Does anyone remember Mountain Equipment Rockas
Mountain Equipment in Christchurch marketed a pair of boots in the 1970s that they called Rockas. At first they were hailed as New Zealand's first climbing boot. However they soon fell out of favour with climbers for their many faults. One was that they used to wear out in the toe and for a while people would slap fibreglass on the toes of these boots when new to defer that problem. I found them to be particulaly comfortable. They had one piece leather tops, padding inside and a good stiff sole. I had 3 pairs in the 1970s and 80s and found them good. All of them had a unique way of telling me when they were worn out and it was time to retire them. The screws that held the sole together would come out and start to drill themselves into my foot. This is the last remaining one of my third pair. It has had various things growing out of it in my garden for the last 15-20 years. But it has to be a testiment to robustness in that after all these years, it still looks like a boot.
Comments
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Longtack I had a pair and they were reasonably comfortable - particularly broad for an NZer with club-feet. Best pair of tramping boots were NZ-made work boots to which I added an EVA mid-sole.
12 November 2011 -
Blue Penguin I well remember the day when I got my new pair of Rocka's in the post. like you Pete, I applied fibre-glass resin to the toes, for longer lasting. Mine died after a season of guiding on the Routeburn Track, 1979-1980. Very comfortable they were, they just wore out!
11 April 2010 -
debazin Mine were very comfortable. I even added Tricones. Well remember the screws coming through - I removed a few and replaced them with rivets. From memory I think I bought mine from Pyne Gould Guiness (spelling ?) in Geraldine. I should have bought a bigger size though. Such was the cold down Tekapo/Twizel I had to buy another larger pair so I could fit neoprene liners. For the time they were an awesome boot. Early 70's I was earning maybe $60 a week. Yeah, maybe $25 for the boots would be right. In fact they would give a few big-name modern boots a run for their money.
5 June 2009 -
lisa_puddles You should see what TradeMe has to offer for them!
3 May 2009 -
pmcke $25 is a figure that comes to mind for what you used to pay for a pair of boots. But I think Muldoon's inflation was well under way by the time I bought these ones.
3 May 2009
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bigpaul As an Art form its probably worth more now than when you bought them new
3 May 2009