, but worth a shot.

I'm interested in boots specifically for long distance continuous walking.  I should explain what I mean by that and what problems I've had.

I did LEJOG a few years ago, and I started off with lightweight fabric boots.  They felt great and were comfortable in warmer weather.  But because I was walking and away from home, I couldn't really take care of them properly, and after a couple of hundred miles, every seam became a point of failure, which meant that as soon as I walked across a dewy field in the morning, my feet were soaking.  And not just soaked in dew... 

In retrospect, that might also just be the expected lifespan.  If I walked 20 miles every other weekend, I'd do 500 miles a year, and I'd probably feel I'd got decent value if my boots lasted survived that.

Since then I've tended to use a much heavier boot such as https://www.tiso.com/fwbop2ti0084/scarpa-mens-sl-activ-boots-red-fwbop2ti00... for long distance walking.  These remain wonderfully dry, and can cope with not being given as much maintenance. 

They're hot in summer, which isn't great.  But what tends to happen is that I wear down the soles, so that they become smooth and slippy.  So I'm left with a pair of boots where the upper is very usable but the boot as a whole isn't.  I've tried having soles replaced on walking boots once (via Tiso in Edinburgh), and they didn't stay waterproof for long afterwards. 

So now I'm left looking for a boot which a) doesn't have lots of seams and b) has a very robust sole which will last a long time.  I suspect I'm also looking for the moon on a stick, but I thought I'd ask in case anyone has any recommendations in this area.

I prefer boots to shoes as I have weak ankles (that might be because I always wear boots, of course... ) and also because they're better in bogs.

I've got a pair of Meindl Bhutans

https://www.activinstinct.co.uk/product/brown-meindl-bhutan-mfs-mens-hiking...

I find them extremely comfortable. Orthosole insole (to combat my flat feet) and one pair of socks at a time I've found JCB socks are the most hard wearing.

I've had them for 3 years during which time I have walked Offa's Dyke, The Cotswold Way, the Berra Way, various paths in Gran Canaria, La Palma, Haute Savoie, Parts of the Jura, and various paths in Western Cape. I also use them regularly for walks in the UK 2 or 3 times a week of between 8 and 15 miles in all weathers. I keep them clean and bees wax them regularly (they are also Gortex lined). They are still waterproof in spite of starting to show some signs of leather cracking where they flex - I used them for short walks local to our campsite in the Namibian Desert last month.

They are warm in winter, but not too hot in very hot weather (Namibia was 42 degrees) The soles are starting to wear down but there is still some life in them, but my walking has been sporadic and not more than two consecutive weeks at a time. I don't know how they would perform with continuous walking over many weeks.

If you like the idea of them, why not contact Meindl for their opinion on what you are planning to do with them?

Left of field; as boots actually don't provide any ankle support (look it up, peer reviewed), buy some running shoes and a pair of sealskin socks to dry them out overnight?

Send them here for a decent resole.

http://lancashiresportsrepairs.co.uk/

Meindl Borneo.

They have a tough, solid sole and a leather lining which will last far longer than fabric.  I rate mine very highly.  No membrane (which is a good thing in my view), which makes them less sweaty in the summer.  Slap on some Nikwax and you're good to go.

Try Altberg - they have a lot of models to suit your desired balance of weight / robustness. They also offer a variety of widths. Plus the resole service is first class. 

As above re ankles, boots won't help. Check out all the through hiker blogs from the US, a wealth of info on all things long distance. Nearly all wear trail running shoes. 

Safe travels,

S

Thanks for the replies. 

I'll look at Meindl and Altberg. 

I can see the arguments about trail shoes, but a) they don't seem to last as long and therefore would require replacement during a walk of the length I'm looking at and b) I really don't fancy them when walking through bogs. Drying out quickly is all very well if what you're walking on is dry most of the time, but that's often not true in some parts of the UK.

But perhaps I'm wrong about that. Has anyone who doesn't like wet feet got experience of them on wet ground? 

I am a massive fan of altbergs, however I find that the soles wear down very quickly. At a push I might get 500 miles, although I am particularly heavy on boots. The resole service is brilliant though and I've had a pair done 4 or 5 times and they are still very waterproof.