Cheap walking boots?

IanC

IanC

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Hi peeps im looking for some cheap walking boots with good support for my dodgy ankles as my trainers just wont do the job anymore when walking around in the snow and wet conditions of this lovely winter we are having

i should mention that im very much into landscape photography so im often climbing hills. i have a budget of £50.

thanks in advance for any help :)
 
go to your local outdoor centre shop, they will have loads of boots to choose from.

Failing that if your wanting a more stylish pair then a good pair of cat boots or similar will do the job too.
 
I've got a pair of Brasher Hekla GTX which is what I use for my various photography outings. THey are about £90 SRP but I picked mine up in a sale for £55.
Very comfy, very sturdy and offer my ankles great support. Combined them with a pair of socks from the same company and I can walk for miles with ease.
 
Go Outdoors usually have some great deals on.. Gazedd got some boots for about £20 and loves them! Wish I'd bought some at the same time :(
 
RichardtheSane said:
I've got a pair of Brasher Hekla GTX which is what I use for my various photography outings. THey are about £90 SRP but I picked mine up in a sale for £55.
Very comfy, very sturdy and offer my ankles great support. Combined them with a pair of socks from the same company and I can walk for miles with ease.
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Something like this richard? http://www.outdoorkit.co.uk/product.php?product_id=2647&gclid=CJD7kP7r-54CFUJE3god0nSWLg

they look very good for the money, how waterproof are they do you know?

thanks for the options so far everyone
 
IanC said:
Something like this richard? http://www.outdoorkit.co.uk/product.php?product_id=2647&gclid=CJD7kP7r-54CFUJE3god0nSWLg

they look very good for the money, how waterproof are they do you know?

thanks for the options so far everyone
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That's the one. Mine are very waterproof with good care. I got a bottle of waterproofing spray with mine and I've happily been tamping through mud, long wet grass and puddles and my feet stayed dry. The lace area is also sealed so no water gets in there. I've never stood in water for a sustained period but I've dunked my foot in the edge of a lake a couple of times and again, no wet feet.

Mine are three years old now and going strong.
 
try tk maxx if store near you?

there was quite a few karrimor boots there when i was in last week for between £30-£60, they looked like half decent ones too!
 
Brasher Hekla GTX - i think im going to go for this boot, thanks everyone for all your help
 
Another vote for Go Outdoors
I got a pair of Berghaus ones reduced from £99 to £50
 
daugirdas said:
Arco safety shoes. They are heavy, but fully water resistant, slip resistant and you can do some serious damage with them :bat:
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AND wear your socks out from the inside!!

Another here for Brasher boots. I have the Supalite GTX and they are the mosy comfortable boots I have EVER worn in 35 years of hillwalking!
I also have a pair of the Freelite fabric boots, for summer, and they are also very, very good.
 
Bought some North Face Mid-Top boots from Blacks on Boxing Day. Down from £95 to £47.50, so half price.

Gore-Tex boots so pretty much guaranteed waterproof and for the same reason as you great fo providing a bit more ankle support.

Really nice boot, lightweight and very comfortable so for although tackling Snowdon in them on Friday.

DB
 
Something worth considering are military/police spec footwear; really comfortable for obvious reasons and built to last a bit longer than your average retail outlet 'bargains'. It may stretch your budget a little bit but thought I'd suggest it; I have a pair of 5.11 Tactical boots for non-wellie conditions whilst birding/photographing. See http://www.copshopuk.com/acatalog/Boots.html
 
Thanks everyone this has given me alot of options to look at
 
I've always been a Berghaus man, I did try a pair of Salomon fast trek, very comfy , light and waterproof, but fell apart in about 12 weeks.

Rob.
 
Go Outdoors is a winner for me!
£19 boots plus a £4 "Discount card" which is great because the boots would have been about 30-40 without it! (its not a store card or anything)
 
You'll not thank me for this, but cheap footwear is a false economy IMO - badly-fitting footwear will cause all manner of problems and unless your boots are really comfortable, it makes life a real misery.

Spend double your budget and get something better-made, more comfortable and less likely to damage your feet - they'll also last twice or three times as long, making the initial outlay more bearable.
I have an ugly old pair of Gore-Tex lined Berghaus boots I bought 15 years ago, still going strong, whereas cheaper 'Gucci' boots were worn once or twice, found to be uncomfortable for extended periods and thrown in the skip.

Even the Army has finally (after about 300 years!!!) got the message - we now get issued boots made by the German Lowa or Meindl companies costing £120 instead of the generic £15 lookalikes that we used to have to endure - issuing better boots has resulted in fewer injury-claims for damaged feet, knees and ankles, and has reduced the number of injuries during training so has proved more economical in the long-term.
 
:agree: In the real scheme of things, decent boots aren't THAT expensive nowadays.
Plenty of good makes out there and its sale time. ;) As already said though, get decent socks to go with them too.


Kev.
 
I use the Karrimor boots from SportsDirect, I use their steel toe caps for work and their waterproof ones for walking, they are brilliant I suffer with dodgy heels after breaking my ankles, and these hold me up and keep me going all the time, my family take the mickey out of me because I never wear anything else.
 
Choosing boots is very subjective. Other people can give you some idea of their experience with different brands/models, but feet vary a lot and so do boots. Fit is critical and it's not just about finding the right size; width, volume, support, the fit of the heel cup and the lacing system come into it too.

Feet tend to swell during the day, so go to an outdoor store - preferably one with an experienced boot fitter - in the afternoon and try on as many different boots as possible, wearing the same socks you intend to use when you're walking. Lace the boots firmly and walk around. The better shops have ramps so that you can check that your feet don't slip forward and pinch your toes on the down slope. This is important. Aftermarket footbeds (like insoles) can help you to get a good fit too.

Goretex is a bit controversial. It does a pretty good job of waterproofing, but I find it too hot and it makes my feet sweaty, and I just rely on wax.
 
My suggestion is to not skimp on good boots. Go get properly measured in-store and allow yourself some time to wear the boots in before going on your first major trek. Your feet are going to be responsible for getting you to and from your locations safely. Boots that seem fine after a few minutes wear can be agony after a few hours.

If you're going to be climbing then you're also going to be descending too. You should take this into account when breaking in new boots because these activities will place different stresses on them.

When choosing the type of boot to go for, have some expectation of the type of terrain you will want to cover and the type of weather conditions you'll be walking in. A soft-soled boot designed for valley walking in the summer isn't going to provide the same support as a boot designed for scrambling rocky surfaces.

Get a spare set of laces and carry them with you. They're your boots' lynchpin. If they fail then your boots will not be able to function properly.

Learn about the different ways in which you can lace your boots up. They can make a huge difference in the type of support your boots provide.

Invest in good quality walking socks and consider liners too. Wearing ordinary cotton sports socks means when they get wet they will rub against your skin and cause blisters. Socks designed for walking will allow your feet to breathe and layering socks means that the socks slide against each other rather than your foot against the sock. The result is less foot fatigue and less chance of blistering.

Take blister plasters on your treks, for obvious reasons.

For any decent amount of walking, I'd usually recommend walking poles. As well as sharing some of the effort from walking with your upper body they can be useful for providing support especially if you've dodgy ankles and are susceptible to twists and falls. The difference they make is worth the extra £20-30 for a cheap pair.

Some articles and reviews for you to read - http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Gear-Reviews/left-hand-nav/Footwear/
 
A soft-soled boot designed for valley walking in the summer isn't going to provide the same support as a boot designed for scrambling rocky surfaces.
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I have to strongly disagree.

Ive mentioned i have Hitec boots, they cost me £60 9 years and i walk well over 10 miles a time over every terrain. The boot and sole is very flexible and gives very good support.

I agree we all have an opinion but ive had hard rigid soled boots in the past and their not a patch on uneven/icy surfaces, nor as comfy.
 
dcash29 said:
I have to strongly disagree.

Ive mentioned i have Hitec boots, they cost me £60 9 years and i walk well over 10 miles a time over every terrain. The boot and sole is very flexible and gives very good support.

I agree we all have an opinion but ive had hard rigid soled boots in the past and their not a patch on uneven/icy surfaces, nor as comfy.
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You disagree that different types of boots will offer different types of support? What about fitting crampons onto soft/hard soled boots? Soft soles are going to feel very different to more rigid soles when walking on loose, rocky terrain.
 
I bought a pair of karimoor boots from sports direct, you have to be careful which ones to get as they now own the karimoor brand name and have dropped the quality, mine have Vibram soles and are 100% waterproof and come recommended as they fit like a glove, i've seen TK Maxx selling the same ones at a discount as well think they were well under £50 in both stores, RRP was £130

I think these are mine

http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-orkney-iii-weathertite-183051
 
Buying anything less than top-quality boots is a false economy IMO. But if you can get that at sale price then fine....

One word of warning re Brasher - I have had several pairs of Brasher boots, but the last pair I bought has soles which are VERY susceptible to slipping on wet rock (or even pavements). You won't discover this until it is too late.

I knew it would be only a matter of time before I slipped and sure enough, a few weeks ago I slipped on some steep concrete steps, bouncing down several before coming to a halt. (painful but not terminal I'm glad to say).
 
DigitalRelish said:
For any decent amount of walking, I'd usually recommend walking poles. As well as sharing some of the effort from walking with your upper body they can be useful for providing support especially if you've dodgy ankles and are susceptible to twists and falls. The difference they make is worth the extra £20-30 for a cheap pair.

Some articles and reviews for you to read - http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Gear-Reviews/left-hand-nav/Footwear/
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I agree, but I don't trust cheap trekking poles with twist locks. I had a couple of near misses in the Drakensberg when they decided to close themselves! I'd spend a bit more than £20 - £30, or go for snap locks.
 
as a rule,is it best to go up a shoe size when wearing boots?

im a size 9 in trainer and shoe so im assuming i would need a size 10 in boot?
 
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