walking boots [resolved with Lowa Boots]

[mrbadger]

I like Meindl personally.

nice boots, and looking through the site I found some I liked, but there's nowhere near me that sells them

[berth]

That's a pity, 'cos you they are indeed good boots. But you definitely need to try this kind of thing on before buying.

[mrbadger]

I'll keep the list of makes. I don't have to make the purchase till next autumn, so I can just put the money aside and if we go somewhere that has a stockist, take the opportunity to buy them.

I just can't leave it till winter turns up again. I have to be used to the boots by the time I wear them on ice for the first time.

[Morkonan]

I wear leather oxdford dress shoes with slip-resistant soles.

I've a pair of Loakes' shoes (mainly as they do different width fittings) with "commando" Goodyear rubber soles and they are very good in the snow, ice and wet and resist slipping. Unfortunately they don't meet mrbadger's requirement for "no breaking in" as they took several months and a supply of blister plasters to get comfy - they are now very comfy - in fact one of the most comfortable pair of shoes I've had in a long while.

I generally buy mid-tier department store saddle oxfords, like Rockports, out of habit. (I used to work in an environment that had formal offices, but then also had manufacturing and warehousing areas, so relatively inexpensive, for men's shoes ($100 or so) shoes were preferred, since I would often find myself going back and forth between areas, which could be hazardous for dress shoes.)

I've never had to "break in" a pair of Rockports. It could be that my foot just fits right in them. /shrug

I also use thing like this: Amazon: Cedar Shoe Tree so the shoe keeps its shape. There are some shoe "stretchers" with attachments to help make a shoe more comfortable by stretching it out in certain places. But, I just use the shoe trees so the shoe keeps its form, even if it's rather "damp" after being worn all day. (Can change the shape as the leather shrinks/warps/etc)

The most expensive shoes I ever bought were also the most uncomfortable darn things I've ever worn... Just because of that experience, I'll never buy an expensive shoe that I can't try on and ensure it feels comfortable on Day 1.

[mrbadger]

Resolved this completely out of the blue today, while actually out looking for Chilli plugs in Bicester...

Saw an outdoors equipment shop, thought, well, it's cold again, this a good chance to buy some better gloves, and what do I see on their shelves?

Some Lowa Laurin Pro GTX Boots! In my size too!

The shop assistant was a bit puzzled why I wasn't buying them for mounteneering, he kept asking me if I wouldn't find some less complex boot more suitable once he finally took it on board that I was just going to be walking.

But I know what I wanted, and I had the money. Besides, I was wearing a leg support and using crutches, did I loook like I was about to climb a mountain? I don't think so.

Really happy with the purchase, and now I have ages to get used to them before next winter.

I've also very likely got some spinal surgery coming up soon, which will mean lots of walking to recover, and that means solid footwear to provide good support. I think I have it now.

Thanks guys

[Morkonan]

Congrats!

What's a "Chilli Plug?"

I'd Google it... but, it sounds dangerous to Google...

[mrbadger]

A baby Chilli plant. I didn't have room indoors to germinate my own seeds this year. The crappy weather and slugs from under my neighbors decking last year wrecked all my good plants, except for four of the best ones I had room for indoors all year. So I've got to start over.

[Morkonan]

Ah, gotcha, that's what I thought you were addressing.

A friend of mine grows chilis for his home-made hot sauce and relish. He built some "raised beds" for his pepper patch and I think it worked out pretty well for him. Though, there probably weren't any weather issues, slugs and rabbits were more of a concern.

[mrbadger]

When I said about walking on ice he thought I wanted to buy some big spikes too (there were ome right next to the boots), but I declined, on the grounds that our facilities people would murder me if I came into our faculty building wearing them.

I'll look for something suitable over the next year while I get used to the boots.

[Usenko]

The idea of boots needing to help you on ice. . .

Wow.

That's a different life to what I live.

[Morkonan]

The idea of boots needing to help you on ice. . .

I know this sounds crazy, but the stuff can even fall out of the sky! SRSLY!

I decided to live North* of where I was born-and-raised, the Southern US, because they have "Seasons" here, and fluffy white stuff, from time to time, that I like to look at while drinking my morning coffee.

Where I grew up, we might find white stuff on the ground once every few years or so. Quite the novelty. Otherwise, all "water from the sky" was used to make mud and swamps...

*For the hemispherically-challenged, "North" is "Up."

[mrbadger]

The idea of boots needing to help you on ice. . .

I know this sounds crazy, but the stuff can even fall out of the sky! SRSLY!

When I moved to the UK from Australia in the 60's I thought snow grew. having only ever seen it on cards from my nan or in the distance on mountains.

Finding that Santa wasn't a lifeguard with a fake beard and a red hat surfing in followed by the rest of the team on the jet boat loaded with presents (which I did realise were from our parents, cos I wasn't that silly), but a bored man smelling of cigarettes in Debenhams in a santa suit was a bit of a let down too.