© Copyright Dominic Rhodes 2014-
Boots
For any walker, the choice of footwear will be the most important purchase. An uncomfortable pair of boots can ruin any day out, no matter how good the weather, scenery or company is.
There’s a wide choice of footwear available for sale in every size, style and colour imaginable. The process of buying a pair of boots can be bewildering. Sometimes you only realise you made a poor choice when it’s too late and the blisters are already showing. But you can reduce the risk of this:
Before buying a rucksack you should ask yourself three key questions:
Where will I be walking and what sort of terrain will I cover?
Walking on well maintaining paths will call for a different sort of shoe than walking across open country. For the former you may want to consider a trail or approach shoe. The latter will need something tougher. If you’re going to be scrambling that will also be a factor.
What season will I be travelling in?
You will need a waterproof boot unless you only plan to be out on dry sunny days.
This may mean Gore-
What fits my feet?
Feet come in all shapes and sizes. The only way to find out what suits you is to go to a reputable outdoor store and try lots of types on. Some people may find that certain brands consistently provide a good fit for them, others mix it up. Many shops will let you return boots that haven’t been worn outdoors, so take them home and wear them around the house for a week or two. That will help reveal if they’re not right for you.
My Scarpa Manta winter boots (on the left) and three-
I’m a big fan of Scarpa boots. I have a pair of Scarpa Mantas, , for my winter outings. These will take a C2 crampon so are also suitable for lower grade ice climbing. They’re a tough pair of boots and are still going strong after 10 years of use. I’ve just had the lining repaired so hopefully they’ll still be fine in another 10 years. Scarpa have updated the Manta over the years so the new ones are probably even better. If your budget only stretches to one pair of boots and yet you want to go out in all seasons these are well worth considering.
My Manta boots are a bit heavy so I added a pair of Scarpa ZG10 GTX’s to my collection a few years ago. These are still a fairly robust boot, so are suitable for use in spring through autumn and in light snow conditions. For the pair, they’re about a kilogram lighter than the Manta’s which you really notice on a lengthy walk. And their tough nature and high rubber rand means they can take quite a beating, for example when scrambling over tough terrain. They’ve been resoled once but I’ve probably walked literally thousands of miles in these. I’m not sure they make them anymore so hopefully I can keep them in good condition for a while longer.
I very recently bought a pair of Scarpa Crux approach shoes. They’re marketed as something you can wear on the hill, at the climbing wall and in the town. I’m a little wary of wearing them on a big hike; I’m a bit of a clumsy walker and sometimes go over on my ankle and therefore welcome the support a high boot gives. They’re not waterproof either, which is another consideration. Time will tell if these were a good buy.
Finally, if you do have boots that need repairing (or other outdoor gear), I can thoroughly recommend Lancashire Sport Repairs. They did a very good job with my boots and the service was great.
Scarpa Crux approach shoes
