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I'm actually researching winter options ie December/January. So I have to assume snow/ice/MUD/streams. I've used Vasque Breeze (1.0?) which look similr to the Inhalers for a June/July summer camino and these were pretty good in the middle of the heatwave this year. They lasted pretty well but that is a non-Gortex/mesh/hiking shoe. Vibram soles are pretty much a given. I am a sasquatch so women's sizes don't go up to my size (I wear a EU46 in hiking boots!).
I am also thinking about doing some tramping in NZ (you definitely need waterproof!) or possibly the Shikoku.
Hot weather is easy; cold weather is the challenge for me.
I'm actually researching winter options ie December/January. So I have to assume snow/ice/MUD/streams. I've used Vasque Breeze (1.0?) which look similr to the Inhalers for a June/July summer camino and these were pretty good in the middle of the heatwave this year. They lasted pretty well but that is a non-Gortex/mesh/hiking shoe. Vibram soles are pretty much a given. I am a sasquatch so women's sizes don't go up to my size (I wear a EU46 in hiking boots!).
I am also thinking about doing some tramping in NZ (you definitely need waterproof!) or possibly the Shikoku.
Hot weather is easy; cold weather is the challenge for me.
I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in a pair of Scarpa all leather boots similar to the current Terra GTX, and used the same boot on my first two caminos in Spain. Any good hiking boot should work, including the one you were looking at a couple of years ago when you first started looking.An extra requirement for boots...they need to be good enough to climb Kilimanjaro! So high, waterproof, able to handle scree slopes and snow, and mud as I could hit a wet season. But also light enough to handle 6 days of hiking through tropical heat right through every climate through to alpine.
Part of my difficulty is that I live in the middle of nowhere and there are limited selections. I was chatting to a chap from an International retrieval organisation who can end up anywhere with minimal notice and asked him what he was wearing. Scarpa, which is a brand I want to try.
It's probably going to be a while before I can go on another camino but the idea is in my head. And the only times I can pull it off is probably mid summer or winter. I've done a summer camino before so I know what I want for that but have no idea what is best for winter. Now I loathe cold wet feet but want to keep things light if possible. And I would want a shoe/boot that can last at least 1000 km.
Does anyone have any experience with this one?
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Hiking-Boots-Reviews/Vasque-St-Elias-GTX
Most Camino mileage consists of hard roads, softer paths, some mud and occasional water
(I wear a EU46 in hiking boots!)
I come from a long line of sasquatches. My daughter as an 11 year old had outgrown the range of school shoes including the adult sizes. I'm 5'8" and wear size EU46, she is 5'10" now wearing a 44-45. My female cousins all have the same size feet. I hate to think what my 13 year old son could end up with...Oh !! If so, then I'd definitely advise aiming for something heavier with sturdier sole and heel.
You do not belong to the range of average sizes that most sportswear is designed for.
I come from a long line of sasquatches. My daughter as an 11 year old had outgrown the range of school shoes including the adult sizes. I'm 5'8" and wear size EU46, she is 5'10" now wearing a 44-45. My female cousins all have the same size feet. I hate to think what my 13 year old son could end up with...
If you are able then I suggest that you try mens as well as womens boots. They are often a different fit in the toe box.Tried on my partner's Salomon's and they are awful on my feet. They may have top reviews but the toebox is all wrong for my foot and I just know I would get blisters. I need to find some Scarpas/Meindl/Lowa to try on if possible, otherwise if I have to buy blind I will go for a Vasque model.
If you'd like to try something different within the Salomon family you could give the salomon x Ultra 3 GTX a try. Compared to the Quest 4D 2 they are a mid-high hiking shoe versus the study boot the Quest is. They have a much lighter midsole but are still GTX and much lighter overall. The primary benefit for you (it sounds like) is that they are much narrower throughout the whole footbed. I have the shoe version of the X Ultra GTX and need to wear a very light sock whereas in my Quest 4D 2 boots I wear a sock liner and thick wool hiking sock and still feel like I have wiggle room. Good luck!Tried on my partner's Salomon's and they are awful on my feet. They may have top reviews but the toebox is all wrong for my foot and I just know I would get blisters. I need to find some Scarpas/Meindl/Lowa to try on if possible, otherwise if I have to buy blind I will go for a Vasque model.
Vasque makes wide sizes if the toe box is too tight with other shoes. I use wide even though my foot is a regular size.Tried on my partner's Salomon's and they are awful on my feet. They may have top reviews but the toebox is all wrong for my foot and I just know I would get blisters. I need to find some Scarpas/Meindl/Lowa to try on if possible, otherwise if I have to buy blind I will go for a Vasque model.
Unfortunately I have broad Polynesian feet and while the length is good I suspect on downhills my toenails would get a hammering. Just the wrong last for my feet.If you'd like to try something different within the Salomon family you could give the salomon x Ultra 3 GTX a try. Compared to the Quest 4D 2 they are a mid-high hiking shoe versus the study boot the Quest is. They have a much lighter midsole but are still GTX and much lighter overall. The primary benefit for you (it sounds like) is that they are much narrower throughout the whole footbed. I have the shoe version of the X Ultra GTX and need to wear a very light sock whereas in my Quest 4D 2 boots I wear a sock liner and thick wool hiking sock and still feel like I have wiggle room. Good luck!
I'm already in the men's. Women's boots don't go up to my size LOL.If you are able then I suggest that you try mens as well as womens boots. They are often a different fit in the toe box.
If you need a wide toe-box and Hi-Tec Ravine are available then watch the sizing as the EU sizing is standard but there is a difference in the equivalent UK sizing ratio. The Hi-tec have a good wide toe-box for both men and women without being slack at the heels.
Phew! So glad your long search is over! And I learned something new, Sasquatch. Never too late too learn. Buen camino.Well, I went interstate and overseas for Xmas to Wellington, NZ and then Melbourne, Australia.
The boots that were comfy for me were the Vasque St Elias (Bivouac), the Scarpa Nangpa La (found everywhere. Macpac, Backpacking light) and the Salewa Mountain Trainer (Macpac) . Tried on Lowa, Aku, Anatom which all had boots that would do if I suddenly had to replace my boots mid-camino. Ended up buying the Salewa after having the dilemma of choosing between the Scarpa and the Salewa. The NangpaLa feels thin at the front and while they were quite light and otherwise comfortable, this just didn't feel as reassuring as the Salewa. The Salewa is designed for kicking things. I'm a person that kicks every tree root and rock going and am an ad for the use of poles because if it is possible to trip over your own feet, I will. The protection at the front of the boot and the rand should stand up to a lot. They are also very supportive but not restrictive with the support concentrated around the sides of the ankle but not affecting the up/down movement of the foot. https://besthiking.net/salewa-mountain-trainer-mid-review/
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