Thread: Need boot help

First let me say HI, I'm obviously new here.

I am an Arborist and looking for a tough pair of hikers/mountaineering boots to wear while at work. I haven't had good luck so far. I had a pair of Asolo TPS520,soles delam after 5 months. I then got a pair of Asolo Powermatic 500's, GREAT boot, soles are delaming after 6 months of use. I love the 500's hate the cheap sole construction that Asolo uses.

I need a TOUGH boot, waterproof preferably, that will stand up to being worn 5-6 days a week, climbing trees, operating equipment, mud, snow, etc Don't need an ultra stiff boot, but a shank is definitely a necessity.

I have been researching a few boots and this is what I have so far;

La Sportiva
Glacier
Karakorum
Makalu

Scarpa
Escape GTX
Manta GSB (heard the toe falls apart easily, so maybe not the best for climbing trees?)

Garmont
Tower GTX
Vetta Plus



What shops around MA/NH/ME carry these boots and can give me the proper fit?

Check out:

1. Lowa Sheep Hunters (10") or Tibet (8")

or:

2. Hanwag Trappers (10") or Alaska GTX (8") - http://www.lathropandsons.com/catalo...x.php/cPath/30 - Lathrop's is great.

All of these boots are expensive, but bomber.

Those Lowa Tibets look bombproof, but they are a bit too high and clunky fo rhwat I am looking for. I have Wesco Highliners that i wear when i need a serious boot to wear with spikes all day or run equipment and keeping my feet dry isnt my priority.


The Hanwag Alaska seems a little less clunky, and closeer to what I am looking for.

These two brands are far superior to Asolo in build quality I assume?


I need something that has a small arch/heel like the powermatic 500 have. For the times when I need to wear spikes for a short time and dont want to switch out boots.


Thanks so far and keep educating me!

How about meindl, heard their real tough? Are they for sale in the states besides Cabels limited stock?

I like a lot of the Hanwag rock series and trek seies boots. Not able to buy them stateside though that I could find. Why do the euros always get the best gear?

I have no idea about where you can get meindl's in the US, but I highly recommend them. I work in mining exploration, and my pair looked almost new after a summer's use, compared to everyone else' boots which were completely beaten to shit after 1 rotation. For a boot that burly, they are light as hell, and the memory foam in my island pro's is unbelievably comfortable. If you are in / near vancouver ever, AJ brooks is the only place I know of in western canada that sells them. Expensive, but well worth every penny IMO.

Home in New Hampshire right now and saw a couple of long time buds last week. Both of 'em AT thru hikers serious outdoor dudes. Noticed their boots and asked. They're both rockin' limmers made in Conway New Hampshire. Guess they're pricy but last forever. Maybe you can pick up a used pair or just buy new. They are the next boot on my list.

http://limmerboot.com/#

Limmers are super cool boots! I can only imagine the cost.

I am really digging the Meindl and Hanwag boots. Which models will stand up to the abuse I put mine through? AJ Brooks carries quite a few Meindl and I can only find the Hanwag Alaska so far in the states.

OK
Limmer boots
Meindl Perfekt or Super perfekt (not the Cabelas version)
Hanwag Cima

I thinkim sold on the traditional construction of these boots....im going to evans on the common this weekend to try on Limmers. Wish I could find the Hanwags and Meindls here too

Looks like a good list.

Hanwags are a top shelf German boot - good materials and great construction. Also, you get a PU midsole in the Alaska...which will be what you need in your line of work. Stay away from EVA midsoles (lighter, but breakdown too quick and, thus, shortening the lifespan of your boot).

Also, don't forget to ditch the stock footbeds and put a pair of Superfeet or Sole footbeds in for another $30-50.

I see the Hanwag Cima on the list, so if you are looking for a more traditional high end hiking boot (not something 8" or higher with stiff shank, etc.), then you may also want to take a look at the Danner Mountain Light II:

http://www.danner.com/product/boots/...iking+boots.do

I have an old pair that I still use...can't kill them, plus they fit like a glove after years of abuse (Danner will also re-tread for you). When I know I am going to put in some serious miles I throw these in the gear box. Despite all of my other boots, the Danners (and a pair of Schnees pac boots) are still the two I take on my Wyo. elk/deer hunts. A perfect 1-2 punch - between the 2 I can handle anything. If space/weight were an issue (i.e. a backpack only hunt), then I would got with just a pair of Hanwag Trappers.

The Alaska and trappers are borderline too tall. And donthave much of a heel for those times I need to wear spikes real quick. My boot should be 6-7" im guessing? Just over the ankle.


Im not deadset on a traditional pair, the resoling will have to be about once a year since I work on Asphalt a TON, and the soles breakdown really quick. Im wondering what will be better a stitched sole, or a glue type sole that I can send to Dave Page?

Originally Posted by Big Ern

Also, don't forget to ditch the stock footbeds and put a pair of Superfeet or Sole footbeds in Looks like a good list.

always have superfeet in my boots

Any other suggestions for different boots?

or commnets about the traditional leather boots like Limmers and Meindl? Am I looking in thw wrong direction fo rmy line of work with these type boots?

check out wesco (http://www.westcoastshoe.com/wesco/home.asp) and white's too (http://www.whitesboots.com/index) pretty sick boots.

limmers are the killer.

An arborist? Seriously, I'd just get some Whites Smoke Jumpers or some Nicks Foresters or Hotshots, or maybe the Wescos mentioned above. But Whites and Nicks are the gold standard for people that work in the woods. The work heel is tits for working in or on trees. The boots are handmade and rebuildable which makes them cheaper in the long run. 8 inch tops if you want good ankle flexibility.

i own 3 pair of Wesco Highliners. finest handmade boots in America.

I prefer something lighter, with more ankle support, and less heel for everyday work. Wesco/White/Nicks/etc all are built around climbing with gaffs/spikes, thats why you have the huge reinforced heels, extra leather on the inside toe, full steel shank.

Am i wrong in looking at all leather welted hiking boots? others in my industry wear Asolo Fugitives, 520, 500 La Sportiva Trango, Glacier, Makalu Scarpa Manta......basically heavy backpacking/mountaineering/ice style boots. i have destroyed a pair of 520's and ripped soles off 500's in under a year.

Originally Posted by Bostonbull

i own 3 pair of Wesco Highliners. finest handmade boots in America.

I prefer something lighter, with more ankle support, and less heel for everyday work. Wesco/White/Nicks/etc all are built around climbing with gaffs/spikes, thats why you have the huge reinforced heels, extra leather on the inside toe, full steel shank.

Fair enough.

Originally Posted by Bostonbull

Am i wrong in looking at all leather welted hiking boots? others in my industry wear Asolo Fugitives, 520, 500 La Sportiva Trango, Glacier, Makalu Scarpa Manta......basically heavy backpacking/mountaineering/ice style boots. i have destroyed a pair of 520's and ripped soles off 500's in under a year.

I think you're right in looking at getting a pair with sewn welts and all-leather uppers - those would last a lot longer than the ones your co-workers are using. Not many boots are like that any more - the previously-mentioned Limmers might be the ticket.

FWIW, firefighters I know have sometimes had problems with the soles delamming on La Sportiva and Garmont mountaineering boots.

What other boots are built tough with sewn welts?

How do Limmers compare to say, Meindl Perfekt? Or Hanwag Cima?

What other boots should I be looking into?

The Meindls that Cabellas sell are pretty nice, I don't own a pair but most of my colleagues do. They tend to leak after about 6 months (probaly through the rand) but our company buys us a pair of boots a year, so nobody takes care of them. I think I could make them last longer. Plus Cabella's will replace them within a year, so whats the incentive for taking care of them. We are hard on boots, we walk steep, rocky, Appalachian streams and watersheds year round for flow monitoring and water sampling. We stand in the water when taking flow measurements, and we tend to walk in the channels and kick alot of rocks and wood, so our boots are always wet and getting scuffed.

Our teams are using either Miendls or the Cabellas brand Elk hunter. I decided to try Danner Elk ridge boots because I felt the bob sole and the welt construction may be better. Plus they fit the best in the store. I'm a little disappointed, They've developed a hole where the laces meet the toe, the sole isn't stiff enough to kick into and grip muddy hillsides and banks, they lack solid ankle support when side hilling. the only thing is I really like wearing these boots because my feet never hurt in them after long days on the ground. So they are stellar as long as I'm not fighting my way up something slippery and wet. And I can fix the hole with seam grip.

I think the tall heel on the Whites would be an advantage when descending slippery wet slopes, but on the fence about smoke jumpers because wildland fires are dry environments, where spring and fall here are pretty wet. They may be overkill for hiking and standing in streams for five or six hours a day five days a week. Plus they are 500.00 bucks and three hundred miles to the nearest boot fitter.

I hijacked this thread because I'm looking for a new pair of work boots too. My advice is to check out the Cabella Miendls They look like everything I'm looking for, except the sew on welt. but screw it I'm gonna wear them out by spring next year might as well abuse the warranty and get a replacement pair.

http://www.arco.co.uk/products/583200

if you need truly waterproof boots these are great ,actualy they are polyuearthane N OT rubber which insulate's for the cold ,got a steel toe & shank, sole like a moto-X knobby tire , warm/comfy & waterproof ... all the guys up at the mine are wearing them

lota the time I am just trying to stay dry ,probably half the time in rubber rain gear ,wet feet in soaked out hiking or mountaineering boots suck,as an alterantive to caulk boots I like these in thick forest doing reasearch or running around in snow being a stick bitch

$.01,
Remember if pronation exists...forefoot might bark at a full steel shank if footbed/orthotic isn't well made...especially as you're up & down in various stances...standing tall - to squatting down, unlike groomed-trail hikers, but you've probably got issue covered.

Can't wear galoshes Need as much ankle support as possible. Plus they would be too hot to wear in The Midatlantic. it was 70 degrees and 80% humid at 8:30 this AM.

I already dismissed these, Xtra Tufs. Love going to AK and wearing this for an entire vacation in July. Think they're the AK equivalent of Flip Flops

I definitely hear ya' on the ankle support.

Originally Posted by SuperChief

Can't wear galoshes Need as much ankle support as possible. Plus they would be too hot to wear in The Midatlantic. it was 70 degrees and 80% humid at 8:30 this AM.

I already dismissed these, Xtra Tufs. Love going to AK and wearing this for an entire vacation in July. Think they're the AK equivalent of Flip Flops

Its my understanding those are appropriate for any function in AK including going on a date or to a wedding funny you don't ever see them in canada except on the feet of an american passing thru

I was up at another mine yesterday and all the drillers were wearing the dunlop purofoots