View Full Version : prolonging boots
sloopjonboswell
03-07-2007, 22:49
ive fixed, or rather tried to fix a pair of shoes before. ive read posts that say one pair might last, some say three pair for a thru hike. im thinking duct tape and shoe goo 2. buy some rubber cement or jb weld for the soles. any hints? the boots im taking are broken in, vasque stealth, with goretex blah blah you cant step in a 6" deep steam and stay dry xcrs. i guess im just looking for some good trail fixits for the inevitable falling apart of the boot. any help?
Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-07-2007, 22:54
Most carry some sort of camp shoes like Crocs (or the knock offs from Dollar General or WalMart). It the boots fall apart you hike in the Crocs to the nearest road and go buy some new boots or trailrunners.
Once boots are falling apart, the internal support structure has broken down and you are going to be hurting bad if you try to hike in them.
super glue is a good fix, plus it doubles for first aid, but it only works to a point, it will hold things together, seal seams but like the dino just said once the internal support structure goes...
Jim Adams
03-08-2007, 00:26
usually light weight leather hikers like sundowners will last the whole hike (2000 miles).
light weight nubuck leather and nylon hikers will last 600 to 1000 miles.
light weight trail runners will last 400 to 600 miles.
these are roughly distances that the manufactures will admit as far as life span.
i was testing Hi-Tec's in 1990 and got 1400 miles to Dalton on my first pair--the company was shocked that they lasted that long.
geek
Long distance backackers tend to shy away from military gear because of it's bulk and weight which makes it "bomb proof". Usually most military equipment is too durable to civilian hiking conditions, and isn't necessary. I think boots are the main exception. Military issued jungle boots are designed to handle exactly what the AT dishes out. There are gortex versions, and lightweight nylon sided versions. They give excellent arch and ankle support, the best traction I have ever experienced, and will last. They come anywhere from 3-5lbs, and sometimes cost less than hiking boots. I wear Altima jungle boots with Vibram soles for work, and I walk anywhere from 10-15 miles a day. I jump out of an armored truck that sits 4 feet high 70-80 times a day, and the same boots have lasted for 18 months now. Check out www.uscav.com (http://www.uscav.com) and give them some thought. Click on the military link at the top, then footwear. They also have really good wicking socks for a decent price.
FanaticFringer
03-08-2007, 03:20
Long distance backackers tend to shy away from military gear because of it's bulk and weight which makes it "bomb proof". Usually most military equipment is too durable to civilian hiking conditions, and isn't necessary. I think boots are the main exception. Military issued jungle boots are designed to handle exactly what the AT dishes out. There are gortex versions, and lightweight nylon sided versions. They give excellent arch and ankle support, the best traction I have ever experienced, and will last. They come anywhere from 3-5lbs, and sometimes cost less than hiking boots. I wear Altima jungle boots with Vibram soles for work, and I walk anywhere from 10-15 miles a day. I jump out of an armored truck that sits 4 feet high 70-80 times a day, and the same boots have lasted for 18 months now. Check out www.uscav.com (http://www.uscav.com) and give them some thought. Click on the military link at the top, then footwear. They also have really good wicking socks for a decent price.
Way too heavy.
warraghiyagey
03-08-2007, 04:18
ive fixed, or rather tried to fix a pair of shoes before. ive read posts that say one pair might last, some say three pair for a thru hike. im thinking duct tape and shoe goo 2. buy some rubber cement or jb weld for the soles. any hints? the boots im taking are broken in, vasque stealth, with goretex blah blah you cant step in a 6" deep steam and stay dry xcrs. i guess im just looking for some good trail fixits for the inevitable falling apart of the boot. any help?
Ummmm. . . yeah, Vasque. I left Katahdin last June with Vasque. I was mending them by the time I got to Monson. They had less than 60 easy ,miles on them.
By the time I left the trail in Dalton I was sold on lightweight. The soles flapping against the street as I walked through the streets to Tom's were the Vasque swan song for me. Too much goo, to much tape, too much overly heavy and wet.
I'll trade their excellent traction for less pounds, and more durability any day. As for shoo goo, get it in town or at a hostel, dont bother carrying it, your duct tape wrapped around your hiking poles should be enough in a fix.
And, maybe forget your present boots and get something new to break in - hopefully lighter weight - and plan for three pairs to do the trail.
This will also give you a chance to see the performance of something new that will help you decide on your second and third pairs on the trail. The trail boots forum is alive and well with most people you meet on your hike.
Peace :) :)
warraghiyagey
03-08-2007, 04:20
"Ummmm. . . yeah, Vasque. I left Katahdin last June with Vasque. I was mending them by the time I got to Monson. They had less than 60 easy ,miles on them."
By that i mean 60 easy miles when I left Katahdin.:) :)
The life of one's foot wear depends on many factors, not the least of which is one's gait & weight. Lighter weight folks may get 600 miles from trail runners but heavier ones will get less-maybe one half that. Now compound this with a peculiar pronating gait and the useful life may be further reduced. Often the foot wear support is broken down long before it 'looks' broken down and should be replaced. One can stretch the useful life of their foot wear by continuing to wear it long after the support has become flattened into nothing, and most so often do, but it is easier upon the feet if one doesn't. So, when one hears of claims that "this shoe can go for this many miles" is often meaningless because, to put it into a useful perspective, much more info is required.
Way too heavy.
A pair of gortex jungle boots, very high quality, wiegh only 3 lbs. http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productID=8826&TabID=1&CatID=6 This is very close, and sometimes lighter, than many hiking boots. They cost the same as good quality hiking boots, and I would be surprised if one pair doesn't make it the whole trail and still be serviceable. So if you are a hiking boot person over trail runners, they are definately something to look into. The cost is the same, and you won't have foot problems from them breaking down, and won't have to be replaced on the trail. One less thing to worry about when budgeting on the trail.