Boot brands

I'll put my two bobs worth in here. I'm 67 and have had a problem with rolling my ankles. With rolled ankles it only gets worse because each time you do it you stretch the ligaments and the ankle gets " looser" each time. Eventually you will need surgery. I used to wear Scarpa kailash boots, these are great if you're ankles are ok, but I found them and most normal hiking boots to be not tall enough and not provide sufficient ankle support and I would still roll my ankle. The last time I fit it stopped me hiking for four months. I have since invested in a pair of Meindl islander pro boots. These are about 3 cm taller and have not rolled an ankle since even though we have dome very tough long hikes in the south island. Heavy and expensive but if you have weak ankles, the way to go.

For me, unless its crampon time, it's BULLERS, all the way . With a few little modifications and two pairs of socks, the are the absolute best .

Interesting experiences from everyone. Right now I've got three very different boots in the cupboard: 1. Meindl Makaulu's. Remarkably durable these boots are 10 years old and have probably seen over 150 days tramping. Great value for money. However they are heavy and while extremely comfortable and beautifully designed they are definitely harder on the feet and legs at the end of a long day. Still the best for winter and hard-out off-track country. And essential for crampons. 2. But for day trips the Meindl's are overkill. Winter-time or river bashing or just bingling about the Tararua's rubber Bullers are just fine. There is a reason why these boots were almost the de-facto standard amongst the old-time Forest Service guys. Tough, quiet and relatively light there is nothing quite like them. However they do have two drawbacks. One is that they are not going to mold themselves to your foot. If they don't quite fit, often around the ankle or above, they never will. My right foot has always been perfect, my left gave me endless grief until I took a knife to it and slashed off the offending part of the boot. The other drawback is that after stream crossing they will fill up with water and unless you cut some drain holes, they'll slosh about with half a kilo of water in them the rest of the day. 3. Vibram 5 Fingers KSO's. Now these area different experience again. This last summer I've used them all through the Tararua's and they've exceeded expectations. Not only brilliantly light, comfortable and surprisingly grippy... the whole act of walking in them is significantly different to boots. The whole body is involved in a much more fluid, athletic motion. Much less knee jarring downhill, and bumpy, scruffy root-riddled tracks are a lot faster and more fun. I certainly enjoy wearing them and they do seem to be good for me. Use within their limitations. No snow or ice obviously and probably not much use at extended river bashing. You will take some time to build the muscle tone to adapt to them and you will feel the all the ground, sharp little rocks, everything. They usually don't hurt or bruise, but you do feel them in a way you simply don't in boots or bullers. So far I've used mine a total of about 15 days and they're holding up well. And they are light enough to find a permanent home in my pack as 'hut shoes'. The whole 'ankle support' thing is complex. Personally I 'roll over' more often in my Meindl's than in the Bullers, and it seems impossible to do in the Five Fingers. Personally I think the more rigid the boot, and the more defined it's outer edge, the more likely you to 'tip over' it. And trying to compensate for weakened leg and foot musculature by encasing them in a rigid boot probably only transfers the problem elsewhere, eg the knees or toes. So I'm happily using three very different solutions and all three have a place. In other words there is no ONE 'perfect' tramping boot and it's a mistake to look it.

I was a Bullers user for well over a decade but was forced to stop using them for work when H & S laws started getting enforced. Prior to that they were my choice of footwear for bush country when track cutting, doing silviculture or hunting. For rivers, tops work & open country work I preferred full leather commando sole boots & still do. These days I still run gumboots ("Forestry" chainsaw resistant ones) for work & some day tramps in the winter time. Ankle problems haven't bothered me but I would imagine that high tops would give better support. I have used high tops a lot for tramping as they were work issue when I worked logging. They were very good and there was no need for putees or gaiters. Many people would be put off by their weight but it wasn't a problem for me. Recently I've experimented again with light leather vibram sole boots saving my better boots for tougher trips. This time I'm using Wenger boots that were on sale for $195.00 Unfortunately they are just as bad as the Kathmandu & Gri Sport boots of similar style. After six days the stitching had failed on both toe boxes and after eleven days I noticed the leather on the outside of one boot had a hole right through it. At twenty days much of the leather has separated from the moulded soles. They are a fail for durability but they are also worse for boulder hopping and hill climbing than my much heavier commando sole boots.

Sportivas(Makalu,but new model is Karkoram) are my boot of choice-they take a crampon,have a good rand( protection for the boot on rock,scree)& I get about 2 years out of them before the sole wears out.One downside is that they can`t be resoled.I do wear grippy sneakers on super friendly formed tracks on some day trips but the 1.9kg Sportiva `clod-hoppers` show their worth when the going gets rough or when shouldering a heavy pack. If I can`t handle the weight,I`ll ask to be put down!Having short hands & deep pockets,I bought a fluted 4 inch grinding disc,which I use when the tread is almost done & the edges are rounded.

Be warned: the fit/shape changed completely from Makalu to Karkoram. Makalu was by far my favourite and most comfortable boot in a long time - Karkoram by contrast have been relegated to daytrips on the grounds of discomfort and foot damage the cause. They have a very pointed toe compared to the square ended Makalu. I don't have pointed feet. Does anyone? The result is that if you buy the same size as you did in Makalu, they pinch the outer toes. I'm at the limit of the lacing at the top end, so buying a bigger size would not be an option and would result in a very loose boot. I also note that the shank seems to have been shortened in the Karkoram - they certainly have more flex in the sole then the Makalu - good if you want it but a pain (literally) if you don't. Makalu still seem to be available overseas so I might try getting one posted over. Or try the $500+ lottery again with a new brand / model.

I have a pair of Meindl Tufana which have served me well but even those present the odd problem as my right foot is wider than the left and after a long day the right can be a bit sore after being effectively pinched all day across the ball. I understand that you can get them purpose made if you send the measurements so may try that this time as its time to replace them 6 years and the tred is worn down with the rand starting to come away in places.