Tapping into the wisdom of the TZUK crowd yet again.
I want a (cheap) pair of boots for winter walks, gardening and mooching around in bad weather.
With limitless funds I'd like leather, plus leather lined or goretex, high tech footbeds, soles and the like - the sort of thing on a par with Meindle Dovre Extreme GTX at close on £300.
So as a cheapskate with low self esteem and a budget of about £50, I thought there should be something v good in the line of lightly used military boots on eBay.
The problem is that there are just too many examples and I can't really compare properly. Does anyone have views on what to go for in terms of spec / sources?
These look the sort of thing, but is there something better?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austrian-W...Byhj73l-n2BJfQ
Lowa Combat GTX (or Mountain GTX) are good, I've had a pair of black ones for a few years and they've been great. They're issue boots for the British Army now, though they seem to be getting brown instead of black these days.
Edit: They're a bit over your budget, can be found online for around £145.
Originally Posted by Bristolian
Not really Military, but I have a pair of Native Fitzsimmons Boots, for the Garden, DIY, etc.
Waterproof, warm, lightweight and you can wash them under a tap and never need polish.
I paid £35 in a sale albeit a few years ago .
http://www.alltheshoes.co.uk/native/...tzsimmons.html
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
You could take a look at Altberg Defender boots on eBay.
Id go to a local army surplus store so you can try them on
Altberg are great
German makes to look for are meindl, lowa and the other one whose name ive forgotten
American names to look for are Belleville and danner.
Bear in mind though often issued boots are unbranded
Try something goretex lined with a good sole that fits well and in good condition. You should manage this within budget at an army surplus store.
Buying on ebay youre not guaranteed a good fit. It's guess work and a pita if you don't get it right first time.
You will get good advice at your local shop . It's worth finding a good shop, you'll find your boots there .
If you're a 9.5/10 I probably have something I can send you FOC. I have loads of the buggers. You pay the postage though ;)
Edit :those type boots you linked to look great, I've had a couple of pairs in the past. Find them a bit high on the leg though. Plenty of choice on eBay
Last edited by seikopath; 6th December 2016 at 14:10.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Great boots, however the soles are really slippy this time of year.
look no further,
Special Ops Boots Multicam SRP: £79.95
http://www.viperkit.co.uk/products/f...-multicam.aspx
I just bought a pair of these, they are £105 so a bit over budget but good quality, very comfortable and get great reviews. Waterproof with beeswax and they should last well:
http://www.outdoorgear.co.uk/Berghau...ku11113101.asp
Irish setter wingshooters
SWMBO bought a pair of these Meindls for €130 recently and they're excellent.
https://www.globetrotter.de/shop/mei...FQ0-Gwod5zgCew
They also do a more military model and I managed to find a pair (new) on Ebay for £45 in my size - if it wasn't for the fact that I already have too many shoes I would have bought them.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNIB-Meind...sAAOSwFe5Xxvwk
Be careful with military boots that are advertised as alpine or for mountaineering - they often have bits of steel in them to make the sole inflexible and more suitable for crampons (stop giggling at the back). A policeman friend of ours had some and he said it was like having a block of ice strapped to the sole of your foot in deepest winter.
Last edited by Carlton-Browne; 7th December 2016 at 06:22.
Just a quick shout out for magnum, they make fairly good budget boots, I'm sure you could get a new pair for less than 50 quid
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Funny you should say that, I have a brand new pair boxed up in the loft!
http://www.clarks.co.uk/c/mens-sale#...y-is-gore2dtex
Clarks do very good Gortex and always have a Sale on.
I bought these last year for climbing Snowdon http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor...lcode=18276216 I've used them loads since a great pair of boots.
I used to buy Adidas Terrex . About £130 but brilliant in hot and cold conditions. Super comfortable. I get through a pair of boots in about 18months on average but I do punish them.
Last replacement I got GSG9s ( high tops) , they are pretty good but I think the terrex are slightly better. comfort and fit mainly.
I still have around five pairs of issued Danner boots, which I use regularly to trudge around the Brecon Beacons and I left the military nearly ten years ago. They were the boots we were all buying rather than wearing the shite we were issued in 2007.
http://www.danner.com/product
Those Ebay boots look just the job. If you can find an army surplus stall at a market you could try a pair on an make a cash offer.
These are my Altbergs, about 20 years old. Done some things I shouldn't have done in these. Cant seem to wear them out and if I ever do Altberg will rebuild them. Not cheap but you only buy once.
http://www.altberg.co.uk/category/military-boots/
Altbergs any day of the week, My lad and his collegues get issues Magnums but they all wear Altbergs. I've a couple of pairs and they have lasted far longer than the Meindl ones that friends wear. Also handy when the factory's just up the road and discounts are to be had.
Better still, join up and get them free.
I'll add another vote for Lowa GTX (either version).
If these would suit you: Ecco GTX Darren Boots:
...EU sizes 41-44 are £69.99 from www.sportpursuit.com. You'll have to sign up, but I think that's a good price. If I didn't have several pairs of mid-level boots, I'd be buying a pair.
I'm no longer a fan of high leg boots (too much faff to lace up etc for short periods), so I bought myself something similar to this:
...the TOGGI Columbus (available on Amazon but probably more expensive than you'd like) for easy walks, going out in the snow etc.
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