Suggest a hiking boot ....

My Hanwags are glued, and 12 years old (half of that time I've only used them on snow days):



Once a year, after the winter, they get a coat of wax.

I have Meindls as well (low shoes), around ten years old.

I have some glued Ecco boots that I treat with leather fat or dubbin. They are probably about ten years old. I have abused them a lot when I wore them every day as my only winter boots. When they die I think I will try the Hanwag Grünten.

Just order your boots from Parachoc (the security/work/etc branch of Paraboot) directly from their website. Search for Parachoc.

aj_del said:

So, my boots arrived today. Here's a pic. There are a little hardcore than what i initially wanted but they look as if they can handle some actual hiking

Click to expand...

Are you going to wear them for going to work in or flanning around town ? Won't be any good for hiking.

Has anyone purchased the new Alico Guide boots?



Unfortunately the size 9M I ordered ran a little small.
The boot was a little snug but the real problem was the opening to the boot was very small due to the tongue design..
The back of my foot was rubbing the rear of he boot very hard.

I wish the Raichle Norwegian welt boots were still available.
The Alico guide leather does appear to be of the same quality as my EMS Raichle Ravine's .purchased in 1996.
They have 3mm thick Gallusser leather.

It's probably been mentioned before, but I'll echo the Merrell Wilderness as a good value. It is still made in Italy as far as I know.

JimPA said:

Has anyone purchased the new Alico Guide boots?

Unfortunately the size 9M I ordered ran a little small.
The boot was a little snug but the real problem was the opening to the boot was very small due to the tongue design..
The back of my foot was rubbing the rear of he boot very hard.

I wish the Raichle Norwegian welt boots were still available.
The Alico guide leather does appear to be of the same quality as my EMS Raichle Ravine's .purchased in 1996.
They have 3mm thick Gallusser leather.

Click to expand...

My son has these. They are terrific boots. They were a tad big for me, but are the old school, heavy, strong, comfortable hiking boot that, once broken in, becomes a life time purchase where it is better to re sole than re purchase. This is not MICC. The Hanwag, Zamberlan, Alico, and others are well made, expensive, but worth it, type of boots.

Having just commented on the Alico, let me put in some comments on Meindl hiking boots.

These are the best hiking boots I have been able to find, anywhere.

These are not the Cabela ones, but directly from Germany. My family also has fallen in love with Meindl quality, so I can reference a few models.

First, how we found them: Through Limmer!

I had a negative experience with LImmer, but learned that, other than their custom boots, they have them made by Meindl in Germany. From there, I tested some Cabela, by Meindl, and finally landed my own Meindl, but from Germany. I compared three models, including the Ascona Identity hiking shoe; the Borneo 2, and the Ortler, with Cabela versions and Limmer.

The Perfekt is the strong model that is considered in Europe to be the ultimate hiking boot, with the "Super Perfekt" being strictly a "mountaineering boot", but the Perfekt being the long hike and/or mountaineering boot. The Ortler compared nicely to the Limmer, but, in my view, superior. Both Limmer and Meindl were superior to Meindl for Cabela. Someone who sold them said that Cabela had Meindl cut corners a bit for cost savings.

As to the Meindl:

My Ortlers are broken in and the best way I can describe them is to hockey players. Hockey players often purchase a skate that is 2 sizes too small, terribly uncomfortable until broken in, but once broken in, wraps around the foot in a way that feels like it is an extension of the foot, itself.

This is precisely how my Ortler now feels to my foot. I kept a journal (in my iPhone) of the break in period, beginning only with wearing them around the house for a couple of hours, never waiting for my feet to get sore. I used Limmer boot grease, very lightly (and then switched to "Bear Guard", which is almost the same thing) to gently soften them, while waterproofing.

The weather during this time: very snowy and very cold.

The Ortler (lighter than the Perfekt) was comfortable and dry with the lowest temp being -17F. I used a blow dryer to heat up the grease and used only very thin layers, let it dry, then buffed with shoe brush. These are non Gore tex, leather lined, so my hope was to form it around my feet. It really works!

Meindl.de has an English version of their website.

These are old school, heavy hiking boots. They take time to break in. No instant gratification. Also, they take effort to keep waterproof, but this is something I enjoy, since watching my dad, decades ago. I have Stow, Church, and other fine shoes, so this is routine for me.

Google.de has lots of info on the Meindl line. My wife has Borneo 2, and loves them, and we have matching Ascona Identity shoes, both sans Gore-tex, which also wrap around the foot. These look really nice with jeans. They are beautiful leather, with natural markings.

I love the old school look of hiking boots combined with raw denim, cuffed, nice belt, and shirt. It is a great casual shirt and since I began using a Kent brush to my Gustin jeans, the fades are beautiful. The weight of the boots has a secure feel to it, which I love, and I do not mind burning a few extra calories wearing them!

anyone else fall in love with Meindl?

This is the Perfekt, from Germany.

The Ortler is not as heavy and breaks in nicely. I use them to shovel snow. We were 2nd in the nation in snowfall this past winter. The waterproofing has been through and through. I know some love Gore-tex, but I love how leather can wrap around the feet and still breathe. The conditioner darkened the brown to "dunkelbraun", yet it still has the pronounced two tone look.



and finally....

the Ascona Identity for men. My wife has the "lady" model:


It really is more of a "fun" shoe, and extremely comfortable for every day type wear. (I rotate my shoes!) If I am going to be walking any considerable distance, especially on cement, for example, this is my "go to shoe." In a recent trip to Madison Square Garden, and a walking tour of NYC, this was my shoe of choice. I also used the "Maine Bees Wax and Bear fat" combo of "Bear Guard" boot grease. It kept them waterproof and clean.

Also, with these shoes, when the snow-salt-sand is really bad, I add a very thin layer of wax (Loake) and buff. It causes the street junk roll off but it is not enough to 'clog the pores' of the leather.