Can you recommend hiking boots?

[basicbitch]

Total beginner, looking to do some uk mountain hiking, will be quite intensive. Looking for waterproof hiking boots, anyone got any recommendations? Looking to spend under £40 if poss. Are some of the cheaper £20 range ones any good or is it all tat? Any suggestions much appreciated!

The aldi ones are actually really good if you can find some, better than others I've had. Just make sure whatever you get are really comfy for you (wear hiking socks when you go to try them on) as no matter they price you are going to know about it if they rub.

Merrell hiking boots I have found to be superior to other brands. They're comfortable and practical, haven't been let down by them yet!

I like Scarpa boots, but hate Zamberlan. Both are "big names" and comparable quality, but my feet are very much Scarpa shaped and not Zamberlan shaped.

I'm not sure I would recommend any

To be honest £40 boots will be tat. You need three season boots. Either leather or if fabric ones they must be gortex lined. Don't believe the twaddle places like sports direct peddle about brands like Karrimor saying they're water resistant, etc. They're not.

Go to a decent hiking/outdoors shop and ask for advice. Most important thing is a boot which fits your feet. Some brands are better for wider feet, some better for narrower feet. I've got Meindle boots, Solomon boots and Asolo hiking shoes. The boots cost about £200 each and the shoes were £135.

Boots and feet come in different shapes and sizes so the fit is very important. I love my Scarpa boots, they are as comfortable at the end of the day as they were at the beginning, but they were well over £100.
I first had a cheap pair (hi tec) but ended up with painful rubbed and bruised Achilles - ouch. The lovely staff at an independent store identified what was wrong with the fit and sorted me out. I also seem to have Sharpa shaped feet

Meindl! Will really last you.

You need to go somewhere and try on lots of pairs, different brands suit different shaped feet. I've just bought some scarpa ones (£90) from Ellis Brigham - they take a lot of time over making sure you have a good fit. My last pair were Lowa boots and they were so comfy - I never had a single blister, I retired them as they were falling apart and letting in water but I used them for over 10 years so an initial investment of £100 isn't bad when you look at it as a "cost per wear".

If you are buying high cost outdoor stuff like boots etc it's worth getting a yha membership - I think it's about £15 a year but it will get you 15% off in shops like blacks, Cotswold, go outdoors. It doesn't officially get you discount in Ellis Brigham but the very nice assistant gave me discount anyway (put it through as a climbing club membership instead)

I just ordered DH some HiTec ones from amazon - they're leather but lightweight. RRP is £125 but for his size they were only £50.

V Lite Flash

There doesn't appear to be an exactly matching women's boot unfortunately. this one looks similar though - same technology! - more than £40, but it's a £100 boot. (If it doesn't fit well you can easily send back to amazon)

I found a glowing review of the ones I've ordered, in terms of weight (V-Lite means very light ), comfort & waterproofing

www.getaway.co.za/gear-reviews/hi-tec-v-lite-flash-hike-i-wp-hiking-boots/

I have karimor ones from sports direct (£20) and they're great.

Do you find you had to buy a size different to your normal everyday shoe size? Was looking to buy some online but not sure what size.... I'm a size 5 generally.

I do a fair bit of walking across a range of terrains, if you're serious about mountain walking, I would suggest investing in a decent pair of boots. I have a cracking Salamon pair, approx £130, a birthday gift from my DP replacing my previous pair that I had had for years! (literally, like about 15 years).

Cotswold are a great place to go and get fitted and advice on what boot is best for your needs, and they usually have a little ramp thing with different surfaces on it to give a bit of a feel of what the boots will be like. I'd also be inclined to invest in decent socks (I always wear two pairs when out walking - one thin normal pair, and then a pair of walking socks) as this will reduce the likelihood of blisters.

Good luck and have fun getting out and about!

My karrimor ones leaked like a sieve and I had soaking wet feet just walking on wet, short grass.

YY to decent socks.

If you are anywhere near The Peak District, I'm pretty sure that Outside in Hathersage will exchange boots if they don't fit properly. They certainly used to. DH was a boot fitter there, they put a lot of effort into boot fitting, with different styles, insoles, lacing patterns, socks etc, and they have the little rocky ramp thing to try boots out on too.

I wouldn't buy cheap boots. Really good boots are worth the money. I've had my Meindl boots for 18 years and they're still fantastic.

Decathlon and Go Outdoors have some cheaper walking gear but it's still proper quality and their staff are trained to fit. You might get a sale bargain. Overwhelmingly buy them from a shop ehete you can try on, not online. I would agree up to £100 is a better budget. The right boots and socks will last years and make walking a pleasure. Save money on the other gear!