In 2 minds about boots

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Reading a Chris Townsend Munro book in bed last night I saw that he
wore Brasher Hillmasters for his Munro trip (I think it was mid 90s),
and was v. pleased with them. I jumped out of bed and looked them up
on Google (I've never had a Brasher boot) and they seemed to get mixed
reviews. I'll try them
Peewiglet

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Reading a Chris Townsend Munro book in bed last night I saw that he
wore Brasher Hillmasters for his Munro trip (I think it was mid 90s),
and was v. pleased with them. I jumped out of bed and looked them up
on Google (I've never had a Brasher boot) and they seemed to get mixed
reviews. I'll try them on>

Peewiglet

IIRC Chris Townsend wore the soles off three pairs of Brasher boots on
his Munros and Tops walk, but he's a big heavy chap and heavier people wear
boots out quicker.
I'm barely 10st and for for what it's worth, I wore the same pair of
Brasher GTX Hillmaster boots for three GOC coast to coast walks - and
there's still some tread left on though one of them is beginning to crack a
bit at the top of the toe box.
I'm currently breaking in a new pair. They suit me perfectly and I've
never had wet feet on any of the crossings. Inside the boots I wear
Smartwool socks which keep me free from blisters. This combination may not
suit everyone but it's the best I've come across in fifty years of walking.
Cheers,
Gordon.

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> wrote

<snip stuff about boots and trainers>

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any views or experiences to throw into the mixing
pot? Many thanks for any contributions 🙂

You're a runner aren't you? If you've got a pair of running shoes that
you're happy with try hillwalking in those. I've happily backpacked across
the hills in Asics 1060s. That's not saying trainers are any better than
boots. Both have pros and cons but it's probably easier to find a
comfortable pair of trainers than it is a comfortable pair of boots if
you're having trouble finding something to suit.

In article <[email hidden]>, Peewiglet

Quoted message said:

Reading a Chris Townsend Munro book in bed last night I saw that he
wore Brasher Hillmasters for his Munro trip (I think it was mid 90s),
and was v. pleased with them. I jumped out of bed and looked them up
on Google (I've never had a Brasher boot) and they seemed to get mixed
reviews.

Just to put in a good word for the Hillmasters. I bought a pair earlier
this year and they are the most comfortable boots I've every owned, and
surprisingly light. I should say I don't really do astonishingly long
walks, not much more than 8 miles at a go. My last visit to the Lakes a
couple of weeks ago was the first time they've had a good outing and 25
miles over a few days saw no real complaints from my feet.

Incidentally I can highly recommend George Fishers in Keswick for their
boot fitting service ... and they do appear to have a fair exchange
policy if you find they don't suit after a few months.

--
David Biggins
Cambridge, UK

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get something else, but I'm caught in a trap now where I
can't choose between what I've always worn in the past i.e. a
traditional boot with some ankle support - Meindl, Gronell, that sort
of thing - or something lower and lighter. I want it for 3/4 season
backpacking in the Lakes (but not for crampons), and if I get into the
TGO Challenge then I'd like to be able to wear them for that as well.
Reading a Chris Townsend Munro book in bed last night I saw that he
wore Brasher Hillmasters for his Munro trip (I think it was mid 90s),
and was v. pleased with them. I jumped out of bed and looked them up
on Google (I've never had a Brasher boot) and they seemed to get mixed
reviews. I'll try them on, but I'd also like to try some Scarpa boots,
which seem to have a lot of very happy customers. I'd like to try
Meindl again too, when I can get to a shop that knows what they are...

Just a thought, but 6 months ago I was going through a very similar
decision to yourself and looking at pretty much the same range of boots.
Around that time I saw an interesting review on OM for a pair of
'fabric' [1] boots that were said to be one of the first non-leather
boots that provided the support & sole for good on- and off- trail
walking.

The boots in question were the Raichle Mountain Guide GTX and after
tracking down a shop that sold them I ended up buying a pair in
preference to the more regular brands. They have now got to the stage
where they have done a good few miles and I'm still very impressed with
them - dry, comfortable, stable and very easy to walk in, especially for
a reasonably rigid sole.

OM review is at:

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/UAN/2744/v/3/sp/

Raichle are (I believe) a relatively new brand to the UK but are getting
good write-up for many of their boots. If you're not sure where you are
going with your boots, they may be worth a look.

[1] they are primarily nubuck with fabric insets.

--
Darren

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 08:28:45 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Many thanks to all for the advice and experiences with boots. It was
much appreciated 🙂

Having considered everything, I decided to stick with what I know best
i.e. a traditionally shaped, leather boot. I realise they may be
unduly heavy, but right now I really need something comfortable on my
feet whilst walking - the foot pain (presumably brusing) from the
Pennine Way took a couple of weeks to go away, my blisters are still
healing and I still haven't regained sensation in the big toe on my
left foot... I've not found traditional boots too heavy in the past,
so I decided to aim for comfort. Once I've achieved that, I'll start
looking for a lighter alternative.

Having made that decision I also decided to check out the custom
Superfeet footbeds mentioned in a recent thread. I have (v. expensive)
custom orthotics for running, and was told when I bought them that I
could use them in my walking boots. However, I think they may have
contributed to the problem I had on the PW because they're not quite
as wide as the heel of my boot. I think that led to movement, which in
turn caused rubbing which led to blisters which still haven't totally
healed up.

I already know Meindl boots suit me, but I'd also read great things
about Scarpa. I was interested in what I'd read about Brasher
Hillmasters, and after reading what Darren said this a.m. about his
Reichles I wanted to see them too. I rang round and found that I could
see all of those boots, and more, at Field and Trek in Chester, who
also have a custom fitting Superfeet machine, so off I went.

I was very impressed by Field and Trek. They spent about 2 hours (and
I'm sure they would have spent longer, if necessary) helping me to
choose a boot and fitting me with footbeds. In the end I went for the
Raichle Mountain Trail GTX (ladies), with the Superfeet custom
footbeds. It was expensive, but I don't want to have to endure the
sort of foot pain I experienced on the PW again. I never have done in
the past with Meindls (or Gronells before them) - the Meindle Burma
was the second choice - but, for reasons I don't understand, I've
found that my feet have become more sensitive and prone to pain and
blisters since I took up running, so I wanted to do all I could to try
to avoid a repeat of the PW problem.

Anyway, I just thought I'd tell y'all what I'd gone for in the end,
and why, and thank you for helping me to decide. I like to get as
much info as possible, to try to make an informed decision about the
best starting points 🙂 I'll report back in due course on how it
all went :-)

(p.s. for the runners - I also bought a pair of Salomon XA Comp trail
shoes, also with Superfeet footbeds. I've been looking for a light
trail shoe with support for some time, to use in place of the fell
shoes that I currently wear for running at home in the woods/on the
beach. My expensive orthotics haven't helped with my achilles
tendonitis - hopefully these will....)

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On Sat, 09 Oct 2004 19:43:59 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 08:28:45 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Many thanks to all for the advice and experiences with boots. It was
much appreciated 🙂

Having considered everything, I decided to stick with what I know best
i.e. a traditionally shaped, leather boot. I realise they may be
unduly heavy, but right now I really need something comfortable on my
feet whilst walking - the foot pain (presumably brusing) from the
Pennine Way took a couple of weeks to go away, my blisters are still
healing and I still haven't regained sensation in the big toe on my
left foot... I've not found traditional boots too heavy in the past,
so I decided to aim for comfort. Once I've achieved that, I'll start
looking for a lighter alternative.

Having made that decision I also decided to check out the custom
Superfeet footbeds mentioned in a recent thread. I have (v. expensive)
custom orthotics for running, and was told when I bought them that I
could use them in my walking boots. However, I think they may have
contributed to the problem I had on the PW because they're not quite
as wide as the heel of my boot. I think that led to movement, which in
turn caused rubbing which led to blisters which still haven't totally
healed up.

I already know Meindl boots suit me, but I'd also read great things
about Scarpa. I was interested in what I'd read about Brasher
Hillmasters, and after reading what Darren said this a.m. about his
Reichles I wanted to see them too. I rang round and found that I could
see all of those boots, and more, at Field and Trek in Chester, who
also have a custom fitting Superfeet machine, so off I went.

I was very impressed by Field and Trek. They spent about 2 hours (and
I'm sure they would have spent longer, if necessary) helping me to
choose a boot and fitting me with footbeds. In the end I went for the
Raichle Mountain Trail GTX (ladies), with the Superfeet custom
footbeds. It was expensive, but I don't want to have to endure the
sort of foot pain I experienced on the PW again. I never have done in
the past with Meindls (or Gronells before them) - the Meindle Burma
was the second choice - but, for reasons I don't understand, I've
found that my feet have become more sensitive and prone to pain and
blisters since I took up running, so I wanted to do all I could to try
to avoid a repeat of the PW problem.

Anyway, I just thought I'd tell y'all what I'd gone for in the end,
and why, and thank you for helping me to decide. I like to get as
much info as possible, to try to make an informed decision about the
best starting points 🙂 I'll report back in due course on how it
all went :-)

(p.s. for the runners - I also bought a pair of Salomon XA Comp trail
shoes, also with Superfeet footbeds. I've been looking for a light
trail shoe with support for some time, to use in place of the fell
shoes that I currently wear for running at home in the woods/on the
beach. My expensive orthotics haven't helped with my achilles
tendonitis - hopefully these will....)

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

Have you ever thought of getting your blood sugar checked.

Norman

(Norman) said:

Have you ever thought of getting your blood sugar checked.

What for?

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On Sat, 09 Oct 2004 21:52:51 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

(Norman) said:

Have you ever thought of getting your blood sugar checked.

What for?

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

Painful feet, tingling sensation and even loss of sensation can be
caused by diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is becoming very common in people
under 50 yrs largely due to what they eat. If they are over weight
they are at greater risk.
It is thought that about a million people in the UK may be sufferers
but are unaware of it.
The most likely cause for you though is 3 weeks of pressure on your
feet from the PW walk.
Incidently I bought a pair of Pro boots made by GB Britton for the MOD
last year after giving up on my Meindl boots. The pro boots are
Goretex lined and insulated with a wider fitting. The best boots I
have ever worn. http://www.gbbritton.com/

Norman

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 08:28:45 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>
wrote:

I already know Meindl boots suit me, but I'd also read great things
about Scarpa. I was interested in what I'd read about Brasher
Hillmasters, and after reading what Darren said this a.m. about his
Reichles I wanted to see them too. I rang round and found that I could
see all of those boots, and more, at Field and Trek in Chester, who
also have a custom fitting Superfeet machine, so off I went.

I was very impressed by Field and Trek. They spent about 2 hours (and
I'm sure they would have spent longer, if necessary) helping me to
choose a boot and fitting me with footbeds. In the end I went for the
Raichle Mountain Trail GTX (ladies), with the Superfeet custom
footbeds. It was expensive, but I don't want to have to endure the

Can I claim my commission now :-)

And I bet your credit card company are loving you this year!

I'm very impressed with the blokes version of the Raichle with the
Superfeet. Hope you get on as well.

Did you take the basic Superfeet, or did you have them custom made? I
took the basic (£30) on the basis that it might do the job and if not I
could always buy the more expensive ones

--
Darren

Darren G said:

Can I claim my commission now :-)

It's in the post!
:-)

Many thanks for the Raichle tip - after reading what you'd said I
checked them out via Google, and lots of people are very happy.

Quoted message said:

And I bet your credit card company are loving you this year!

<fx: gulp...>

Quoted message said:

I'm very impressed with the blokes version of the Raichle with the
Superfeet. Hope you get on as well.

Thanks 🙂 In the end I was chosing between that and the Meindl. I
found that the Raichle was a snugger fit, with noticably less space
around the middle of my foot (the part directly under the laces, but I
wanted to try them and so I went for them. I'm just wondering now
whether it was the right decision. (I can swap during the next week or
so if I keep the shoes in brand new condition.) Is that how yours fit
too? I'm assuming that - in common with every item of footwear I've
ever bought - they'll give a bit when I start to use them.

Quoted message said:

Did you take the basic Superfeet, or did you have them custom made? I
took the basic (£30) on the basis that it might do the job and if not I
could always buy the more expensive ones

I went for the custom made ones. They were expensive, but I wanted to
give myself the best chance of getting it right. How have you found
the others?

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Darren G said:

Can I claim my commission now :-)

It's in the post!
:-)

It's probably got trapped behind some tents, bags and other kit that are
being sent out.

Quoted message said:

Many thanks for the Raichle tip - after reading what you'd said I
checked them out via Google, and lots of people are very happy.

Quoted message said:

Thanks 🙂 In the end I was chosing between that and the Meindl. I
found that the Raichle was a snugger fit, with noticably less space
around the middle of my foot (the part directly under the laces, but I
wanted to try them and so I went for them. I'm just wondering now
whether it was the right decision. (I can swap during the next week or
so if I keep the shoes in brand new condition.) Is that how yours fit
too? I'm assuming that - in common with every item of footwear I've
ever bought - they'll give a bit when I start to use them.

I chose them above Scapas for the same reason - a better mid foot fit.
I suspect mine have given a bit but have never really considered. Every
outing so far I have got them covered in cr*p, so I've taken the laces
out to clean them, making it hard to compare how tight I have had to
lace them.

Just facing the choice of whether they will do me for the winter or
whether I need to get a true winter boot too. My credit card is also
suffering at the mo, having replaced a lot of kit this year.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Did you take the basic Superfeet, or did you have them custom made? I
took the basic (£30) on the basis that it might do the job and if not I
could always buy the more expensive ones

I went for the custom made ones. They were expensive, but I wanted to
give myself the best chance of getting it right. How have you found
the others?

Good. The only issue I have had is a small blister on the side of each
big toe, which may have been resolved by a custom fit (and may not).
That said, these blisters are not particularly load bearing so they
aren't a major inconvenience.

What was the fitting process like?

--
Darren

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 21:47:23 +0100, Darren G <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Good. The only issue I have had is a small blister on the side of each
big toe, which may have been resolved by a custom fit (and may not).
That said, these blisters are not particularly load bearing so they
aren't a major inconvenience.

I hope they soon resolve, though.

Quoted message said:

What was the fitting process like?

Easy: fun, really 🙂 The bloke heated up parts of the footbed,
applied them warm to my foot (no discomfort), wrapped my foot in a
plastic bag and extracted all the air. I then waited probably about 5
minutes or so, after which he let air back into the bag and handed my
my new footbed.

I'm really hoping they're going to work. Well, obviously! 🙂

The bloke told me that they've had a lot of people happy with the "off
the shelf" footbeds return to get custom footbeds, on the basis that
they've experienced a great improvement and hope to experience an even
greater one. Are you thinking of perhaps getting the customs?

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 21:47:23 +0100, Darren G <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Good. The only issue I have had is a small blister on the side of each
big toe, which may have been resolved by a custom fit (and may not).
That said, these blisters are not particularly load bearing so they
aren't a major inconvenience.

I hope they soon resolve, though.

Thanks. Me too!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What was the fitting process like?

Easy: fun, really 🙂 The bloke heated up parts of the footbed,
applied them warm to my foot (no discomfort), wrapped my foot in a
plastic bag and extracted all the air. I then waited probably about 5
minutes or so, after which he let air back into the bag and handed my
my new footbed.

Sounds like good stress release therapy :-) Might have to try it.

Quoted message said:

I'm really hoping they're going to work. Well, obviously! 🙂

The bloke told me that they've had a lot of people happy with the "off
the shelf" footbeds return to get custom footbeds, on the basis that
they've experienced a great improvement and hope to experience an even
greater one. Are you thinking of perhaps getting the customs?

Considering it, but probably depends if I get a new winter boot or not.
I suspect that with the stiffer boot I'll get more benefit from the
custom made one and so make it better value. As I'll probably go for the
Raichle four season boot (it came 2nd in this months Trail review I
think), assuming it fits, I'm hoping they will be of similar design and
the footbeds will be interchangeable.

I'll also wait to see how you get on :-)

Cheers

--
Darren