Another "walking shoes" thread - replaceable soles ?

[amnesia]

I have decided to give up on the A1(m) and get the train to work through winter instead of my 55 mile commute. This will be both cheaper and healthier as it will involve a 2 mile walk at each end (so 8+ miles a day).
I've got some cheap, but comfy walking boots that are... OK... but the soles are wearing down and they aren't waterproof and I don't really need boots for the walking I'm doing.

As pretty much all of my walking will be on tarmac / paved footpaths and I will be doing at least 50 miles a week, are the soles on 'proper' walking shoes replaceable ? I don't really want a £100 pair of shoes wearing out in 3 months.
If not, is there a specific type of sole that I should be looking at that will be more hard-wearing than others ?


Cheers,
Daniel.

[Chiefs]

I have decided to give up on the A1(m) and get the train to work through winter instead of my 55 mile commute. This will be both cheaper and healthier as it will involve a 2 mile walk at each end (so 8+ miles a day).
I've got some cheap, but comfy walking boots that are... OK... but the soles are wearing down and they aren't waterproof and I don't really need boots for the walking I'm doing.

As pretty much all of my walking will be on tarmac / paved footpaths and I will be doing at least 50 miles a week, are the soles on 'proper' walking shoes replaceable ? I don't really want a £100 pair of shoes wearing out in 3 months.
If not, is there a specific type of sole that I should be looking at that will be more hard-wearing than others ?


Cheers,
Daniel.

For 8 miles per day you're going to want to something light and if you don't want wet feet at the other end then Gore Tex too.
I'd recommend "Salomon" for everyday hiking as they are a good balance between performance and cost.
I hiked 62 miles in a day (for Charity) wearing Salomon shoes and was very impressed and they went on to last me a couple of years walking a couple of miles per day. If well looked after I would imagine a year of usage would be possible.
I was a Royal Marine nearly twenty years ago and we only had the old school leather boots which took ages to break in, whereas most modern shoes take very little time to feel comfortable, so hopefully once you find a style that suits you, replacing them won't be a big deal.

My recommendation is to look at "Approach shoes", boots are likely overkill, but go provide better protection from rain and puddles etc.
Gore-tex does mildly impact the breathe-ability of the shoes, but worth it in my opinion.

I'd also recommend carrying some Zinc oxide tape in case you get some hot spots, also get some decent socks and keep a spare dry pair at work.

Last thing to mention is that keeping a change of shoes at work will be much more comfortable that wearing the same shoes all day (sorry if that's too obvious).

[reggie747]

^^^^most excellent advice here^^^^

[magirus]

Another vote for Salomon shoes. I've been wearing their Goretex lined shoes for a few years and they are comfy and hard wearing, good deep tread. You can usually find them with a discount with a little searching.

[raptor]

As salomon come a bit on the narrow side try them on before buying

[Ironmonk3y]

In terms of hard wearing soles, look out for the ones made by vibram. Various hiking shoes use these manufacturers. They last ages and your uppers will probably deteriorate before these. A downside to the durability is that the grip can sometimes be lacking if you are going off-road.

[amnesia]

Thanks chaps - I will look for a good indi shop and try some on


And yes, I will have a pair of shoes at work to change into