Boots to walk in?

[nothanks]

I do lots of walking and have tried many makes of boot, the best I've found are Alt-Berg. They have a huge range of styles and widths. Made in yorkshire!

(No connection, YMMV)

[misterroy]

I am just back in from walking the dog. I am on my second pair of eva wellies. these

am a size 9 in everything else I wear, but get a size 8 in these. They are warm and light as anything. They are probably the same material as crocs. I only used the liner things once, on a freezing moonlight night, my feet got too hot. Lifechanging.

[T i m]

Thanks very much to all who have replied so far. Plenty to follow up / research to do there! ;-)

To reply to a few points as I think of them.

One of the reasons I find it hard to find nice fitting footware seems to be that my feet are wider than some arbitrary average most foot ware seems to come in these days. Ask in store if you can 'have that one in a wider fit' and they often look at you blankly?

Why is it that when I was a kid they would measure ('Brannock length'?) your feet (plural, you often have one bigger than the other) and then go and get the shoe that actually matches your size (for me the difficult bit was always the width), then you get to a certain age and it seems you have to cram your feet into whatever they have that's considered 'fashionable'. (It's the same with shirts, to find something long enough for my arms AND that will do up around my neck it's a tent in the body (although that last bit is less of an issue these days)) ;-(

I was aware of New Balance and as looking into a pair of their cheapest trainers (~50 quid, recommended by a neighbour) but would probably have to get into London into one of their own stores to be able to try any on.

Also aware of Alt-Berg from the motorcycling world but 1) I believe I would have to go and have a fitting and then 2) get them made, (assuming I couldn't get into their std offerings) and 3) they aren't exactly cheap. ;-)

We have reasonable access to a Millets, Sports Direct and Go Outdoors (never been to G.O. before) and see all have 'something' for around 50 quid or less that *could* fit the bill but again, few offer a range of widths. ;-(

Also as mentioned in the replies, I'm not sure if my 63yr old knees are wearing out and therefore I might not get good value from anything really good (much as though I like good stuff).

I like the idea of an Army Surplus wide boot and I'll also check out the half / soft wellies. (I think many campers wear flip flops when going to-from the shower block and they are real slow motion demonstration of the Doppler effect as they pass your tent). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[nothanks]

There are quite a few Alt-Berg dealers around the country and AFAIK all can do the fitting - IIRC the website lists them. The gold plate offering is to go to the factory and have your own Last made, but I found that the standard Nordkapp range was a perfect fit (I too have wide feet). I've done many hundreds of miles in them and am a happy hiker - as far as the boots are concerned ... quite grumpy at other times ;-)

[R D S]

I would add, given the replies about fabric stuff, they are one piece leather and as such waterproof.

[R D S]

Well.... Er.... I don't know about that but the boot guy said they were better waterproofed for it and they are waterproof. So if the OP wants waterproof boots....

You see, I have some Keen Durand boots which look better and make bolder claims but I only use them in dry weather or my feet will be pissed wet through.

But, er.... just trying to help.

[R D S]

I will not rest until he buys those boots.

[T i m]

<snip>

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;-)

Well, I think they are a bit pricey for something I'm not able to try on and not sure how much I will use (if it's dry ordinary trainers will do) but the worrying thing with many of the boots offered so far is that the seem to only come in one width and I know from bitter experience over many years is the chances are that width isn't wide enough for me. ;-(

it was like when I was spending the companies money and getting a new company car. I would walk into a car showroom and ask for 'the car with the most headroom you have', they would guide me to such, I would sit in, slide the seat right back, lower the seat (of it were lowerable) and partly recline it and often still sit with my knees bent up and my head touching the roof lining. That would be that entire brand wiped out because I couldn't (even) get in it? I'm only

6' 2" but seem to be long in the body and the leg?

So, if say I'm a shoe size 9, I'd often end up in a 10 or even 11 to be able to get something wide enough to be comfortable.

Even then, the most comfortable tended to be the shoes with the softest leather because then it could bulge out sideways, hanging over the sole. I even have difficulty getting wide enough slippers but was able to buy a particularly wide pair off the market but out of the

10's of different designs and colours they had, I only had the option of about 2.

Maybe I don't actually have particularly wide feet, maybe I just won't cripple myself by accepting something that is actually too narrow, preferring to walk away with noting (in my socks if necessary). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

p.s. My current daily black lace-up shoe is an Airflex 'Comfort' from M&S and whilst it's still not quite wide enough, it's one of the few shoes I've put on that is nearly as comfortable when new as when worn in. I've had about 4 pairs now and had worn the last pair out in nearly every dimension (through the heel to inner 'holes', though the insoles to the heel holes, split the sides where it joins the soles at the widest part) and worn though several pairs of laces because I often sit on my legs when working on low stuff and with the tops of my shoes resting on the ground.

[polygonum_on_google]

About a year ago, I bought some neoprene wellies from Aldi - in their fishing event (which might be coming up very soon). Although I don't walk much in them, I do (possibly rather bizarrely) use them for cycling.

They are, though, comfortable to wear and walk in - far more pleasant than conventional wellies.

I have very wide feet and found their softness allows for that.

Of course, if you want something sturdier, they would be much good, but they are at least 100% waterproof.

[polygonum_on_google]

And only £19.99.

[T i m]

Thanks for that.

I do have some Hunter wellies (somewhere) and they were ok to 'walk about in' but I've not had to actually 'go for a walk' in them. I can't imagine them being terrible to walk in but I'm sure they wouldn't be as comfortable as a shoe.

The towpath was littered with puddles yesterday and in an effort to avoid the puddles you end up walking in the mud.

My M&S 'best' shoes coped with it ok (we didn't expect to be dog walking) in that my feet didn't get wet but the soles don't have much in the way of tread so I did slip about a bit.

The Mrs had her trainers on so was in a similar position to me.

The dogs were ok but need to have their paws washed in the bath.[1] ;-)

We still haven't actually made it to any shops yet to try anything on (health issues within the family). ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[1] Step daughters dog(s) are used to being put in the bath and their paws washed or even showered all over. Daughters new / rescue dog obviously isn't used to the process and doesn't seem to like it, often jumping out if you don't keep hold of him (he doesn't actually struggle once you are firm with him). Strangely though, if you put one of the other dogs in first, he jumps in the bath on his own (and stays there). ;-)

[Jim K..]

"Reasonably priced" ?

[Jim K..]

Er... i suspect the "SpoTex" (Goretex-a-like) membrane lining is actually doing the waterproofing rather than the leather...

[Jim K..]

in your own inimitable way...