UKH

First time poster, long time lurker, thanks for any help in advance

I have been using the Innovate Roclites (as below) for about six months, fantastic boots, really light weight and I have loved them.  Problem is, the mesh is now ripped on the top, so I need a replacement.

https://www.inov-8.com/roclite-g-345-gtx-mens-lightweight-hiking-boot

Please can anyone share any recommendations?  I would buy these again but would worry about them ripping again.  

The new boots I want are for hillwalking in the UK, Spring / Summer shoe

thanks in advance folks, I appreciate anyones input

In reply to waterfall:

I'd have a look at the Salomon X Ultra Mid GTX. I've not had mine that long but knew they were right the minute I put them on. I can't speak for the longevity of this exact model yet but have had an earlier, very similar Salomon shoe and they're very tough, even withstanding several desert trips with rugged rock and spiky plants which, for a predominantly fabric shoe, is remarkable.

In reply to Martin Bennett:

thanks Martin, I'll take a look at some reviews

What's the fabric top like on top, does it feel flimsy?  it looks to be a bit further back from the pics than the roclites so that is a positive

In reply to waterfall:

I'd say it's tough enough and protected by a rand all the way round so that only a couple of square inches above the base of your toes is vulnerable.  Incidentally so far in the wet they've been like wellies though I don't expect that to last the life of them. For sizing get your size - I went up a half to a 9 just in case but sent 'em back in exchange for an 8.5 which is what I am.

In reply to waterfall:

I usually batter through a pair of light boots every year. I found the Salomons sweaty and smell bad quite quickly compared to other brands. I often lurk on Sportpursuit and buy up a deal on whatever is going cheap. Currently using a pair of Mammut somethingorothers which I'm finding excellent. Just for general light hillwalking, I'm not personally too fussy. Rock shoes and B3 winter boots are a very different matter.

Welcome to the zoo.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Plus 1 for Salomons smelling after use - awful ! No other footwear of mine does that. 

I was looking at the inov8 boots as well but was put of by the poor reports about the toughness of the mesh in that area. Sadly, inov8 are not as durable as several years ago. 
 

good value (cheap) approach shoes and wear them out in 12 months seems to be the only option

In reply to Tim Davies:

Funny isn't it, I even tried a pair of their non membrane trainers as I expected them to be much more breathable but the smell of death after a few uses was unbearable. There must be something they use in their footwear that sucks the evil out of people and inflicts it on the world.

In reply to waterfall:

Hoka do something similar but no experience of them: https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/hok802/hoka-sky-arkali-walking-boots-~-...

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

I've been wearing Salomon shoes for years, and I can't say I've ever experienced this. Maybe you have too much evil inside?

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Mine, on the other hand, do not.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

I never has any issues with my non gortex ones they'd soak through but dry in no time. Upgraded to a gortex pair and they live in the boot of the car because otherwise they stink the house out and take ages to dry. 

In reply to Forest Dump:

these looks great, seriously considering these now, they are much lighter as well

Innovate Roclite - 345g

Hoka's  Weight - 432g 

Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX - 950g

In reply to waterfall:

A review of Hoka's first attempt at a light hiking boot. http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.com/2020/05/hoka-one-one-tor-ultra-hi-wp.... Originally I was going to review them for UKC/UKH but it never went ahead in the end, but I've used them quite a lot since - I remember wearing them up Tryfan when my partner was a bit pregnant. The bump is now 3, 4 in the summer, so the boots are over 4 years. The waterproof membrane gave out in one of them last year so now one leaks if you walk through a stream. Mine look a bit trashed now mainly because I wore them a lot this winter on my mountain bike having gone back flats, they kept my feet warm in the snow and the mud better than my SPD winter cycling boots but the pedalling movement has meant some fabric wore through at the base of the ankle.  They are super comfy - as comfy as good trail runner I've found. If I was going to do a long distance hike, say the Pennine Way when you're not certain of how dry you'll be able to keep your feet, I think I'd just buy a new pair.

Edit - I was told by one of the fast completists of the last winter Spine Race that went ahead pre pandemic in 2020 that the HOKA boots were a very popular choice for competitors.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

Same here, I own a pair of Forces Quest 4D non-GTX thinking the breathability of a non-membrane boot would help against smelling. If only. 

The 'problem' is that Salomon uses only synthetic textiles for their boots, the leather is faux-leather and the lining is either GTX or some form of synthetic mesh. Of course, if you think leather is immoral this is great... I actually love leather because it is tough as nails. Won't buy Salomon again.

Bacteria luuuuuuuuuv synthetic textiles, hence the smell. The only thing that helps just a little bit is putting them out to dry in the sun as soon as you take them off. If there is any of course. 

I'm not a great fan of ultralight hiking boots exactly because they tend to be a lot less durable than their full/mostly leather counterparts. But this of course is a personal choice. 

In reply to TobyA:

thanks toby, this was really useful - going to pull the trigger on the hoka's I think then

In reply to waterfall:

Since initial exchange I've been following this and now I've heard about these Hokas I'm feeling a bit miffed that I didn't try them as they sound great. I'd dismissed them due to their unconventional appearance. One thing I've noticed in your weight comparison though - you have the Hoka's weight per shoe but the Salomon's per pair. Toby's excellent review says Hoka claim 970g per pair. Intrigued, I've just weighed my Salomons at 930g.

In reply to waterfall:

They're very nice boots. My partner got about 1000 miles out of hers before they were condemned due to various things failing. Has 2 spare pairs lined up.

I've also got which I used over Autumn to Spring after ages of using fell shoes - went quite well and can well believe Spine racers being keen on them. Being as substantial as they are makes it feel worth having the membrane.

Inov8 do also seem to do multiple pairs of boots with much tougher looking uppers than the 345. Pro G 400 for instance.

In reply to waterfall:re. Weight.  Some manufacturers quote weight per pair, Hoka per single shoe .