Ive had a couple pairs of walking boots in the past and none of them have survived more than 6-8 3 day hikes and I’m sick of replacing them. What are some points to look for in good walking boots, where should I look to buy them from in the UK, how much should I look to be spending as a rough guide?
Cheers!
Ditch waterproof, get shoes that breath a lot. Waterproof shoes get wet on the inside anyway, through sweat if not anything else. Breathable shoes dry up again a lot faster, making it harder for bacteria to make smelly stuff.
Waterproof shoes like to claim they are breathing, like goretex and stuff. It doesn’t, not nearly as well as some mesh or holes do.
See, the problem with this is that for several months out of the year i’d just have wet feet 24/7. After a couple weeks that’s just far too frustrating to deal with. Plenty of people wear sandals to deal with it. I’m autistic, and we generally fall into 2 camps: my feet need to be aired out all the time, or my feet will always be in socks because they can never touch the floor unless everything is perfectly clean and the floor is an appopriate texture. I’m unfortunately the second type, which is why I knit my own wool socks.
On top of that, if it’s raining when I get home, I have anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of water I have to get through. I’ve tried shoe covers. I’ve tried other styles of waterproof shoes. I’ve tried rubber boots, and they’re far too sweaty. This is by far the best solution i’ve come across, but at this point I can’t get the smell out, even if I want to get these boot dryers i’ve been recommended.
That sucks. It sounds like you have wet feet 24/7 now too, so you are fucked either way. The only advice I have for you is to switch socks often, and shoes as well (have at least 2 pairs, and alternate every day) so at least they can dry in the meantime