UKC

B3 boots acquisition. Please help!

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 SonyaM 25 Nov 2014

I have to get hold of a pair of B3s for a Scottish Winter Mountaineering course in February. I want them ASAP to break them in.

I am a woman with wide feet. I killed them two years ago with a pair of La Sportiva Evos and learnt the lesson of getting a pair that fit really well.

BUT! I have rung all around the Lakes area and nowhere stocks anything for wide feet (Salewa, Scarpa with FT last etc) or can get them in, and for the other regular normal size foot type B3s (Scarpa Mont Blanc, Nepal Extreme etc.) they don't have all the sizes in my range; they're missing out the critical 39 or 40 size.

I need to find somewhere I can try on the various sizes and not just with one type of boot.

Does anyone know where in the country (I'll go hundreds of miles if I have to avoid every step being agony in February) that exists that I can go to and find boots that fit?
Post edited at 17:55
 Rob Parsons 25 Nov 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

Have you tried George Fishers in the Lakes (Keswick)?
In reply to SonyaM: Back in 2008 I was surprised that only one shop in the whole of North Wales (Cotswolds in Betws) had a pair of size 43 Nepals in stock.
So unfortunately this probably isn't massively unusual and I think you will just have to live with trying different pairs in differing sizes in different shops until something jumps out as being a great fit.
Go Outdoors in Penrith supposedly has Nepals in 39 in stock but I guess you may have checked there already.
 sleavesley 25 Nov 2014
In reply to SonyaM:
Joe Browns (Snowdonia) have your size on Sale for Scarpas at the moment with Mont Blanc GTX and Charmoz Pro GTX (B2 though).
http://www.joe-brown.com/1854/products/scarpa-womens-mont-blanc-gtx.aspx

http://www.joe-brown.com/1556/products/scarpa-womens-charmoz-pro-gtx.aspx
Post edited at 18:23
In reply to SonyaM:

There are at least 10 shops in Betws-y-coed(5+), Capel Curig (3+) & Llanberis (2+). I would expect to find anything I needed on a trawl thru this North Wales strip.
 hokkyokusei 26 Nov 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

In my experience Outside in Hathersage will order boots in for you without commitment to buy.
 NottsRich 27 Nov 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

Book a cheap return flight to Geneva, hop on the bus to Chamonix, have a mini-holiday and try on lots of boots, even demo/hire them, and then return to the UK the proud owner of some new boots! Just an idea...
 hamsforlegs 27 Nov 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

Hopefully some of the more local suggestions will work, but in extremis you could contact the big London stores - they tend to carry a lot of stock. From experience of footwear purchases I can recommend these large branches: Snow & Rock in Covent Garden or Spitalfields and Ellis Brigham in Covent Garden.
OP SonyaM 27 Nov 2014
In reply to Rob Parsons:

Thanks. Went there today. Sean was brilliant, but we ended up totally excluding all Scarpas and La Sportivas; my feet don't fit. Now looking for B2s instead (B3s on gear list not needed it turns out), so hopefully finding the right boots might be easier.....
OP SonyaM 27 Nov 2014
In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

Thank you. Yep.... these boots are really elusive, and my fingers are getting really tired doing up all the laces.
 Mr Fuller 27 Nov 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

I'd recommend looking at the North Face Verto series. I've very wide feet and Sportiva and most Scarpa don't fit me either. However, Verto S6Ks are absolutely perfect. I reviewed them here: https://gearandmountains.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/the-north-face-verto-s6k-...
 alasdair19 27 Nov 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

another vote for outside they have mammut and tnf b3 few other places stock beyond scarp a and sportive.

I have acu from a small shop in Perth but I fit most boots so probably not helpful.
OP SonyaM 06 Dec 2014
In reply to Mr Fuller:

Thanks for that. That review article of the Verto S6Ks makes them look great...but they only do them in men's sizes
OP SonyaM 06 Dec 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

Thank you every one for helping me with my B3 search. I have moved on to looking for B2s now and will put up a new post for this as I have a new problem.
 Dark-Cloud 07 Dec 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

The Verto's start in a UK6, is that not good enough, if they fit they fit, no matter if the are designed for men or women....
OP SonyaM 07 Dec 2014
In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Agree totally if they fit they fit. Info i was given when I checked was the Verto's started in UK8 so I'll go and try getting some on mail order to try out. Thanks
OP SonyaM 14 Dec 2014
In reply to SonyaM:

All sorted. Thank you.

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