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Hello.
I bought a pair of Karrimor boots a few years ago from Go Outdoors and they've been really great, clocked many miles with them. Wore in well and are comfortable and hard wearing.
I'm considering buying a new pair the same, however I was disappointed to find that the company has recently been bought over by Sports Direct and that (I think) rather than before where all the gear was made in the UK, it's now all made in China, in sweatshops probably.
You can't get anything anymore these days that manufactured in this country, certainly not where clothes are concerned.
So I just wondered if anyone could advise on the present quality of Karrimor gear, in particular walking boots. Has the quality changed at all, or are they pretty much just the same. They still seem to have Vibram soles, so that's a good thing...
I bought a pair of Karrimor boots a few years ago from Go Outdoors and they've been really great, clocked many miles with them. Wore in well and are comfortable and hard wearing.
I'm considering buying a new pair the same, however I was disappointed to find that the company has recently been bought over by Sports Direct and that (I think) rather than before where all the gear was made in the UK, it's now all made in China, in sweatshops probably.
You can't get anything anymore these days that manufactured in this country, certainly not where clothes are concerned.
So I just wondered if anyone could advise on the present quality of Karrimor gear, in particular walking boots. Has the quality changed at all, or are they pretty much just the same. They still seem to have Vibram soles, so that's a good thing...
1
In reply to a man has no legs:
The couple of pairs my wife got for walking the dogs about 5 years ago were both diabolical. Leaked immediately and fell apart quickly. Not as good as the old school KSB3s (I think) we had in the distant past.
Mind you, I think proper Karrimor gear precedes the inception of Go Outdoors .
The couple of pairs my wife got for walking the dogs about 5 years ago were both diabolical. Leaked immediately and fell apart quickly. Not as good as the old school KSB3s (I think) we had in the distant past.
Mind you, I think proper Karrimor gear precedes the inception of Go Outdoors .
5
In reply to a man has no legs:
Karrinor boots are get what you pay for. They are value for money boots.
I think you will find times have moved on. A good proportion of what you buy and rely on like most of the Internet is made in China in state of the art facilities. Really low cost manufacturing isn't in China these days.
Karrinor boots are get what you pay for. They are value for money boots.
I think you will find times have moved on. A good proportion of what you buy and rely on like most of the Internet is made in China in state of the art facilities. Really low cost manufacturing isn't in China these days.
3
In reply to a man has no legs:
Not bad for £20 but I wouldn't want to do much more than walk the dog in them.
Alt berg are uk made
Not bad for £20 but I wouldn't want to do much more than walk the dog in them.
Alt berg are uk made
2
In reply to a man has no legs:
Easy answer - no. Since being bought by Sports Direct, Karrimor are just generic cheap gear with a (previously) respected label stuck on. They are not even the best option at the price. Don't be fooled by the Sale tags, if they are asking £30, that's the proper retail price, not a special discount.
Easy answer - no. Since being bought by Sports Direct, Karrimor are just generic cheap gear with a (previously) respected label stuck on. They are not even the best option at the price. Don't be fooled by the Sale tags, if they are asking £30, that's the proper retail price, not a special discount.
5
In reply to Hooo:
+1
My old KSB300 are sadly getting to an end of their life, after 10 years of semi-frequent use. These were the best boots i have ever owned. Unfortunately new Karrimors have absolutely nothing in common with the old ones. Dog walking in a park may be ok, but for hill walking I would spend on more reputable brand.
+1
My old KSB300 are sadly getting to an end of their life, after 10 years of semi-frequent use. These were the best boots i have ever owned. Unfortunately new Karrimors have absolutely nothing in common with the old ones. Dog walking in a park may be ok, but for hill walking I would spend on more reputable brand.
1
In reply to a man has no legs:
Wouldn't touch them with a barge pole! I'd rather get a second-hand pair of lightly-used, quality boots any day (and in fact that's what I have done twice ).
Wouldn't touch them with a barge pole! I'd rather get a second-hand pair of lightly-used, quality boots any day (and in fact that's what I have done twice ).
2
In reply to SenzuBean:
I wouldnae touch second hand boots with a pole mate! Not after the time I bought a pair of old boots to work on a building site. The resulting athlete's foot cost me nearly as much to treat as a new pair of cheap boots would have.
Can't remember what I paid for these, £70 maybe but they've been great. Stittching is only just starting to come away at the foot of one. Needed a spray to waterproof, but otherwise I can't fault them for the price. I assumed they were made in the UK when I bought them, but I can't remember if I checked the label inside now, which is now worn.
If they're the same quality I'll buy another pair. I'd rather not buy from China to be honest, but I can only afford what I can afford. I'll look around for good deals but's not really the time of year for boot sales.
Pair I had before these were cheap 'sales' boots for £30, which were also not bad for the price but they fell to bits in about a year.
These ones didn't and were worth the money I'd say, just want to know if they're the same quality. Hard to tell maybe since perhaps much of the stock Go Outdoors were selling before was old stock, before the quality went down, if it has indeed gone down.
http://i.imgur.com/BgtVrAa.jpg
I wouldnae touch second hand boots with a pole mate! Not after the time I bought a pair of old boots to work on a building site. The resulting athlete's foot cost me nearly as much to treat as a new pair of cheap boots would have.
Can't remember what I paid for these, £70 maybe but they've been great. Stittching is only just starting to come away at the foot of one. Needed a spray to waterproof, but otherwise I can't fault them for the price. I assumed they were made in the UK when I bought them, but I can't remember if I checked the label inside now, which is now worn.
If they're the same quality I'll buy another pair. I'd rather not buy from China to be honest, but I can only afford what I can afford. I'll look around for good deals but's not really the time of year for boot sales.
Pair I had before these were cheap 'sales' boots for £30, which were also not bad for the price but they fell to bits in about a year.
These ones didn't and were worth the money I'd say, just want to know if they're the same quality. Hard to tell maybe since perhaps much of the stock Go Outdoors were selling before was old stock, before the quality went down, if it has indeed gone down.
http://i.imgur.com/BgtVrAa.jpg
Post edited at 13:08
1
In reply to a man has no legs:
If you're not in a hurry then it's worth signing up to Rock&run's mailing list. Proper quality gear at sale prices, but obviously only odd items and sizes. I got a pair of 5.10 Exum Guides from one of their emails, amazing boots for about £35.
If you're not in a hurry then it's worth signing up to Rock&run's mailing list. Proper quality gear at sale prices, but obviously only odd items and sizes. I got a pair of 5.10 Exum Guides from one of their emails, amazing boots for about £35.
In reply to a man has no legs:
I didn't say old boots, I said lightly used.
Hiking/mountaineering boots tend to be unique, because some people will buy them for a charity event, or find they're the wrong size - and then flog them off cheaply. My B3s were used for one 3 day trip by a businessman to Mt Blanc, my B2s were also used for a 5 day expedition before being sold off.
> I wouldnae touch second hand boots with a pole mate! Not after the time I bought a pair of old boots to work on a building site. The resulting athlete's foot cost me nearly as much to treat as a new pair of cheap boots would have.
I didn't say old boots, I said lightly used.
Hiking/mountaineering boots tend to be unique, because some people will buy them for a charity event, or find they're the wrong size - and then flog them off cheaply. My B3s were used for one 3 day trip by a businessman to Mt Blanc, my B2s were also used for a 5 day expedition before being sold off.
3
In reply to SenzuBean:
Fair enough. I widnae take the risk again though, even if they were only lightly used. I'm sure fungi can still be transmitted through lightly used boots.
Fair enough. I widnae take the risk again though, even if they were only lightly used. I'm sure fungi can still be transmitted through lightly used boots.
1
In reply to Hooo:
Birthday coming up so about to be dragged round the shops by my next of kin. I'll take a look though.
I have two old pairs of Trezetas in my hut gathering dust, both still good boots, just need resoled. But the cost of resoling them is nearly the cost of a new pair of boots so... I will one day, hopefully before the leather starts to split. Proper quality Italian leather boots one of them is. Both cost me more than a £100 about 15 years ago.
Birthday coming up so about to be dragged round the shops by my next of kin. I'll take a look though.
I have two old pairs of Trezetas in my hut gathering dust, both still good boots, just need resoled. But the cost of resoling them is nearly the cost of a new pair of boots so... I will one day, hopefully before the leather starts to split. Proper quality Italian leather boots one of them is. Both cost me more than a £100 about 15 years ago.
In reply to a man has no legs:
I wouldn't call 12 years ago recent. The last pair I brought about 6 years ago were pretty good, not excellent but useable they still do a few event lined models. From what I've heard its a bit hit and miss depending on the model so are good others awful.
Unless the pair you got from go outdoors was pre 2004 they were under sports direct then.
I wouldn't call 12 years ago recent. The last pair I brought about 6 years ago were pretty good, not excellent but useable they still do a few event lined models. From what I've heard its a bit hit and miss depending on the model so are good others awful.
Unless the pair you got from go outdoors was pre 2004 they were under sports direct then.
Post edited at 19:04
In reply to a man has no legs:
The story of Karrimor reflects the wider story of the impact of globalisation on manufacturing. I bought a pair of original KSBs in the 90s which I think were UK made. They were light, waterproof, quickly comfortable to wear and lasted about 3 years of hard use on UK mountains. I caught wind of a move to Far eastern production and sought out a replacement pair before this happened. I remember the sales assistant in Fishers of Keswick showing me the box to assure me that these were UK made. They performed similarly whilst I read tales of a deterioration of quality from the newer ones in the magazines. I left the brand for my next two pairs of boots (Zamberlan) but returned a few years ago when Go Outdoors had a sale on. I was doing less challenging walks and wanted a lighter boot so opted for KSBs again. They were a shadow of their former selves and fell apart after about 18 months of wet walking in Scotland and this was before the sell off to Sports Direct. 'How are the mighty fallen'. Not surprisingly it seems that it is increasingly hard for a company to maintain quality whilst keeping prices low to meet mass demand. I will spend more on my next purchase rather than follow this downward spiral. I doubt they will be Karrimors.
The story of Karrimor reflects the wider story of the impact of globalisation on manufacturing. I bought a pair of original KSBs in the 90s which I think were UK made. They were light, waterproof, quickly comfortable to wear and lasted about 3 years of hard use on UK mountains. I caught wind of a move to Far eastern production and sought out a replacement pair before this happened. I remember the sales assistant in Fishers of Keswick showing me the box to assure me that these were UK made. They performed similarly whilst I read tales of a deterioration of quality from the newer ones in the magazines. I left the brand for my next two pairs of boots (Zamberlan) but returned a few years ago when Go Outdoors had a sale on. I was doing less challenging walks and wanted a lighter boot so opted for KSBs again. They were a shadow of their former selves and fell apart after about 18 months of wet walking in Scotland and this was before the sell off to Sports Direct. 'How are the mighty fallen'. Not surprisingly it seems that it is increasingly hard for a company to maintain quality whilst keeping prices low to meet mass demand. I will spend more on my next purchase rather than follow this downward spiral. I doubt they will be Karrimors.
2
In reply to a man has no legs:
Apparently the Karrimors with brandname waterproofing (goretex/event) which you can buy at places like Millets are pretty close to the old quality, but the boots they sell in Sportsdirect are proper rubbish. I can vouch for the latter, but not the former.
Apparently the Karrimors with brandname waterproofing (goretex/event) which you can buy at places like Millets are pretty close to the old quality, but the boots they sell in Sportsdirect are proper rubbish. I can vouch for the latter, but not the former.
In reply to Toerag:
Don't know about boots, but I swear by the £25 approach shoes. The waterproof ones are particularly good for daily wear at the price. They are also good at doing size 13.
Don't know about boots, but I swear by the £25 approach shoes. The waterproof ones are particularly good for daily wear at the price. They are also good at doing size 13.
Post edited at 13:38
In reply to a man has no legs:
They are rubbish now IMO. I bought some KSB300's 10 years or so ago in a sale in Nottingham and they were superb. Never leaked and like slippers to wear straight out the box (no breaking in or blisters). I still have them, but they have about had it now after many years of trips to Skye / Lakes / Wales (that gabro on Skye is a killer). So when I went to do the Black Culin ridge 3 years ago I got some Karrimor Event shoes as I didn't know any better at the time, and thought they were still as good as when they made the KSB's. Well one week on the Black Cullin ridge consisting of 2 training / reccy days and 2 day ridge attempt (successful) absolutely destroyed them. The sole disintergrated and they were only fit for the bin. I took them back to Sports Direct. The guy was aghast at the state of them as I only had them for about 2 weeks. He begrudingly agreed to a refund, claiming that they weren't really meant for mountain climbing. Well that is not what they claim in their marketing. Avoid.
They are rubbish now IMO. I bought some KSB300's 10 years or so ago in a sale in Nottingham and they were superb. Never leaked and like slippers to wear straight out the box (no breaking in or blisters). I still have them, but they have about had it now after many years of trips to Skye / Lakes / Wales (that gabro on Skye is a killer). So when I went to do the Black Culin ridge 3 years ago I got some Karrimor Event shoes as I didn't know any better at the time, and thought they were still as good as when they made the KSB's. Well one week on the Black Cullin ridge consisting of 2 training / reccy days and 2 day ridge attempt (successful) absolutely destroyed them. The sole disintergrated and they were only fit for the bin. I took them back to Sports Direct. The guy was aghast at the state of them as I only had them for about 2 weeks. He begrudingly agreed to a refund, claiming that they weren't really meant for mountain climbing. Well that is not what they claim in their marketing. Avoid.
1
In reply to a man has no legs:
in 1998 or 1999, as I walked down after doing Amphitheatre Buttress climbing with my rucksack, the hip belt fell off the main body of the 'sack. It wasn't a megabucks 'sack, just a fairly ordinary 40 litre one. Sent it back to Karrimor and it was repaired and posted back to me for nothing. Exemplary customer service and in this day and age, it's perhaps no wonder they went bust.
So whilst I'm glad that both Karrimor and Field and Trek (some of their own-brand stuff was marvellous, the salopettes they sold were tough as you like and a magnificent piece of clothing for winter) are names that endure, as names they are now worthless; the equivalent of Austin or Hillman in motoring terms.
It isn't just Newcastle United fans that think Mike Ashley is a character that has made some dubious decisions.
T.
in 1998 or 1999, as I walked down after doing Amphitheatre Buttress climbing with my rucksack, the hip belt fell off the main body of the 'sack. It wasn't a megabucks 'sack, just a fairly ordinary 40 litre one. Sent it back to Karrimor and it was repaired and posted back to me for nothing. Exemplary customer service and in this day and age, it's perhaps no wonder they went bust.
So whilst I'm glad that both Karrimor and Field and Trek (some of their own-brand stuff was marvellous, the salopettes they sold were tough as you like and a magnificent piece of clothing for winter) are names that endure, as names they are now worthless; the equivalent of Austin or Hillman in motoring terms.
It isn't just Newcastle United fans that think Mike Ashley is a character that has made some dubious decisions.
T.
1
In reply to a man has no legs:
Truly awful stuff now, barely fit for purpose, and I'm no gear snob.
Personally, I'd have to be pretty desperate to give that Dickensian scumbag Mike Ashley any of my money.....and I mean desperate....only one step away from going through the bins for my tea....which is what you probably end up having to do when you work for his company.
Truly awful stuff now, barely fit for purpose, and I'm no gear snob.
Personally, I'd have to be pretty desperate to give that Dickensian scumbag Mike Ashley any of my money.....and I mean desperate....only one step away from going through the bins for my tea....which is what you probably end up having to do when you work for his company.
5
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
You cannot lay the blame for Karrimors demise (in the view of all us 'real climbers', tongue in cheek emoticon). Before Sports Direct the Karrimor brand had lost its way and all but completely dissapeared already. Now its just cheap and cheerful kit that serves adequately for a lot of people walking their dog or some occasional time in the hills.
You cannot lay the blame for Karrimors demise (in the view of all us 'real climbers', tongue in cheek emoticon). Before Sports Direct the Karrimor brand had lost its way and all but completely dissapeared already. Now its just cheap and cheerful kit that serves adequately for a lot of people walking their dog or some occasional time in the hills.
In reply to GrahamD:
I'm not laying blame for Karrimor's demise on anyone. I am laying blame for devaluing a brand with heritage and reputation.
T.
I'm not laying blame for Karrimor's demise on anyone. I am laying blame for devaluing a brand with heritage and reputation.
T.
1
In reply to a man has no legs:
I knew the original owners of Karrimor. I think we have to blame the banks for not supporting the company, remembering that they would have had a financial exercise to solve, building up large stocks at the start of a season but not getting full returns to the end of the year.
I knew the original owners of Karrimor. I think we have to blame the banks for not supporting the company, remembering that they would have had a financial exercise to solve, building up large stocks at the start of a season but not getting full returns to the end of the year.
2
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
What does a brand really mean ? Its not as though the cheap n cheerful version of Karrimor (serving a different market most of whom will never have heard of the original) was anything to do with the demise of the original. Its just a name.
What does a brand really mean ? Its not as though the cheap n cheerful version of Karrimor (serving a different market most of whom will never have heard of the original) was anything to do with the demise of the original. Its just a name.
1
In reply to a man has no legs:
I was pleased to read how many of you stood up for the original KSB's. I was product dev mgr at Karrimor in the days when they were conceived and manufactured properly and professionally with high quality materials by Asolo of old days in Italy where I spent time to understand high quality manufacturing footwear. Sadly both are not what they were. We stood up squarely to lifetime guarantees and customer service on a different level. I saw a guy last week with a pinnacle rucsack and he said it was the best ever sac he had other than his original Alpiniste and both holding up even now after some repairs.
I suppose we live now in a trendy discard society where we ditch and buy the new latest stuff not expecting or caring if it lasts. My outdoor footwear are strong if they last a year. Maybe that is how to make money in the business-- short shelf life and design for product replacements regularly rather than build to last and go out of business. Ah well...
I was pleased to read how many of you stood up for the original KSB's. I was product dev mgr at Karrimor in the days when they were conceived and manufactured properly and professionally with high quality materials by Asolo of old days in Italy where I spent time to understand high quality manufacturing footwear. Sadly both are not what they were. We stood up squarely to lifetime guarantees and customer service on a different level. I saw a guy last week with a pinnacle rucsack and he said it was the best ever sac he had other than his original Alpiniste and both holding up even now after some repairs.
I suppose we live now in a trendy discard society where we ditch and buy the new latest stuff not expecting or caring if it lasts. My outdoor footwear are strong if they last a year. Maybe that is how to make money in the business-- short shelf life and design for product replacements regularly rather than build to last and go out of business. Ah well...
2
In reply to shunty:
That's good to hear. I had two pairs of the original KSBs and they were brilliant - and my Hot Ice is still going strong as my cragging rucksack, despite being at least 35 years old. I suppose I'm of the generation which simply expected kit to last (or even outlast you).
JW
That's good to hear. I had two pairs of the original KSBs and they were brilliant - and my Hot Ice is still going strong as my cragging rucksack, despite being at least 35 years old. I suppose I'm of the generation which simply expected kit to last (or even outlast you).
JW
In reply to a man has no legs:
I've recently bought 2 pairs - one shoe, one boots - both of which have been great. I wore the latter for a week in Reykjavik in the snow and my feet remained dry and warm throughout. They've had a bit of hammer too and appear to be holding up well - and they were bought at Sports Direct!
I've recently bought 2 pairs - one shoe, one boots - both of which have been great. I wore the latter for a week in Reykjavik in the snow and my feet remained dry and warm throughout. They've had a bit of hammer too and appear to be holding up well - and they were bought at Sports Direct!
In reply to a man has no legs:
They are simply a Sports Direct own brand now. Cheap and not sp cheerful.
They are simply a Sports Direct own brand now. Cheap and not sp cheerful.
In reply to GrahamD:
Heavens, there's a question. Brand management, the understanding of how a brand is perceived by actual or potential customers, is a big part of marketing. Karrimor would provide a reasonable study, should a course be looking for one. Once a brand with a good reputation, providing high quality, often innovative products backed up by top-class customer care, Karrimor have been reduced to just another name in a high street retailer.
Think about, say, Rab or Montane and you have a certain mental association that you probably don't have with HiTec. That's brand management for you.
But I'm sure there are others here that can give you a far better explanation than this.
T.
> What does a brand really mean ?
Heavens, there's a question. Brand management, the understanding of how a brand is perceived by actual or potential customers, is a big part of marketing. Karrimor would provide a reasonable study, should a course be looking for one. Once a brand with a good reputation, providing high quality, often innovative products backed up by top-class customer care, Karrimor have been reduced to just another name in a high street retailer.
Think about, say, Rab or Montane and you have a certain mental association that you probably don't have with HiTec. That's brand management for you.
But I'm sure there are others here that can give you a far better explanation than this.
T.
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
Its about core values. Mike Parsons, who I still see regularly set Karrimor on a path that led from the route of the cycle panniers designed and used by his parents who were still involved back in the good years. Everything they did was focussed on customer focussed products and service. That branding stood for something real and high valued and respected. Some of our prodcuts bombed and others did really well. I think the analogy with Rab is strong as Mike was with Karrimor. These guys were strongly connected and understood the outdoor environment and people using their products. I think that is key, rather than some MBA CEO who knows how to tweak a biz plan but has no affinity with the products or users in that market. Black Diamond in my opinion are a modern version of Karrimor. They listen to me and any suggestions I have on their products to improve them. Simple really! but I have nothing good to say about Mike Ashley and his sprawl outfit and management.
Its about core values. Mike Parsons, who I still see regularly set Karrimor on a path that led from the route of the cycle panniers designed and used by his parents who were still involved back in the good years. Everything they did was focussed on customer focussed products and service. That branding stood for something real and high valued and respected. Some of our prodcuts bombed and others did really well. I think the analogy with Rab is strong as Mike was with Karrimor. These guys were strongly connected and understood the outdoor environment and people using their products. I think that is key, rather than some MBA CEO who knows how to tweak a biz plan but has no affinity with the products or users in that market. Black Diamond in my opinion are a modern version of Karrimor. They listen to me and any suggestions I have on their products to improve them. Simple really! but I have nothing good to say about Mike Ashley and his sprawl outfit and management.
3
In reply to a man has no legs:
I used to sell boots in a certain large outdoor shop about 5 years back and the karrimor stuff we had ranged from the OK to the diabolical. The walking shoe and mid shoes were rubbish with terrible quality and design but there were a couple of event lined boots (one suede and one leather IIRC) that were certainly of a much better quality with premium brand liner material and vibram soles. These sold for ~£60-70 mark and the only reason why we didn't shift many of them was because the fit was enormously wide and high volume so they only fit a small proportion of the population.
It seemed to me that there was certainly two different targets for their products budget and premium. Unfortunately, the crap stuff damaged the brand so the better stuff didn't sell.
I used to sell boots in a certain large outdoor shop about 5 years back and the karrimor stuff we had ranged from the OK to the diabolical. The walking shoe and mid shoes were rubbish with terrible quality and design but there were a couple of event lined boots (one suede and one leather IIRC) that were certainly of a much better quality with premium brand liner material and vibram soles. These sold for ~£60-70 mark and the only reason why we didn't shift many of them was because the fit was enormously wide and high volume so they only fit a small proportion of the population.
It seemed to me that there was certainly two different targets for their products budget and premium. Unfortunately, the crap stuff damaged the brand so the better stuff didn't sell.
In reply to shunty:
Really?! You didn't tell them they could finish their sling with sellotape instead of sewing did you?
> Black Diamond in my opinion are a modern version of Karrimor. They listen to me and any suggestions I have on their products to improve them.
Really?! You didn't tell them they could finish their sling with sellotape instead of sewing did you?
3
In reply to Graham at Aston:
Some of their clothing is actually decent, they do some worth-a-look primaloft and Event stuff. Their bags are okay.
The footwear is still guff though.
Some of their clothing is actually decent, they do some worth-a-look primaloft and Event stuff. Their bags are okay.
The footwear is still guff though.
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
Thing about Karrimor is the brand was pretty much extinct long before Sports direct. People chose, for instance, TNF or Lowe Alpine instead for a long while. So to me it isn't a case of a brand being degraded - its more a brand resurected from the dead.
Thing about Karrimor is the brand was pretty much extinct long before Sports direct. People chose, for instance, TNF or Lowe Alpine instead for a long while. So to me it isn't a case of a brand being degraded - its more a brand resurected from the dead.
In reply to GrahamD:
Well I've just bought a pair of Orkney walking boots. They look reasonable and have a vibram sole. I intend to use them for shorter days as it seems to be a bit of a waste taking my La Sportiva Trango Kube ones out all the time. I reason that if I get over six months from them and they save me buying another expensive pair in the short term then they will be worth it. I will keep you informed on how well they perform.
Well I've just bought a pair of Orkney walking boots. They look reasonable and have a vibram sole. I intend to use them for shorter days as it seems to be a bit of a waste taking my La Sportiva Trango Kube ones out all the time. I reason that if I get over six months from them and they save me buying another expensive pair in the short term then they will be worth it. I will keep you informed on how well they perform.
In reply to goatee:
An update on the Karrimor Orkney boots. Well I went out for the first time with them yesterday for a seven hour round that had everything from boggy ground to VDiff climbing. I was pretty impressed overall. The sole is a little soft for the climbing side of things but they are fine for scrambling and walking over rocky ground. FOr the money they seem really good but it remains to be seen how long they will last. As of now they get a thumbs up from me
An update on the Karrimor Orkney boots. Well I went out for the first time with them yesterday for a seven hour round that had everything from boggy ground to VDiff climbing. I was pretty impressed overall. The sole is a little soft for the climbing side of things but they are fine for scrambling and walking over rocky ground. FOr the money they seem really good but it remains to be seen how long they will last. As of now they get a thumbs up from me
In reply to a man has no legs:
Wellie well well, I ended up buying a pair of the same in Sports Direct in the end today. They looked exactly the same quality as before, and said "Made in Italy" inside, so that was good enough for me. It's my birthday present from my mum kind of thing, and despite my reservations towards buying anything in Sports Direct I ended up going for it. They were £114.99 reduced to £79.99, which is obviously a complete load of horse manure since they are on the internet for £52 on Amazon. I'd say that's a good price for a fairly decent pair of hardwearing boots. So I bartered with the manager and got him to reduce them to £72, 10% off was as far as he was allowed to go.
There other Karrimor boots and walking shoes, I tried some of them on. The ones made in China... and they felt like they would disintegrate after 100 paces on a grassy knoll. Utter rubbish and not worth even the supposed reduced price.
But these are still good boots and I'm happy with them. So there you go, Karrimor Brecons are still a decent, mid budget walking boot. In my opinion. I'll let you know if they fall to bits in 6 months, but I'm confident they will last a good hill or two..
Thanks for the advice, happy hillwalking folks. Hope you have nice weather wherever you are, and if not I hope your boots are waterproof.
Wellie well well, I ended up buying a pair of the same in Sports Direct in the end today. They looked exactly the same quality as before, and said "Made in Italy" inside, so that was good enough for me. It's my birthday present from my mum kind of thing, and despite my reservations towards buying anything in Sports Direct I ended up going for it. They were £114.99 reduced to £79.99, which is obviously a complete load of horse manure since they are on the internet for £52 on Amazon. I'd say that's a good price for a fairly decent pair of hardwearing boots. So I bartered with the manager and got him to reduce them to £72, 10% off was as far as he was allowed to go.
There other Karrimor boots and walking shoes, I tried some of them on. The ones made in China... and they felt like they would disintegrate after 100 paces on a grassy knoll. Utter rubbish and not worth even the supposed reduced price.
But these are still good boots and I'm happy with them. So there you go, Karrimor Brecons are still a decent, mid budget walking boot. In my opinion. I'll let you know if they fall to bits in 6 months, but I'm confident they will last a good hill or two..
Thanks for the advice, happy hillwalking folks. Hope you have nice weather wherever you are, and if not I hope your boots are waterproof.
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