UKC

The other day I bought some new boots (Phantom 6000s) and needed to break them in before they got some serious usage. Today I ended up walking up my local hill and tourist spot (the Wrekin) a few times so I could spend a couple of hours in them. The temperature never got below 10 degrees, I got plenty of strange looks and felt totally overdressed feet wise. So how do you go about breaking in boots without feeling overdressed idiot?
Ps they were great and didn't really need breaking in anyway.......

UKC Edit for language

In reply to David Bennett:

Stop being self concious because you're life is undoubtedly more adventurous than those who would look at you and think you're a tw*t.

In reply to David Bennett:

Why worry about it?

In reply to Martin1978:

Go out at night?

In reply to Dr.S at work:

Argh... Good navigation practice.....

In reply to David Bennett:

Do what I do walk around the house with all the windows and doors open to simulate winter conditions in my new boots. I have a 28 days return policy, so only 26 days to go. I do not want you to think I am not serious as I go up and down the stairs every so often. O yes and I have extended the string holding them together so I don't look stupid if I have to go to the front door. Good luck.

In reply to David Bennett:

You need to detract attention from the boots by taking the rest of your clothing off.

In reply to David Bennett:

Maybe you need a sign on your back, or pack, along the lines of the old 'running in' sign on the back of new cars...

In reply to David Bennett:

Wear gaiters over them

In reply to David Bennett:

Go naked from the boots up....passers-by probably won't notice the boots.

In reply to David Bennett:

Know how you feel, I had to try out my Millet Everests in late spring.

In reply to David Bennett:

Pah, that's nothing - I once saw a guy in Winter boots and full pack doing laps of the stairs in a tube station!

In reply to David Bennett:

Aren't the Phantoms synthetic, in which case they shouldn't really need breaking in?

In reply to David Bennett:

carry a sandwich board over your shoulders with the words ''i'm trying not to feel like an overdressed dick'' written on it.

In reply to planetmarshall:

But your feet often need breaking into them

When I broke in my phantoms or worn them on public transport from London to Scotland I have done so with great pride! Who else on the bus is going to have £400 shoes that have a zip and come in gaudy colours?

In reply to niallk:

was that at Russell sq or Covent garden

In reply to David Bennett:

Still doesn't beat the guy I saw in Edale in 1979, crunching up the road in crampons, with an ice axe. There was a bit of snow on the tops and it was Easter, to be fair.

When I'm breaking in boots and feeling overdressed, I think back to that and all is well again

In reply to crayefish:


Lady Gaga?

In reply to Martin1978:

Oh yeah baby

In reply to David Bennett:
I'm seriously considering a few evenings at the wall in my Scarpa Triolets before I attempt to climb actual rock in them

In reply to sbc_10:


Already been done, a few years ago there were frequent sightings of a naturist on the Wrekin. I think the local consensus was that he was probably harmless.

In reply to Nick Russell:

Maybe in England, we know jail is the only place for hardened criminals like that in Scotland.

In reply to crayefish:

My band new Mammut Nordwands turned a few heads on the flight to Geneva.

In reply to David Bennett:

Who cares. Anyone who knows what they are will either know what you're doing or are judgemental tw*ts who probably judge everybody.

I tend to get the opposite, I run down from the hills in winter wearing a vest and minimal shoes and get funny looks from the folks wearing hundreds of pounds of outdoor gear to walk down the canal for a pub lunch.
I figure if they're more comfortable being covered and layered then good for them. If they can't understand I run warm then who cares.

In reply to David Bennett:
I also wore full kit inc nepal extremes on a flight geneva because everything we took was going to come with us up the mountains, didn't even take them off through security

In reply to hokkyokusei:
I fly to Geneva for work quite a bit and it always makes me smile when I see other people on the flight wearing mountaineering boots who are clearly off to enjoy some climbing! There seem to be a few on every flight over the summer.