Boots

[Lentil]

I'll be leaving in a few weeks for an overland trip from Maroc to South Africa and currently shopping for boots. Most closely looking at the Meindl Desert Fox but for the price considering a pair of Magnums. They are nice and light but seem only slightly more durable than my ballsack (works fine for its purpose but I don't want to walk on it for a few thousand kms). There is also the difficulty of finding a pair of Meindl military boots in here in France. Seems I may have to head across the Channel to actually try a pair on. The pound is in the toilet right now anyways so no big deal . I've read about a Meindl 'Jungle Boot' but can't seem to find any difference between that and the Desert Fox (except its in Black and about 100 Euros more). Anybody have any experience with either?

Are the Magnums as crap as they seem? The soles don't seem replaceable and I can't really afford to have them blow out in Nigeria. Any advice on a good desert and jungle boot available in Europe. I'll be walking a lot but not bagging any peaks and have a recently weak ankle. I also have a narrow foot (size 44) and that makes finding well fitting boots a perpetual problem.

ELi

[flipflop]

Welcome to the forum.

Ok, I've owned both Magnums and Desert Fox boots (still have a pair of foxes).

Magnums are more comfortable but the soles are too soft, when I wore them in debris-strewn Iraq I was always wary of getting a nail or other sharp object through my sole into my foot.

Desert Foxes will never have that problem, but need a bit of time to wear in. They can get a tad hot if you walk about in them. Just when I thought they were well worn in I took them trekking in Tibet - after 40km around MT Kailash both my heels and a few toes on each foot were badly blistered. This may have been due to a single ill-fitting pair, but they felt really ok before my trek.

I would still go for the Desert Fox though, they now come in ankle high design too - seen them but never tried them

I also wear a pair of Converse zipper ankle boots - they're quite good too, better than the Magnum's, but for wear and tear/protection the Meindl is as good a boot as you'll find anywhere

Cheers

[Hitoru]

Magnums last me and my boys about 6 months and then they start to fall apart.

[Caliban]

Magnums last me and my boys about 6 months and then they start to fall apart.

Total agreement. Only ever bought one pair, when they first came out. Lasted less than a year.Went back to my pair of Danner (Kreel, I think was the model,long gone) that I bought in 1989 and have only needed Vibram resoling 3 (maybe 4) times.

Felt great out of the box, Leather is a s good as new, Goretex lining too. I am still using them today - twenty years is a good track record I would say.

Don't get the magnums

[Woodsman]

ditto to what Caliban says. I own two pairs of Danner explorers:



I use one pair highly polished - when the upper portion of the boot is covered by dress slacks, the boots appear as slightly "beefy" dress shoes - it does work for weddings, etc... That pair I don't wear out in the field very much. The other pair is about 10 years old and has been resoled 3 times. The current sole on them (resoled by Danner ) is a Vibram sierra sole. I wanted that particular sole on them because the stock Kletterlift has a tendency to "cake" with heavy clays. They have seen miles and miles of field use. They are uninsulated, but that gore-tex membrane still has a tendency to make your feet sweat a tad in the hot weather. I still wear them occasionally, but the leather upper has lost most of its integrity, despite my frequent maintenance. One big plus to these boots is that while they are built exactly like Danner's duty boots, they aren't black so don't have that "tactical" appearance.

I have at least 5-6 pairs of other boots and my favorite to use on the hot days last year were some Bates duty boots with the side zips. I got a deal on those 2 pairs/$99. These do have the "tactical" appearance, but I don't care since I mainly use them in the swamps and for marking timber anyway - I really don't care to get tree marking paint on the nicer boots, which is why I get these sorts of boots instead.

[nowonmai]

the boots appear as slightly "beefy" dress shoes - it does work for weddings, etc...

Minor correction - you think it works for weddings, etc....

[LiveLife]

Don´t go for the magnum boots!

I use magnum boots almost daily, it´s a throw away boot. Lasts 6-12 months in a city environment.

I use a pair of "Lundhags Bergsport", a great boot in both hot and temperate zones. Sadly they don´t make them anymore.

Been looking lately at the Lowa desert boot http://www.lowamps.com/desert.html . Have similar specs as the meindel but a little bit lower price.

[Caliban]

The boot that Woodsman mentions is identical in appearance to the ones I have except mine are black. They went by a completely different name when I bought them though and were discontinued around the time I bought them. Before, I mentioned I thought the style was called Kreel but was thinking of something else and they were actually called Breton.

Obviously reintroduced with the name explorer.

I'll give the dress shoe substitute a miss though I think. They are a bit worse for wear after all --




(I can't believe I have just taken a picture of my old "daisies")

[Woodsman]

the boots appear as slightly "beefy" dress shoes - it does work for weddings, etc...

Minor correction - you think it works for weddings, etc....

I believe it is acceptable, yes - but then I'm the sort of guy that never wears ties. If it requires a tie, I boycott it. So there you are.

[Woodsman]

Pair on left I wouldn't even think about it, but the ones on the right look good with a pair of dress pants - I mean as nice as shoes. My pants usually cover most of the boot - people can't see the upper anyway so they wind up looking like a pair of nice shoes (I couldn't stand to wear a pair of dress shoes - the thought of it makes me wanna puke). Note the different soles. That is sole #3 for the ones on the left. Some of the stitching on the leather has come off, but the boots are still very wearable - comfortable, though not near as much support compared to when new.

[2 Charlie]

My light weights:

http://www.hanwag.de/Archive/Images/Pro ... 316_49.jpg

My heavy weights (have them in black):

http://www.hanwag.de/Archive/Images/Pro ... 303_32.jpg

[LiveLife]

Woodsman, you are not alone.
I use boots to dress pants almost everyday -no one notice, it´s just about choosing the right boot.
Whatever happens I´m sure that I won´t be barefoot.

[Woodsman]

My light weights:

http://www.hanwag.de/Archive/Images/Pro ... 316_49.jpg

My heavy weights (have them in black):

http://www.hanwag.de/Archive/Images/Pro ... 303_32.jpg

I like those.

[Woodsman]

Here are some more of my boots:

The here and now boots (when it's stupidly cold and snowy - the tall ones work good in spring swamps too):



The motorcycle boots (not purpose built, but rather what I use, due to the high tough leather upper, decent soles, waterproof and comfort level):



The back up/older boots (note orange tree marking paint overspray on some and house paint/primer/drywall mud on last pair - those short Bates boots are crap for anything else):



Rocky's snakeproof swamp boots, $99/2 Bates zip cheapos (good for summer only - but do love the lightness and on/off ease - the overspray is not showing up on these photos very well) and a pair of purpose boots described below...



These are my newest additions. I purchased them in the autumn specifically for riding my m/c out to Colorado and knocking out some 14ers during an extended weekend. My regular M/C boots are fine for any distance on the cycle, but really would not work in the nasty talus and rock up top - plus they are not insulated, so I was looking for a pair that would do both well. As it turns out, I didn't make it during that time frame due to some unforeseen obstacles that came up, so I have not actually worn these yet (other than in the store - and man were they comfy!). They are Merrel's "Thermo 6" boot which I think will work well for fastpacking rock/mountain climbing/snow shoe exploring (they even have a hook built in to use gaiters with - though not slam and go crampon ready). I'm not sure when I will use them next, but some of my friends want to head down to the Smokies soon for a winter trip, so I might use them then.:

[Caliban]

What have I started with that pic ?! A boot fetish site?