Choosing boots

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 Fellfaller 17 Mar 2019

Hi, I am just getting back into hill walking and want to get a light weight boot for the 'warmer months'. Unfortunately there appears to be a wide and confusing range of boots to choose from. The Meindl Chile appeals to me but is it any good? What other similar boot is worth considering?

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

 Reply

 tjdodd 17 Mar 2019
In reply to Fellfaller:

Where are you based?  Best idea is to go to a good outdoor retailer (preferably independent) ask advice and try on lots of different pairs until you find the best for you. 

 wbo 17 Mar 2019
In reply to Fellfaller: as above,trying them on is essential.

You're also going to need to decide if you  want boots or , basically, some flavour of trail running shoe

 Jonny 17 Mar 2019
In reply to wbo:

Yep. In dry, snowless conditions without smallish scree, I find lighter shoes that let you feel the terrain to be invariably a better choice. They end up getting less wear too, because your foot placements end up being so precise.

Post edited at 13:13
In reply to Fellfaller:

I think that footwear is about the most important of all our outdoor gear, so it is not an area to penny pinch. If you are really getting back into this seriously, you are best with two pairs of boots - one well-made set of proper hill walking boots that can cope with rain, mud, scree, some snow, and another  pair of lightweight hill "shoes" for dry conditions. For the latter, I prefer climbers' descent-type shoes with a thin vibram sole and thin leather uppers. I am not a fan of lightweight trainers, with breathable tops, that let the rain straight in! Last summer, which was unusually dry in the UK, I used my descent shoes almost the whole time; now I am back to the hill-walking boots to cope with mud etc. 

OP Fellfaller 13 Apr 2019
In reply to John Stainforth:

Hi, thanks for the advice. I Have a pair of gortex Addidas Terrax shoes, which are fine for casual walks but think I'll get a decent pair of hill boots to go with them!

 Flinticus 13 Apr 2019
In reply to Fellfaller:

I've used asolo nucleon approach shoes. Lighter than boots, more robust than trainers.

 wercat 13 Apr 2019
In reply to Fellfaller:

For lighter boots outside the times of ice and snow I've used Aku for a number of years (they've now got the MOD contract for the Army, so no Jonny come lately) and they have been used for everything from gentle hill walking to soloing the In Pin and long serious scrambles on the Cuillin like Pinnacle Ridge etc.

I love their boots - they have taken the place Scarpa had in my heart and on my feet before it all changed - I loved their boots till early 90s

Post edited at 21:37

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...