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.