Thread: Suede leather / Textile upper vs. leather upper boots.

Suede leather / Textile upper vs. leather upper boots.

I currently have a pair of Meindl boots that have served and are continuing to serve me well but are beginning to show their age. And on the many hour walk-out last weekend I started the conversation in my head with what to replace them with beginning to weigh up the various pros and cons of the myriad of brands and options out there today.

I generally hunt the ranges of the North Island, and upper South Island, typically looking for meat venison for the freezer. So generally in rivers, bush, slips and breaking out into the tops/subalpine, seldom if ever on scree or full-blown alpine environments.

At the top of my list I have my eye on the Crispi Valdres GTX, and am keen on getting some feedback from those of you that have had experience with them.

But I have also been considering and would like some feedback on suede leather / textile upper boots such as those made by Salomon e.g.
https://salomon.co.nz/products/quest...34487259693207
https://salomon.co.nz/products/quest...34487257268375

My rationale being, I have had and have got several pairs of Salomon shoes all of which have lasted far longer than I would have expected for what I put them through, and the boot option if you bide your time and watch the sales can be brought for half the price of a leather boot. And they non-stop comfortable even under load as I do use my shoes for pack training too.

Further to this, is the textile upper dries faster and the boots themselves are considerably lighter, and for every kilo, you save on your feet is 3-5kg in your pack.

So, I'm throwing it out there, what are your experiences with suede leather/textile upper boots.

Or am I missing something blatantly fundamental here with boot selection.

Thanks in advance.

My only Question is water resistance with the Textile uppers.
I mostly use over kill lowa boots to support dodgy joints but they are becoming heavy
do have a pair of textile Trail running type boots. They are fine / great for fitness walking on formed tracks, but no good off track, not enough support or water resistance in wet grass, or shallow creeks.
Obviously a textile boot with more stiffness and thicker upper could address the stiffness and support for sidling around on uneven ground.
Still not sure about water resistance.
Z

Check out the boots @Sarvo sells members here rate them, personally haven't tried them yet as I don't need any new boots at the moment

I myself am and always have been a fan of full leather boots. Extra stiffness to support the ankle and I believe a lot more hard wearing than textile. They also offer lots more protection for feet and ankles from rocks or sharp sticks etc jabbing you , where as textile not so much . My lad has full textile lightweight boots and travels with me. His are falling apart from abrasion from rubbing against rocks etc and has been poked painfully several times through the thinner textile. My boots are still going strong and when I get poked or knocked by sharp rocks or sticks it no issue and lots more resistance to abrasion.
If you just walk tracks or open areas textile would be fine but I wouldn't go bush or river hunting in anything but leather due to the protection factor personally.
And you can get spray on waterproofing for leather for an extra water barrier. Don't use wax as it removes the leathers and waterproof inners breathing ability.
Just my thoughts..

Water and abrasion resistance and ankle support have been considered. However, my ankles are of no concern, i.e. they require no special attention other than providing them support so that in the future they don't become a problem.

Abrasion resistance and longevity and are of concern though.

I'm on the fence with regard to water resistance though. I have recently begun using Goretex socks, and have found them to be great, though they can produce a little friction on decent, however, a light pair of cotton socks put on first prevents this.

My usual area has a brutal and difficult 90min of accent to start with containing stream-creek and boggy area crossings. So leather boots become wet and heavy quickly and remain so for the remaining 5hour walk in. And I'm not prepared to carry another pair of boots as this negates the purpose of trying to cut down weight particularly for the accent. Another rationale re textile uppers is they tend to pump/flex themselves dry whilst walking.

It may appear that I'm trying to talk/convince myself into textile uppers, but into just laying out some of my rationale for others to follow and comment.

The quest 4d boots are the best boots I have ever had. They lasted a few years and I never cleaned them or gave them any love, if I had I'm sure I would still be wearing them.
I went from fairly heavy full leather boots that by the end of the day if felt like I had lead weights strapped to my feet to the 4D and it was a game changer for me. I felt I had a lot more energy at the end of the day and not so tired, and they were a really comfortable boot with good ankle support which really feel like you're wearing a sports shoe and not a boot.
When I first brought them I was really surprised at how waterproof they were and the sole had really good grip, even managed to strap crampons to them.
In the end they did start to fall apart on me and water soaked through them quickly and they also started to smell really bad (generally don't have that smelly feet) but this was probably from all the abuse and neglect I gave them, but they got me a lot of places through Otago and South Canterbury from wet muddy bush hunts to dry open rocky tops and plenty of alpine stuff and kept my feet in good condition.
Replaced them with a pair of Lowa suede boots this year (toss up between the Quest 4d and the Lowas) that so far have been ok, but in hindsight wished I had gone back to the 4d's

Thanks for the input guys, food for thought going up and down hills and in and out of streams. I will make an effort to get out and try on some boots for initial fit and impressions. My current boots have a little life left in them, but if a deal to good to miss out on I may make a rash purchase, we will be entering the post xmas sale season soon. Who knows what will pop up.