Finding new boots frustration!

freddyfour

freddyfour

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Brant County, Ontario
Finding new boots has got to be the most painful piece of gear to aquire. I have an Elk hunt booked and looking to upgrade my Danner Pronghorns to a more appropriate mountain boot. I have narrowed my options down to:

Lowa Tibet GTX HI
Hanwang Alaska GTX
Kenetrek extreme mountain

Problem is finding them anywhere in Ontario. I really do not want to order all of them and have to send them back.

Anyone here have a source for any of these boots in Ontario or maybe even recommend another boot that is available?
 
Here out west, good quality hiking boots are common in the outdoor store's, hence the Rocky Mountains. If you receive 10 responses, there will be 10 different boots recommended. My choice of boot is Meindl, made in German. I still have the first pair, hence 2002 and on the third sole.............well broke-in.;)
 
track said:
Here out west, good quality hiking boots are common in the outdoor store's, hence the Rocky Mountains. If you receive 10 responses, there will be 10 different boots recommended. My choice of boot is Meindl, made in German. I still have the first pair, hence 2002 and on the third sole.............well broke-in.;)
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I second the Meindls .... I am at my 4th pair of the Meindl Island ... and every pair lasts me around 10 years of heavy use and hiking.

But nobody carries them around here ... you need to book a boot shopping trip to Germany ... and to be able to try them on ... and bring a pair back.
 
Montefeltro said:
Check out herberts boots..they have a store in Allison and one just south of Barrie. I know they carry Lowa and several other higher end boots
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If you can find a Tibet GTX buy it. There are none available at the distributor for the foreseable future. Scarpa Wrangell or Fuego may work as well. I think you're coming to the Elk Valley and all 3 of those boots are well rpresented among the hunters here (I should know I probably sold them to them)
 
Montefeltro said:
Check out herberts boots..they have a store in Allison and one just south of Barrie. I know they carry Lowa and several other higher end boots
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Thanks, I'll check them out

Donny Fenn1 said:
If you can find a Tibet GTX buy it. There are none available at the distributor for the foreseable future. Scarpa Wrangell or Fuego may work as well. I think you're coming to the Elk Valley and all 3 of those boots are well rpresented among the hunters here (I should know I probably sold them to them)
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Yes sir I am.

I contacted the Canadian distributor and they said mid August before they see anymore.... Frustrating
 
freddyfour said:
I believe I am a size 44.5eu as far as I can tell
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I am an 11 US/10.5 UK for most dress shoes ... I have Danner Mountain Light boots for general hiking and fall hunting. When it gets cold I use 'pacs' ... if it is wet I use Nokia rubbers. FWIW I no longer hump a large pack when I go out. Just a day pack so the Danner's give me adequate support even when descending steep rocky or soft hills

As for size my Birkenstock shoes (not sandals) are 45 EU; one pair of Nokia rubbers I wear around the farm are 44 EU (but I wear them with a thin insole and light socks) I have a pair of Chinese made Rockports that are 11 1/2. My Mephisto casual shoes are marked 10 1/2 EUR and 11 US. All to say ... you have to try each makers footwear for yourself before buying.
 
freddyfour said:
What model?
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That depends on what you want to do ... and what terrain you are intending to hike in.

Some of the Meindls are stiffer and heavier than others. And by "stiffer" I mean the rigidity of the sole. The stiffer the sole the easier it will be to hike in very rugged and rocky terrain and off the trail .... like scree slopes or steep moraines. But the very stiff boots ... like those approved for crampons for example ... make it harder to walk longer distances on a normal trail.

Personally, I found the Meindl Island is a good compromise. Rigid enough for exploring the mountains off trail .... but still a bit of flex ... and comfortable enough on long distance hikes. (I backpacked the Great Divide Trail in a Meindl Island 20 years ago ... close to 1000 km in the Rockies.)

And after trying all kinds of boots in my teens ... I have bought the Island again and again over the last 30 to 40 years.

The Island is a heavy and solid boot .... but it is not insulated. It is a hiking/trekking/mountain boot. The lack of insulation has never been a problem for me .... but would I want to sit in a blind at -15C for hours and hours in that boot .... probably not.

Also, the Island is not a mountaineering boot .... if you intend to hit the glaciers and with crampons and climb some steeper ice walls ... this is where this boot reaches its limits.

Myself, I know what I will buy when my current pair needs to be retired .... :)


https://meindlusa.com/pages/flex-userating
 
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I have Meindl MFS Vakuum GTX for my all around hunting hiker.
Very stiff boot and don't buy them without giving yourself a couple months at least of regular wear to break them in to your feet.
Once broken in they are perhaps the sturdiest hiker style boot I have ever worn.
Once the cold and wet or snowy conditions arrive I put them away in favor of my cabelas pinnacles. I need to replace those though.
 
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