Hiking boots recommendation

Maidhci · 01-09-2019 3:28pm #1

I need to replace my Ecco Biom Hike Boots and I am looking for suggestions / recommendations please.

They are mainly used for hill and rough terrain walking not serious climbing. The Ecco Biom boots which need to be replaced are only 3 years old with very little mileage but have disintegrated at the point where a rubber band to the top meets the leather at the front of the boot. They were very comfortable but I would have expected a longer life span than 3 years for €220+ boots. My previous boots were Meindl and lasted for more than 10 years.

Any recommendations other than Ecco welcome.

Masala · 01-09-2019 9:01pm

U mentioned them yourself... Meindl. You will get them for €220 +\-

Never thought of Ecco as being an major name in outdoor Boots...

Zenify · 01-09-2019 9:06pm

I used to sell hiking boots. Most important thing is comfort. Try them on and make sure they dont slip. Try different sizes and see which one is best. Obviously you want one that lasts but there's no such thing as the best boot for everyone.

beveragelady · 28-09-2019 11:53am

I thought I'd join this thread rather than start a new one.
I've had Meindl boots for years, always Vakuum gtx. I wear them every day to walk the dogs and I wear them on longer hikes when I get a chance. I used to get two years or more out of a pair before the leather cracked at the crease at the toe. I'd start out diligently treating with sportwax and as the boots got older I'd get less fussy and the the deterioration would speed up. My fault completely.
I bought a pair in July 2018, so I should just be at the point where I'd be slacking off with maintenance. However this pair is showing wear on the sole and the rubber around the top of the sole. I'm going to try to attach a picture.
If anything this pair have had less wear than previous pairs (elderly dogs, less time for adventuring) so I'm disappointed that they don't seem to be holding out. I bought all my previous pairs in a shop locally but I bought this pair on Amazon, but that surely doesn't matter, does it?
Has there been a decline in quality? They're certainly not getting any cheaper!

Zenify · 28-09-2019 1:57pm

beveragelady wrote: »

I thought I'd join this thread rather than start a new one.
I've had Meindl boots for years, always Vakuum gtx. I wear them every day to walk the dogs and I wear them on longer hikes when I get a chance. I used to get two years or more out of a pair before the leather cracked at the crease at the toe. I'd start out diligently treating with sportwax and as the boots got older I'd get less fussy and the the deterioration would speed up. My fault completely.
I bought a pair in July 2019, so I should just be at the point where I'd be slacking off with maintenance. However this pair is showing wear on the sole and the rubber around the top of the sole. I'm going to try to attach a picture.
If anything this pair have had less wear than previous pairs (elderly dogs, less time for adventuring) so I'm disappointed that they don't seem to be holding out. I bought all my previous pairs in a shop locally but I bought this pair on Amazon, but that surely doesn't matter, does it?
Has there been a decline in quality? They're certainly not getting any cheaper!

They are less than 3 months old??? I have a pair of boots 10 years in better shape. Send them back under warranty.

beveragelady · 28-09-2019 2:16pm

Zenify wrote: »

They are less than 3 months old??? I have a pair of boots 10 years in better shape. Send them back under warranty.

Typo! I have fixed my post. They're over a year old!

28-09-2019 2:22pm

I’ve had Meindl but didn’t like the fit , a bit too wide ,
I love Berghaus and have had 2 pairs of leather ones . My current boots are Salomen and are brilliant , very light yet very waterproof.

TimeToShine · 28-09-2019 2:27pm

I have had a pair of Arc’teryx Aerios FL for a while now and they’ve been excellent. A serious step up from your run of the mill outdoor brands in my experience.

beveragelady · 28-09-2019 8:05pm

Has anybody noticed a decline in quality in Meindl leather boots? Did I just get a bad pair or have they been letting things slide?

aristotle25 · 28-09-2019 8:19pm

Salewa have a really good boot, called fire tail evo mid gortex.

It has excellent ankle support, thin wearing so you don’t feel like you are walking with massive boots. But it’s very good for walking on rocks etc, just a great balance between light boot and heavy duty.

Weltsmertz · 28-09-2019 8:25pm

Zenify wrote: »

I used to sell hiking boots. Most important thing is comfort. Try them on and make sure they dont slip. Try different sizes and see which one is best. Obviously you want one that lasts but there's no such thing as the best boot for everyone.

Exactly this. You need to find a brand that suits your foot shape and the only way is to try on different makes till you find one that feels right.
What "brand" it is is secondary.

Alun · 28-09-2019 8:43pm

beveragelady wrote: »

Has anybody noticed a decline in quality in Meindl leather boots? Did I just get a bad pair or have they been letting things slide?

I heard that Meindl have recently returned production of their boots to Germany after having outsourced to the far East due to quality problems. Certainly many of the people I walk with have had terrible problems with their stuff recently. It might take a while for the old stock to make way for the new stuff though.

beveragelady · 28-09-2019 9:14pm

Alun wrote: »

I heard that Meindl have recently returned production of their boots to Germany after having outsourced to the far East due to quality problems. Certainly many of the people I walk with have had terrible problems with their stuff recently. It might take a while for the old stock to make way for the new stuff though.

Not what I wanted to hear! I've just bought a pair from Scandinavianoutdoor.com. I'm going to fire off an email and ask them where the boots are made. If they're not made in Germany I'm going to try to cancel the order. It's not possible to buy direct from the Meindl website, is it?

I wish I had the time to shop around and try on other boots. I'm not going to risk buying a different boot on the internet and I live miles from anywhere there's a decent selection.

Masala · 28-09-2019 9:25pm

beveragelady wrote: »

Not what I wanted to hear! I've just bought a pair from Scandinavianoutdoor.com. I'm going to fire off an email and ask them where the boots are made. If they're not made in Germany I'm going to try to cancel the order. It's not possible to buy direct from the Meindl website, is it?

I wish I had the time to shop around and try on other boots. I'm not going to risk buying a different boot on the internet and I live miles from anywhere there's a decent selection.

Wow.... I would never buy shoes / boots off the Internet. I have to physically try them on. An EU41 size could be a size 7 or 7.5 or even on 8 in some makes.

beveragelady · 28-09-2019 9:34pm

Masala wrote: »

Wow.... I would never buy shoes / boots off the Internet. I have to physically try them on. An EU41 size could be a size 7 or 7.5 or even on 8 in some makes.

I found a pair that works and I keep buying the exact same ones. I know exactly what I'm getting so there's no risk.

Alun · 28-09-2019 9:44pm

beveragelady wrote: »

I found a pair that works and I keep buying the exact same ones. I know exactly what I'm getting so there's no risk.

Yes, I did that too until recently with a model of boot by Hanwag that suited me. Bought the first pair in a B&M shop and then bought subsequent pairs off the internet.

They've stopped making that model now so I've switched to a UK based boot maker called Altberg. Not available here and the boot I have is exclusive to one of their premier stockists in the UK so it means traveling over there each time. They're superb boots though, so well worth it.

Alun · 28-09-2019 9:49pm

I should also say that the shop I bought my Altberg boots in also sells Meindl, and recently Meindl put up their wholesale prices by 40%!! They have absorbed as much of that as they can but still, that's a huge increase. Probably due to the move of production location.

Weltsmertz · 28-09-2019 10:22pm

beveragelady wrote: »

I found a pair that works and I keep buying the exact same ones. I know exactly what I'm getting so there's no risk.

Well. There kinda is if you have to they have to keep replavcing them and the lastest have only lasted three summer months. Mine have lasted many years through mud and rain on winter mountains.

Maidhci · 29-09-2019 10:08am

Alun wrote: »

I heard that Meindl have recently returned production of their boots to Germany after having outsourced to the far East due to quality problems. Certainly many of the people I walk with have had terrible problems with their stuff recently. It might take a while for the old stock to make way for the new stuff though.

Interesting - I started this thread as I need to replace my hiking boots. I had made a decision to buy Meindl, as I have had two pairs previously, but now will reconsider until I research this issue. Presumably, the current available stock are products of the outsourced manufacturers, in which case, I will have to reconsider my options. I don't want to end up in a situation down the road similar to the experience with Ecco Biom Hiking boots.

Alun · 29-09-2019 10:49am

Lowa, Hanwag and Scarpa are all made in Germany and Italy.

However as someone pointed out above, wherever they're made, you have to find a boot that fits you and suits your foot shape, regardless of brand. Some brands have a reputation for being on the wide side, others, mainly Italian ones, tend to be narrower.

Alun · 29-09-2019 10:54am

'Nuff said ...

2019-09-29-10-53-04-Meindl-Shoes-For-Actives-Reviews-Read-Customer-Service-Reviews-of-www-meindl.png

CardinalJ · 29-09-2019 11:49am

Alun wrote:

Yes, I did that too until recently with a model of boot by Hanwag that suited me. Bought the first pair in a B&M shop and then bought subsequent pairs off the internet.

What model was it they stopped making? Ive a pair of Hanwag Tatras at the moment. Would buy another pair if I knew they were going to stop making them... probably the best boot ive owned.

Alun · 29-09-2019 12:06pm

CardinalJ wrote: »

What model was it they stopped making? Ive a pair of Hanwag Tatras at the moment. Would buy another pair if I knew they were going to stop making them... probably the best boot ive owned.

They were the Lima GTX, similar to a lower version of the Alaska GTX which they still make.

loobylou · 29-09-2019 3:46pm

Never buying Meindl boots again. Last two pairs had soles that kept peeling away from uppers.

Alun · 29-09-2019 3:49pm

loobylou wrote: »

Never buying Meindl boots again. Last two pairs had soles that kept peeling away from uppers.

A lot of my walking friends have had problems with the rubber rand separating from the boot, especially at the toe.

Masala · 29-09-2019 7:48pm

Alun wrote: »

A lot of my walking friends have had problems with the rubber rand separating from the boot, especially at the toe.

I would take that up with both the retaiker and Meidle. I would embarrass them both on social media to sort. Paying €250++ expects better. Reputation is what is generating these selling prices... unsatisfied customers is not good business

beveragelady · 01-10-2019 5:07pm

I sent an email to the Scandinavianoutdoor website and got this reply:

Hi.
Thank you for your email.

According to manufacturer and importer,
all the hiking boots are made in Germany
or some European countries that are located near Germany.

Good quality, especially in hiking boots, is very importatnt to Meindl people.
Most parts of the Meindl hiking boot is done by hand.
and Meindl have these factories in Europe that can still offer good shoe makers.

All the Meindl products that are in our stock is made in Europe.

Alun · 01-10-2019 6:37pm

Interesting, that's not what I heard. Anyway, the complaints both online, and what I've heard from other people I know would tend to suggest otherwise.

Maidhci · 19-10-2019 12:57pm

Anyone on here know if Meindl Vakuum GTX and Meindl Vakuum Ultra GTX are the same model? It appears that on some websites the soles are different - the Vakuum has a multicoloured sole at the heel, whereas the Vakuum Ultra is black. Just wondering if the Vakuum Ultra is an older model as the price differential is quite significant in some instances?

Thanks.

0gac3yjefb5sv7 · 20-10-2019 1:14pm

Would anyone have any recommendations for a cheap pair around 50 euro? Don't do a lot of hiking but would be nice to get a useful pair.

Masala · 20-10-2019 1:28pm

Pheonix10 wrote: »

Would anyone have any recommendations for a cheap pair around 50 euro? Don't do a lot of hiking but would be nice to get a useful pair.

I seen stuff in Sports Direct shops at €50++ range. They do Gelert stuff

I see Paco outlets doing HiTec boots around that price. A lot of Trespass boots knocking about in local shoe shops etc.

So plenty of choice....

Hiking boots recommendation

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