Thread: Looking for Advice on Boots.

Im in the market for a new pair of boots, and with a successful Haast ballot on the main devide this Autumn, Im thinking its worth chucking some cash at to get it right. Budget is anywhere up to $750, but for that I have the following criteria.

Lightish, I have slightly dicky knees from 20 years of rugby, and hanging a lead pendulum on my foot makes for an uncomfortable day.

Highish Ankle, I also suffer from Peronial Tendonitis, an inflammation of the tendon that wraps around under the Ankle bone, which is used for stability when sideling, so they need to help with that.

Durable, if Im spending that kind of money, they have got to last. They will also be used for farm work occasionally, but generally will try not to expose them to the yards.

Budget can stretch if something stands out, but just looking for experiences outside of the marketing material, and be interested to hear if anyone else has had to deal with that particular brand of Tendonitis and how they went about it.

Thanks in advance.

Salewa Rapace. Very light and durable. Not super high in the ancle but not low either. Very soft down the achilles. Well within budget.

Have a look at the hiking version of the Perfanner forestry boots. Very good boots and equal or better than Mendl and Lowa.

Originally Posted by ariki

Have a look at the hiking version of the Perfanner forestry boots. Very good boots and equal or better than Mendl and Lowa.

Comfortable straight out of the box. These are the chainsaw ones, so I’ve no doubt the hiking version would be excellent.


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Originally Posted by MSL

Comfortable straight out of the box. These are the chainsaw ones, so I’ve no doubt the hiking version would be excellent.


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How did you find the sizing? I have a pair of Pfanner Boa chainsaw boot and they are at least half a size bigger than all my other boots.

The Sirius looks great,but have just spent 30mins trying to find somewhere what they weigh without success. Does anyone have a pair or know a stockist who might be able to sit them on a scale?

My negative experience. Don't get Asolo: you will find lots of complaints about crumbling mid sole problems. Don't get Lowa: very comfortable straight out of the box, but the rubber they use is amazingly slippery on wet or damp rocks, so they are a hazard to life and limb in NZ.

Yeah thanks. I rightly or wrongly have a strong adverse reaction to any brand that seems to promote themselves too much, so Lowa was already out, but good to know about Asolo, as they were in the mix.

Salewa is my pic. Quite expensive at $500 ish but extremely comfortable. I once wore Lowa. Phtt. Rubbish!

I have had my time with all the heavy leather boots and now been running two pairs of La Sportiva Trango TRK and I'd never go back to a traditional boot. All the same support and comfort and they weigh half as much and are wearing very well

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

I have had my time with all the heavy leather boots and now been running two pairs of La Sportiva Trango TRK and I'd never go back to a traditional boot. All the same support and comfort and they weigh half as much and are wearing very well

I got onto a pair of these after Ryan suggested them, I wouldn't go back to leather either.
Only major downside is wet grass you get wet feet.
Very comfortable but they are buggered now after a bit less than a year of everyday use.
Even the new Salomon boots don't seem to last as long as the older pairs were.

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I have the leather lined Lowa Tibets. I dont like Gortex boots because the Gortex packs up in time and the boots leak. Gortex lined boots are also very hard to dry out if they get wet inside.
The lowas are heavy but do give tremendous support whilst still letting the ankle, knee and hip move naturally. Ten steps in Lowas takes me further than twelve in something else. Not meaning that the other boots suggested wont do the same
I used to use a high ankle boot but these stop the natural ankle movement and make the knee and hip move too far to compensate = sore knees and hips, same effect as high gumboots.
For foot problems I would start going Barefoot as much as possible to correct foot position and cycling to build up tendon strength, then buy one of the suggested quality boots esp a leather lined version. Do you use a mustering stick ? makes a huge difference sidehilling

As you see there are many brands with happy users.

You really have to try them on because shape and fit are everything. (Plus sole style)
That means doing the rounds of bricks and mortar stores and paying their premium for your first pair.
Well worth it.

For example, Ive found the Scarpa shape is just right for my feet. Several other highly rated brands, with excellent construction and features were just no good for me .

Most of my hunting is in the scarpa terra gtx. Ive had 3 pairsand one has worn right out. I think the sole did separate, but not before both toes had worn through and been repaired with shoo goo. As you see below, its a lightweight style and doesnt have any rand protecting the toe. A rubber rand limits the boots ability to stretch to fit your foot but does protect it a lot from rocks and gravel which you get in the eastern alps tararuas and ruahines but not in the kaimanawas and kaimais. The boot on the left is another scarpa but with a rigid sole that I got to take crampons for a tahr ballot block. The fit is identical but it has more insulation and would be a lot heavier when wet. The weights are 800g for the snow boot and 560g for the Terra GTX. Thats 1600g vs 1120g for a pair and the rule of thumb is that weight carried on the foot is worth 4x what it-is on the back. The lighter boot saves the effort of carrying almost 2 kg.

The other big consideration is the sole. Really you want an actual heel, which is quite rare. Most boots are designed for “trail” like the routeburn and have a more or less flat / curved shoe-like profile. Most boots have vibram brand soles and seem to be pretty sticky after the first 5 or 10 hours use on rocky ground.

My experience of midsole delamination is that is the age of the boot since it was purchased that limits the lifespan, not the amount of miles it has walked. Your boot will fail after about 5-10 yr whether you use it or not. So get out there and thrash them !


Two scarpa boots, Terra GTX on right, showing different ankle height and rand .


A good tread pattern

Ive had an ankle surgery myself and since that have had great success with Crispi Nevada Legend boots, not exactly the cheapest on the market but they give me a solid 2 years of use as a fencing contractor and are comfortable, supportive and waterproof for that time. Im quite sure they would last many more years as a hunting boot rather than a work boot. Ive also just got my old man onto the Valdres verision which is a bit lighter weight, now bear in mind hes a traditional bloke who thought $200 for boots was excessive... but with worn out knees from 20 years of shearing sheep and a good dose of gout in his feet he seems to think they are well worth the money now he's about 2 months into owning them

Another vote for Salewa rapace