UKC

My old walking boots need retiring. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of fabric vs leather? My personal preference (prejudice?) is for non-leather but for the life of me I don't know why, perhaps a result of wearing leather ones when I was small and finding them heavy? Any thoughts anyone?

In reply to Bobling:

I like leather. Minimal stitching and a good quality wax.
Fabric. Too much stitching and an easy to puncture membrane.

In reply to Bobling: i'm liking fabric, but i only use boots in the winter

In reply to Bobling:

Depends on your intended use to some extent.

Fabric/membrane boots are, generally, lighter it is true. But the membrane inevitably breaks down pretty soon leaving you with a pair of sieves which just retain the wetness.

Leather is heavier but a good pair will last you years of ordinary use.

In reply to Bobling:

Brasher leather boots are a good compromise. Very light .
I bought the brasher kibo fabric boot, but as said above, the membrane is now shot.

In reply to Bobling:

Where do you mostly walk ? I think I'd always go for leather for Scotland as its so often wet underfoot, but I'm quite happy with fabric boots in the Alps below the snow line as its much dryer.

In reply to Bobling:

I have leather boots and fabric approach shoes. I find that gives me a good choice of options.

In reply to Doug:

Mostly will be used for wet and muddy walks near home (Bristol). My current pair have given me about a dozen years (fabric) but have not been 100% waterproof for at least five years, I can live with slightly soggy feet for a little while ..in fact if crossing streams I'd rather a boot that lets a bit of water out rather than one which is 100% waterproof and just traps it in.

In reply to Bobling:

I think for English mud - particularly autumn and winter - some simple leather boots are great. In other countries where I have hiked, it's just never as muddy as the UK! I've had my current Scarpa ones for probably going on 20 years and they still work fine, so buying good quality ones is worth it even if they are expensive at first.

But do get light flexi ones, don't think you need crampon compatible mountain boots for walking around Somerset or Gloucestershire woods!

In reply to Bobling:
For me, based on my useage, overall leather, but I do use fabric.

Assuming the boots need to be waterproof, I've found in fabric ones the waterproof liner leaks quickly and from approx 6 mths use for the really light weight and flexible boots. Leather, without lining as more comfortable in warmer conditions, can last several year upwards if maintained regularly.

Fabric lighter, little or no breakin period, generally more flexible at least in upper, and need less maintenance. Leather, costs more, needs to be looked after more, heavier, but to me better value over the life, can be resoled if a good quality boot to start with, and can take on more extreme conditions and abuse. I've used a Scarpa SL (full leather) that was waterproof for 10 yrs, and took loads of abuse including some 20 + trips in the Cuillin. I resoled them and although they were no longer waterproof at that stage they did an further 15 yrs of drier summer use.

Never had a fabric boot that could compete (although I am sure that some of the newer ones maybe far better nowadays).
My fabric boots are generally used for lower level walks even muddy and wet ones, but they will not last long where they maybe subject to scraping, sand, gritty mud, abrasive vegetation, etc, which can get trapped in the fabric (as it's normally the grit etc working its way through that breaks the waterproof liner I believe).

In reply to TobyA:

Aha, good point. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that they I'd be doing some winter walking in them, so need to put crampons on.

I asked the sale staff (GoOutdoors so perhaps not the right place for advice!) about this and was direly informed that if I tried to use crampons on anything apart from a B3/B1 Bwhatever specialist climbing boots I would rip the sole right off the boot. They even had a fabric boot with sole detached to show me what they meant. I took this with a pinch of salt as that hasn't happened so far on my old pair of non-specialist fabric boots but if anyone can chip in about this I'd be keen on advice. Again for some reason my natural anti-leather prejudice suggests that crampons used this way would be better on fabric than leather but I have absolutely no idea why I think this. I guess it would depend a bit on the crampons used?

In reply to Bobling:

Thanks for this thread - I too am looking for new boots and need to think about this question! I feel temperamentally happier with leather but that must be a bit subjective! Glad to hear the pro-leather comments here therefore.

The boots that I'm retiring are leather with a goretex lining and have been marvellously Welsh-bog-proof until the leather wore away at the seam near the toes - after somewhere between 15 and 20 years' wear.

L

In reply to Bobling:
Whether it is fabric or leather makes no difference to the boot crampon-compatibility rating - my B3 boot are fabric (I am vegetarian), but it is generally advised not to put (normal) crampons on anything less than B1, and even then you need matching C1 crampons. The B grade is about the stiffness/shape of the sole (and whether the boot has heel/toe welts for B2/B3). I am unconvinced that crampons could pull the sole off a boot (?); my (limited) understanding is that if incorrectly fitted they may just fall off while you are wearing them. Of course, on the side of a mountain that could prove fatal...

In reply to andrewmcleod:
My understanding is that a C1 strap in crampon will go on a sub B1 boot in a pinch, but that the extra flexing may make the bar fail prematurely so it's not a great idea.

In reply to Bobling: more probably the shoes fill flex so much the crampons will fall off unless you crank up the strapping to be uncomfortably tight.

To the op - as a point of reference have you tried Mantas?

In reply to wbo:

Thanks for that and for the others above fair point about boot flex > crampon fall off > trouble. I have not tried Mantas - care to expand?

In reply to Bobling: I guess as I see them as the 'benchark' winter walking boot. Once you've tried Manta's you kind of know where you're going.