I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

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Water
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by Water » December 17th, 2018, 12:41 am

fit... maybe i am mental (that's a rhetorical statement).. but i used to obsess over footwear, backpacks, and anything else really. And the more I focused the more I found issue. and hot spots. and pre-mature wear. And discomfort. Sure..some things do work better or worse than others for all of us. I'm a size 9-9.5. I have flat feet. I'm neither skinny nor overweight. I'm not short or tall. That's good I guess, but also has it's own stuff. Lowa work for me. La Sportiva works for me in trail runners. As have Hoka stuff I've tested. The Sportiva's give me a season+ at best but my expectations are there. Among ski boots, Garmont, Dynafit, and Scarpa have all functioned excellent with a bit of effort. The less I focus on my gear...the less i focus on my gear.
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retired jerry
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by retired jerry » December 20th, 2018, 7:47 am

good point. I get boots for free by testing them on backpackgeartest.org. They announce a test of a boot. If it's what I want I apply. I just give them a shoe size and it fits well enough. Lowa, Merrel, Oboz, Ahnu, whatever... I get blisters occasionally but not very much. I use Leuko tape occasionally.

My current boots are Lowa. Leather on the outside. It's been splitting a little on the sides about even with the base of my little toe. I put McNett seam grip on it and using it for a couple more trips. I think I'm about to call it and throw them out. I just had a rainy trip and my socks were just damp inside.

pcg
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by pcg » December 21st, 2018, 10:24 pm

retired jerry wrote:
December 20th, 2018, 7:47 am
...My current boots are Lowa. Leather on the outside. It's been splitting a little on the sides about even with the base of my little toe. I put McNett seam grip on it and using it for a couple more trips...
I've found the trick is to put seam grip on all the seams BEFORE I ever use them. Instant ugly, bit it helps extend their life as the seam stitching is fragile. I buy a pair every year, and use each pair for two years. After one year they lose their waterproofing so that pair then gets used for another year on hikes where I don't require waterproofing. Thus I always have two pairs, one for wet days and one for dry days. Sure it would be nice if they lasted longer, but considering the abuse they get, I just accept it and consider it's part of the game. No good fretting over it.

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retired jerry
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by retired jerry » December 22nd, 2018, 7:54 am

good ideas

yeah, stitching failure is sometimes the end of a pair of boots, pre sealing good idea I'll have to try that

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arlohike
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by arlohike » February 2nd, 2019, 11:07 pm

Since you're considering some relatively inexpensive Columbia boots ... I gave that a try about a year ago:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=26335

I've just recently noticed them starting to leak, and the leaking was significant on a long, wet hike today, so I'm calling it. Total mileage: 387. That's the best miles-per-dollar I've had.
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Lurch
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by Lurch » February 4th, 2019, 2:20 pm

I've had decently good luck with Keen and Mammut, Danner as well but that's usually a different style of boot (although if you want something tall it's hard to beat. If you've got oddly shaped feet you may look into Whites or Nicks, I believe they're both NW made, and custom to fit your specific feet. They're also more of a logger/work boot though, but can be perfectly functional in the snow, and with some love and care, can be pretty damn waterproof and with maybe a re-soling or two, could last for decades

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drm
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by drm » February 6th, 2019, 7:59 am

I find that waterproof boots stay waterproof one or two extended winters (i.e. mid-Fall to mid-spring). It goes slowly. It usually starts leaking somewhere near the rand, there will be cracks in the membrane and water will start to get in there, and it spreads from that starting point. I usually use Columbia and while they typically list for over $100, I usually find some sale at maybe 2/3 that. When they are new I can stand in front of a shallow enough creek and stay dry.

Jerry - the solution for deeper creeks is to take off your boots and put on your camp sandals, though people I know who hike in very lightweight boots just let them get wet , in the warm season at least.

Temperature ratings are immaterial to me because I have hot feet and never need insulated boots. Shedding heat is my goal and I take breaks from my hikes just to cool off the dogs. They only get cold in consistent snow, thus the waterproofs for winter.

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retired jerry
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by retired jerry » February 6th, 2019, 9:40 am

camp sandals?

you carry the extra weight of camp sandals???

sacrilegious :)

I've tried light breathable trail runners and just walked through. Walked through barefoot. Taken my socks off and worn just boots. Those all work although imperfectly.

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drm
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by drm » February 15th, 2019, 10:04 am

retired jerry wrote:
February 6th, 2019, 9:40 am
camp sandals?

you carry the extra weight of camp sandals???

sacrilegious :)
That ain't my religion. I'm not an ULer. Call me a Ler. I go lightweight on big ticket items like tent, sleeping bag, etc. But when it comes to clothes, reading material, and most definitely camp sandals, I'm a heretic to your religion. I do have UL friends and they all take some kind of camp footwear.

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Chip Down
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Re: I'm so tired of boot manufacturers lying to us.

Post by Chip Down » March 15th, 2021, 7:40 pm

Finally tried a pair of Columbia Bugaboots. The boot says waterproof, the box says waterproof, the website says waterproof...they ain't waterproof. First use was a walk around the neighborhood in a light drizzle. My feet were wet after an hour! Culprit seems to be the gaiter hooks, so I duct taped them and tried again. Seems to be better, so now I'll take off the duct tape and seal those gaiter hooks properly.

Tip for Columbia: if your product can be improved with duct tape, it's not much of a boot.

Otherwise, I like them, and it's not as if I have a lot of options, and I didn't pay much for them ($81 I think) and returning would be a hassle, so I'll keep the damn boots.
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