UKY Ramblers

I have some Keens I bought at Whole Earth Provision Co. in the US and they seem to be good for walking and hiking, but they are just shoes, not boots. I don't really feel I need heavy boots most of the time, but I wonder if the ankle support would be better for me.

I really liked the Asolo pair I had before my Vasque's. 

I've had Asolos before and they were great.  I never had to break them in--comfy from day one.  I've got Reichle ones now (so does hubby) and they were also comfy from the first time I walked in them.

I could never hike without boots.  Ankle support is a must for me.

And don't forget the waterproof boot covers that go over your regular boots and up your ankles...  

And don't forget the waterproof boot covers that go over your regular boots and up your ankles...  

Do you mean gaiters?  I haven't ever used them, but have thought about getting them - although, given the choice, I prefer not to walk in the rain if I can avoid it.  

Places to buy gear here in the UK (unfortunately, it won't be cheap unless you catch a clearance sale or something):

Millets
Blacks
North Face
Cotswold Outdoors
Nevisport
Rohan

(There might be others I haven't heard of - we have all the above in Leeds.)  These are all chain stores and have websites, AFAIK!  I would not buy boots via mail order myself - I have to try them on.

Also, if you're in an especially outdoorsy area, like the Lake District, for instance - there'll generally be other more indie, specialist shops for it, like we have one here in Leeds called Path & Peak, for instance.

You might find other shops on the continent.  We bought one pair of my walking boots in Paris at a fab shop called Au Vieux Campeur (the old camper!).

I have to have walking boots for the ankle support, and also I think my feet would end up looking like hamburger if I only wore my trainers.  But that's me.  DH also wears boots.  I have one heavier-duty pair of boots & the ones I bought in Paris are more lightweight, trainer-like but still boots with ankle support.  I've known people who walk with something as little as trainers or even those Teva sandals - including my MIL, against better judgement in her case as she is prone to breaking her wrists & ankles.    But hot climates (such as when they are in Cyprus) might dictate that.  It never really gets hot enough here for me to worry about having to wear hiking sandals.  

My main boots are Trezetas and I'm not sure what the lightweight pair are - we bought them in France.  Steve's newish boots are Brashers - they weren't cheap, but it was a splurge from me for his Christmas present just past.  The boots he had before that were a Coleman brand - they lasted him for about 10 years!  My main thing is if you're going to pay the money for boots - make sure you get a good pair that are well and truly waterproof and a reputable brand - they should last you a long time, so it's worth it in the long run.  If you're walking around with wet feet, you won't be a happy rambler.  I'm going to be shopping for some new boots myself to go a size up as I mentioned earlier in the thread.

I do wear the hiking socks - heavier ones in the winter, lighter weight ones in the summer.  (I also wear my hiking socks around the house just to keep my feet warm in winter, rather than slippers.  Hiking socks launder easily & don't end up getting smelly like house slippers.)  Although I heard something recently about if you want to avoid blisters (which I usually seem to end up with at least one), wear the socks that wick sweat away from your feet - because it's the moisture plus friction that causes the blisters.  Not sure if I entirely 100% believe that, but I have some socks I bought once for the gym that I'm going to try with my boots.

I don't recommend Peter Storm brand anything - it tends to be cheaper and there's a reason that it's cheaper, because it's crap.  Maybe a T-shirt or fleece from them is okay, but don't get any of their stuff purported to be waterproof and expect it to keep you dry.

I can talk a little more about gear if people want (or maps & walks books etc), but I really ought to get myself in gear & put all this info together for a 'Just Do It' topic - as it's been requested before.    As a woman of size, I had to buy my waterproofs from the USA (from Cabelas) because I couldn't find good waterproof gear (i.e., not Peter Storm brand) available in my size sold here in the UK.

If it involves a pub and is relatively flat, I'm in! 

Yes to pubs!  Flat walks aren't so hurty, but DH thinks they are not as interesting.  Unfortunately, most of the walks we do aren't flat. 

Oh, my!  This is exciting.  I would love to be a Rambler, but first I need the settlement visa which I sent off today to an expeditor in Chicago.  I hope to leave the US on May 31 for a June 1 arrival. 

I need to build up my stamina, then DH and I hope to start walking more often and further afield.  DH lives in Warwickshire, and we hope to explore it on foot.

I am looking forward to hearing about everyone's adventures.

Do you mean gaiters?  I haven't ever used them, but have thought about getting them - although, given the choice, I prefer not to walk in the rain if I can avoid it.  

Yes, gaiters.  That's the word   I loathe wet feet, so waterproof boots are a must for me. 

Bah! All this gear is pretty expensive! Maybe I should see how much walking I'm actually going to DO before I go out and spend a lot of money.  The walks on our beach are a bit hilly (though it's sand, which makes it harder to get up and down, I think) and I do ok with my Keens so far (though they are just shoes, but they have lots of toe room and good traction) and since I don't take many super long walks, maybe I'll just stick with those for a bit and see how it goes! Probably if I'm going to walk the Cheviots, though, I should invest in some boots beforehand. Maybe I'll do that next year, then.

I agree, Jewlz, if you're not really going to get out there regularly, and walk some hills and/or some serious mileage - then boots can be a really expensive, possibly unnecessary proposition, whereas you'll probably be fine on sand in your Keens.  I was shocked at how expensive Steve's recent boots were (Christmas present for him) but if they last him 10 years at least, like the last ones did, it only worked out to about £12.50 per year - plus his feet will be warm & dry - so I thought that for the long run, that really wasn't so bad.  It's just a lot of money to plump for all at once.  And he did get what are considered the premium line these days, I think, so not all the boots available are that dear.  Also bear in mind, we have done two long distance walks here (the Dales Way and the Cumbria Way) in recent years, plus we climbed Cadair Idris (ill-advised in my instance), and we probably will do more of them - although possibly not this year - so we may be more serious about our gear than another person might be. 

For myself, I wouldn't spend that much for boots, I don't think, because I seem to be going through boots faster (so far) - trying to get the right fit and comfort.  It was all so new to me, so I've had a steep learning curve - in more ways than one! 

It was all so new to me, so I've had a steep learning curve - in more ways than one! 

Hehe! Yeah, I agree with what you are saying. I go through periods of extreme laziness, and I'm notorious for saying I want to do lots of things and then never doing them. I should seriously make sure it's going to be a worthwhile investment before I bother.

Oh yeah - we both also used our walking boots a fair bit this winter, for going to and from work when we had all the snow - so dual purpose!  (And there you might want the gaiters depending on how deep the snow is!)  I see people talking about Wellies a lot...Tin and I were discussing this awhile back, and we agreed we didn't think Wellies were really all that useful/comfortable for walking any sort of distance.  So, IMO, Wellies are a bit silly if you're going to do rambling - maybe ok for kids.  If we ever get us an allotment, I might get me some Wellies for that, but never for rambling.

If you are not sure about how serious a pair of boots you want and you are concerned about your ankles and knees, I would get a pair of walking poles.

My dh picked up a decent pair, ultra-light, anti-shock and they shrink quite small for 25.00.  They were over 50% off.

I love my poles.  Love them.  We hiked Mt. Dorr and Cadalliac in sneakers (that was not exactly planned it was a ohhh let's go take a look up there that turned into a 6 hour trek over three mountains) last summer and there would have been no way without the poles. 

They really help with balance and take an amazing amount of weight off of your knees. 

We received a Millets flyer through in the neighbourhood free newspaper yesterday, and they are running a special right now - buy one walking pole, get one free.    (They also had a lot of Peter Storm gear on offer.  )

Totally worth it.  I can't explain how much I love my poles.

My dh is young, well just turned 31, and he always moans about his knees when we walk a few miles ino town. 

He did not believe me when I said we could do Mount Washington last summer, but he said his knees never hurt at all and Washington is a haul. 

Glad you mentioned it, because Tin was asking me about poles a couple weeks ago (her knees hurt sometimes) and I said I thought she ought to get some poles for that.  I have been walking using one pole for awhile now, but have been thinking it would be much better to have two, rather than just the one.

I'm mid-40s and have knee troubles too, which I know part is my weight, but even the one pole helps so I imagine two would be a lot better.