Birthday Present - Galibier Super Touring

[NormanF]

I considered what to get for my birthday this month.

In the end, I went with Galibier Super Touring. They are a model of the famous Super Guide, more suited for urban walking and short hikes. They are made - all leather the old-fashioned way with Norwegian construction by Richard Pontvert's Paraboot company. Made in France.




I bought them from Kilibre-Outillage.com. I found David, the proprietor, helpful and polite. He gave me a reply before I bought them and I was impressed. That's not what usually stores do today and it in factored into my decision - I appreciate good customer service more than price. He speaks excellent English, so I can recommend his site in France to SF members without hesitation. The question is on the minds of people and yes, the site is in French. If you use Chrome browser, everything will be auto-translated and this is helpful in setting up an account. Orders can be placed by credit card and through Paypal. Anything ordered through the site can be shipped to the USA. While VAT is included in the order, it gets deducted for orders shipped outside France and the EU.

I hope these will be good lace-up boots, every bit worthy of Galibier's reputation for mountaineering footwear!

 

[NormanF]

I am going to get them next week. La Poste, the French post office, is sending them via its Colissimo tracking service! They were dropped off today, will be shipped tomorrow.

Its the French version of Japan's EMS. Packages sent from France are always identified with FR at the end of the 13 digit tracking number.

 

[NormanF]

I finally picked up the boots today.

First impressions: the Internet pictures don't do them real justice. They are slim, stylish boots and the red laces are a lovely contrast to the thick brown leather.

The Khumbru sole is immediately comfortable but the stiff upper leather does take time to be broken in.

Its a hand-made boots with Norwegian double-stitched construction. The boot seams are protected by a resin that makes the boot waterproof. Unlike older Galibier boots, the marque is no longer stamped on the side of the boots.

The look of the boots remind me of the French boot brand Annapurna, sadly no longer made. Its a real treasure from Richard Pontvert's company.

In my opinion, if you seek to do hiking in rugged back country, the Super Guide will be a faithful companion. For walks in the city and hikes on trails and moderate terrain, the Super Touring as I have are up to the job.