UKC

TL;DR. Looking for a comfy boot that does well in mud, rock and non-technical snow.

After 11 and a bit years, my Salomon Quest 4d GTX's have finally given up the ghost (sole has completely detached after a couple of years of gluing them back together every few months) so I'm in the market for a new pair of boots and looking for recommendations.

My Salomon's were pretty OK. I've walked London to Brighton and Hadrian's wall in them, been up some big hills in N Wales and the lakes, chopped wood and pottered about in the garden, light scrambling and climbing approaches, evening footwear on ski holidays, town use when it's not trainer weather, etc etc.

Generally they were fine. Comfy enough and I was able to stretch them out to 11yrs but they let in water from quite early on and the traction was never any good on mud or snow - a friend was out gripping me significantly in a cheap pair of boots from Decathlon.

Scrambling, abseilling and rocky climbing approaches always very sloppy too. If it's bone dry conditions underfoot, I'd just wear my approach shoes but if I'm approaching over wet grass or mud I'd opt for hiking boots.

Bonus points if they can be resoled.

I'm not exactly Warren Buffet but I'm happy to spend a little more for something that will last.

TIA

If you want to be able to resole them (properly) they're probably not going to be as flexible and lightweight as the Quests. A little bit more rigidity would make them better scrambling boots though I would say. 

Regards the snow and mud thing - that's due to the compound of the rubber most probably. Something with a Vibram sole would work better already. 

I'd wager most of the German shoe brands have what you're looking for and some of our well-known Italian friends as well - be aware that resolable construction is becoming rarer though because it's more expensive and complicated. 

I'd say my Altberg boots do pretty well as all rounders and are fine with walking crampons.  The added bonus is they have different width options.

Thanks, the resole would be a nice to have. I’ve been looking at Sportiva TX5 mids and Scarpa Mescalito TRK that seem like they might fit the bill

Thanks, I’ve not come across Altbergs before. I’ll have a look

Altberg are an incredibly good quality boot. Something like the Tethera would probably for the bill

Another recommendation for Altberg. As GrahamD said, you can get them in different widths which enabled me to have the revelatory experience of walking boots that actually fit. Being leather they are robust and retain waterproofing for longer than fabric boots, in my experience.

I've recently had mine resoled which has given them a new lease of life.

Short answer: boots wear out, just try lots on and buy whatever has the best possible fit.

If you know if you have particularly wide/narrow or high/low volume feet, it's worth mentioning that and people can give particular recommendations.

Long answer:

The bad news is that boots wear out just like everything. In most cases, apart from £500+ B3 mountaineering boots, it's probably not worth worrying about resoling them. It's not cheap to get done and even with good quality leather boots, the uppers and midsole are also likely to be gone by the time the soles are worn out - at least that's my personal experience with the general sort of use you describe.

Cheaper, lighter fabric boots generally last a shorter time than more expensive, heavier leather boots although it's not clear which approach is ultimately better in terms of value for money.

Buying boots on sale is great - but ONLY if they are one of the models you were considering buying anyway.

I go through a pair of traditional Scarpa leather boots every 4-5 years. That's been a couple of pairs of Scarpa Delta and I'm currently on the Scarpa Trek in the low volume version which is probably a better fit.

I've also got a pair of the more modern styled Sportiva Aequilibrium which are a fantastic lightweight and super comfy higher performance mountaineering and scrambling boot. However, the added stiffness that's great off the beaten track means they are not great for pounding tarmac and given the cost of them I'm keeping them for the hills and not the garden or wet walks to the pub.

In general that's your dilemma - stiffer boots offer better scrambling performance but that often comes at the expense of comfort for longer walks on pavement/tarmac.

Anyway, I think the best possible advice is to try on lots and lots of boots. That way you can start to get an idea of what make/models suit your foot shape. That means multiple shops - not just deciding from what's on offer in the first large shop you go to. Unfortunately other than North Wales or the Lake District there's not many places with multiple outdoor shops stocking a wide variety of brands in a small area...

Anyway, hope that's useful!

My answer is Meindl Borneo.  Good leather, leather lining, tough sole, last for years (even if a young puppy decides to modify the tongue a bit).  Some will say 'Clod-hoppers'.  I say 'Is that fragile waterproof membrane needed because the outer is so poor?' and 'How long will that fabric lining last?' and 'How long will that soft grippy sole last'?

Not cheap, but you pay your money etc

PS - put some hand cream on the leather lining from time to time

I'll just give the alternate view on Altberg. I'm less than impressed with mine. Where the rand meets the leather mine are cracking badly, and also on the flex points, despite religiously applying ledergris as per the care instructions.

As an aside I never really got on with them, feel very much like a pair of work boots minus the steel toecaps, and I'm glad to get them off after a few miles. They're now relegated to local dog walking when it gets muddy. Others' experiences may vary.

I'm also interested in recommendations. Just glued the soles back on Mrs Ridge's 3 year old Lowas, so 2 pairs of new boots might be in order soon.

And, if and when you do find a good pair of boots that fit well, take Chouinard's advice, and buy several pairs. They'll have either changed, or become unavailable, a few years down the track.

I did that and then my feet changed shape so dramatically I could barely get them on anymore leaving me with a £200 pair of boots that I couldn't wear and struggled to sell for anywhere close to the value. 

Sorry to hear that. I've followed Chouinard's advice, ever since I read it in 'Climbing Ice.' It has always worked very well for me.

Only to find out that after 5‑10 years of storage, your unused pair's midsoles have crumbled all over the closet floor from hydrolysis?

Granted, the foam formulations have gotten better nowadays, less prone to irreversible chemical degradation, but I'd still be wary buying backup boots that might sit unused too long in storage. Especially when you have no idea how long they spent in storage in the store already.

They might be fine, might be not. Perhaps storing them in a dehumidifier?

Though if I found a very cheap deal on something like running shoes (many of which tend to wear out the uppers around the 250‑500 mile mark anyway), I'd probably buy three pairs. Even if I'd still cringe at their "longevity" in the first place.

Yeah, me two. Scarpas fit me, so I've two pairs of Mantas and two of Rangers. Occasionally get Manta heel but otherwise all four are perfect.

I haven't actually done that with mountaineering boots but I routinely double up on items of outdoor clothing that I like. I'll try to stock up on any gloves for Winter use that work well and I quickly bought a second pair of my current Berghaus waterproof trousers.

A few years ago I stocked up on Evolv Cruzer approach shoes but in that case I bitterly regretted buying only two pairs at half price rather than the all four in my size that Needlesport still had in stock...

Thanks for the advice all. Sportiva’s climbing shoes and approach shoes fit my feet well so I decided on a pair of Sportiva TX5s in the end.

Only worn them to the cinema so far (Gladiator 2 - would recommend) but they seem a great fit and I’m impressed with the sole. Bonus points for not letting any rain or popcorn in.