Brooks Cascadia 10. - for info only.

Just thought i would pass on this info as i know numerous readers do like Brooks Cascadia’s 10 trail shoes.

As i walked through TKMax in Manchester something grabbed me by the collar and turned me round to face a whole shelf full of these selling at £29.99. Lots of sizes but only in blue or red. Stores in other places may have more colour options and i guess TKMAX have them because Cascadia 11 is now out. (Obviously the 11’s came out after M and G did a review here.)

So i now own a pair of the C10’s.  I did need them and couldn’t pass up a bargain. Hopefully they last longer than Micks.
Don’t linger, they won’t be there long at this price.

Twinned with Ecco Biom Terrains

A little while after the 2014 TGO Challenge. (seems ages ago now) I swapped my Merrell Chameleon 5 boots for a pair of Ecco La Paz boots. This was my first pair of Ecco footware.

They were very comfortable, light weight and waterproof. So much so that i more or less wore them daily and not just for hiking in. I was asked about them on numerous occasions and had drafted together a blog post about their attributes. Unfortunately as i was about to make the post public Ecco discontinued them and so my blog post was made redundant.

They are still in very good condition today and i am pleased to say that they are still waterproof and pong only very slightly, so whatever anti bacterial compound they used has worked well. I have enjoyed wearing them very much and would have bought another pair.
What i find annoying is that companies have to tinker with products that are first class.

The nearest boot in the Ecco range today are the Ulterra.

I wasn’t in need of changing my boots at this present time but Sheila was as her new Merrells were leaking like sieves within only a few weeks. Very disappointed and that saw off the Merrell challenge.

So i was pleased to see that Rohan had now started selling Ecco boots although not the whole range. It is also ironic that just as they started selling them, Ecco opened its first store in Manchester only a few hundred metres away. I checked out the store and everything was full RRP, the Biom Terrains being £170. Not for me i thought.

A couple of weeks later and we now both have a pair of them, bought from Rohan at the sale price of £114.50.

His and Hers Ecco Biom Terrain. From Rohan.

Now i just have to get over this bought of man flu to give them a try. I had a flu jab in October which i must say has worked well for me over the last few years. This time i have all the symptoms of flu without it fully knocking me for six. I feel lousy and weak but not debilitated.

I will do my review of them before they get discontinued.

How to tie your trail shoes - Simples.

An interesting little video for those like me who had not come across this before and always wondered why my laces were far too long.

Leaking boots?

I received a pair of Merrell Chameleon 5 mid fabric boots FOC almost a year ago to the day. I have been exceptionally pleased with them and i have used them continuously throughout the year.

During the year i have suffered Tendonitis and sore ankles and eventually went and got some advice about using Superfeet insoles. I bought the green option and have used them ever since.

My foot problems gradually reduced but it wasn’t long after that my Merrell boots started leaking. I just put it down to wear and tear and carried on wearing them regardless of having wet feet. I used them on this years TGO Challenge and didn’t have a single foot problem. They suit my feet and i can put up with wet feet.

However, i had a bit of a niggle in my mind that the hard edges of the superfeet insoles may have contributed to the membrane wear and caused the leakage. I couldn’t prove this of course without taking the boots apart.

Last week it all became clear. On a 10k local walk i felt my right boot was a bit loose and checking when i got home i found that the inner fabric of the boot had worn away, clean through, exactly along the edge of where the heel side of the superfeet insole touched. There is no doubt about it that although the superfeet have helped me physically they have drastically shortened the life of the waterproof membrane and now the boots themselves.

I did take a photo but with the problem being deep in the boot and the fabric is black the photo doesn’t do it justice.

Vivo Barefoot Ultra Pure shoes

In March 2012 fellow blogger Laura asked me if i had any knowledge of the Vivo Barefoot shoes as i was then doing a post on the O1M’s here. At the time i had only seen the Barefoot's on review sites in the US and had never seen them in the UK. So i replied that i hadn’t any info.

For some reason the Vivo Barefoot’s went off my radar. I’m not sure why, but maybe i was a little sidetracked by the Hi-Tec Zuuk’s. Like lots of other folk i was pleased to get a pair and i thought i had a pretty good backpacking camp/bothy shoe.

TGO magazine even gave the Zuuk's an award at the annual ceremony as the best bit of kit for 2013.
Names such as Andrew Denton, Andy Howell, Chris Townsend, Emily Rodway, Daniel Nielson gave them the thumbs up, and i also did a review back in July 2013 here.

But without going back through old stories, the problem with the Zuuk’s is that when you get them wet doing river crossings or in camp walking through wet grass they take ages to dry. And i mean ages.
Wet feet are not what you want in camp during the evening, especially when you have just spent 1/2hr drying them, repairing the blisters, taping up sore areas etc etc.

Like lots of gear reviews, it’s very subjective, giving them a score out of ten depends on the environment you use them in and there would be a big difference in the score if you used them say on the PCT in the USA rather than the TGO Challenge in Scotland.

Many, many challengers used the Zuuk’s on this years challenge (2014) and only for the reason i mention, they take ages to dry, i can understand why. But we learn so much with hindsight.

Then one evening in the Sheilin of Mark bothy i noticed that fellow blogger John Sanderson had bucked the trend and gone for the Vivo Barefoot Ultra Pure. We had a chat about them and they are much better than the Zuuk’s for our purposes in wet Scotland or the UK for that matter.
The easiest way to describe them is that they are made from a similar feeling material to Crocs (EVA) but are lighter, more compressible, and are more of a shoe/slipper than a sandal. They are also 100% waterproof.
They are classed as a barefoot running shoe and are also available with a removable sock on the Vivo Ultra model if required.

Vivo Barefoot Ultra Pure

I won’t go through the specification on this post because Vivo do a more comprehensive job on their site here.
They are available in a number of colours and in a ladies version.

For the weight conscious backpacker. My size 7 shoe weighs 95 grams each.

If you buy the model with the removable sock then the sock weighs 49 grams each.
The  inner sock is quite robust and has its own footbed. It can be worn separately and would be ok for bothy or hostel wear. The sock is not waterproof.

Buying the Pure, less sock model, i would suggest buying a size down from normal as they are generous and sized to take the inner sock. With the sock i suggest normal size is fine.

I think these will be the shoe of the 2015 Challenge.

Inov-8 Terroc 330 (2012 version)

I post this because i know people are keen to get hold of the old style Terroc 330.

Craigdon Mountain Sports have sizes 7, 8.5 and 9.5 left but are not cheap at £85.
Still if you want them then you have to pay the price. They won’t be here long and when there gone there……..

Hope this helps someone. Link here.

Salomon xa pro 3D ultra shoe

Numerous times I have mentioned on this blog and commented on other blogs about just how well made my Salomon xa pro 3D ultra shoes are and how the materials have lasted in comparison to other shoes of similar ilk.
My first connection with these shoes was when i advised Sheila to buy a pair for the gym and general use. I bought mine about 6 months later when I realised just how good they were.
I have now had mine for about  6 years. Initially, (the first couple of years) I used them regularly for off road running as well as weekly gym work.
I also used them lots of days as just casual wear and holidays.
Although I have bought a number of other shoes since, Adidas, Carn, Inov-8's, non have come near to outlasting the Salomon's. They are the daddy by a long long way IMO.
I have never kept a record of how many miles I have done in these shoes but a conservative estimate is 1500 miles.
They are still secured with the original laces and although I have used a number of different insoles, i still have the original insoles and they are still serviceable.
There is obviously some areas of wear on the lugs of the contragrip sole but they are far from worn out. I have never repaired them, glued them or stitched them anywhere.  There are still many more miles in them.
Even though they are unlined and mesh the sensifit uppers have never split like others do in the areas of most bending and around the little toe areas. I have an area on the tongue, about 1cm long where the stitching has started to come away.
The sole has stayed attached to the upper and the lace eyes have not split through. The toe protector has not started to become detached and the heel pull has not come away.
They have been hand washed in luke warm water so many times it is uncountable. The colour is still good and they don't smell that bad either.

I'm not going to go into the spec of the shoe in this post because it's available HERE for anyone who wants to read about them and its in far more detail than i would do. Just scroll down the page and hover the mouse over the headings for a spec description.

The shoes are still available and have obviously stood the test of time. You can pick them up for around £75. I think that's just about what we paid for ours all those years ago.

Here are some photo's of mine.

 Salomon XA PRO 3D.

 Signs of wear on the heel but not right through. More than likely caused by misuse when putting the shoe on without loosening off the laces enough.

 One small hole has appeared just inside the eyelet. 2nd up on the rhs.

 Under sole showing the wear points which, considering the mileage are still in fair condition. The outer heel and the central foot area being worst affected.

 2 shots, No splitting mesh or sole breakout.

 Inside tongue and ankle support intact.

 Zoom inside the shoe. (As best i could) to show inside is all intact.

 Showing no real wear and tear.

 Stitching on both tongues starting to come away. (Easily fixed)

 Again you can see the stitches on the tongue of the shoe that has come adrift. 

Toe protection still in good condition. Laces still as good as new.

Hi Tec Zuuk footwear.

The Zuuks have won this years TGO Footwear of the year accolade.

Not a surprise to me really because they are very very good for our needs as backpackers. I love them.
 I am so pleased because i reviewed them earlier in the year here.
Another reason i am pleased is the name, Hi Tec. There is so much snobbery when it comes to gear labels, i'm glad that a name that is usually mid table has taken top spot. Well done all those who voted and well done Hi Tec.

Update June 2014.

After taking them on the TGO Challenge i now have changed my opinion on them for trips longer than a weekend or so. After a 2 weeks trip i was very disappointed at how slow the shoe was to dry out. Having used them for river crossings and general evening in camp i did expect them to dry out in a couple of hours but they were still wet after 8 hours.
When you dry your feet after a long day you really don’t want to put your feet back into a shoe thats wet.
So, I am now using Vivi Barefoot shoes without the sock and find them far better.

Merrell Chameleon 5 Mid Ventilator GTX boots.

A few weeks ago i had an interesting email from Merrell asking me if i would be prepared to write a review of their Chameleon 5 Mid boots.
Funnily enough i had only just had a look at Merrell’s Proterra boots and quite liked the look of them, therefore it was a bit of a coincidence to be offered a pair of boots FOC from them.
Merrell make good gear (IMHO) and so it was an easy decision on my part to accept the offer.

So, the boots.

They came well packaged. Upon opening the box i was greeted with a horrid smell of a rubber/plastic/glue type pungent aroma, most unpleasant. Thankfully this smell disappeared after a days wear in the outdoors.

 Merrell Chameleon 5 Mid ventilator Gore-tex boots

Weight for size UK 8.5 is 560 grams

 Handling the boots, twisting, bending and removing the insoles i admit to being a little disappointed.

My first impression, and basically the impression that sells a boot was not fantastic, more of a oh?

Apart from the smell, these boots have an RRP of £140.00! I expected more wow factor for a boot in that price bracket.

 I liked the colour, the lacing, the heel support, the toe protection but didn’t like the look of the Vibram sole or the insole. My first impressions were that they were both not up to the job of backpacking. They are after all marketed as a light backpacking boot.

2mm thick, moulded EVA insole.

 So, having got my first impressions out of the way i set about finding out how they perform.

I have now worn them everyday for the past 5 weeks and they have covered about 140 miles.

 Trying the boots out on day 1, 
I found them to be exceptionally comfortable. The size 8.5 was perfect for me and the fit across the toe area was perfect for my foot which is on the wide side. The first outing was in dry conditions, quite humid and 22 degrees C, and i covered about 8 miles of mainly green lanes and woodland. 

 I had a bit of heel lift in my right boot and thought the worst. However it turned out that although the lace was tight around the ankle it wasn’t tight down the foot. I re-laced the boot and the heel lift disappeared. So getting the lacing right is important individually.

 The sole unit, which is Vibram rubber was impressive and getting back home my feet felt good. However when i removed the boots i was a little surprised to find that my feet and socks were quite sweaty. Considering that they are called Ventilator i was a little dismayed, although it had been a warm day.

 5 weeks on,
 I have now covered most terrains and weather conditions although as yet the temperature in the UK has not slipped into single figures and has not been particularly damp.

 I have worn a number of different socks, Bridgedale, Teko, X socks but i still had clammy feet. So venting is not as good as it might be. Taking into considering they do have a GTX membrane i might be expecting a bit too much. However, the boots have been treated with Aegis® which is an antimicrobial agent that suppresses odour. I found this has worked very well so far. Merrell say that the treatment does not wear out so it will be interesting to find out what happens further down the line.

 Walking on stoney paths, loose scree and on very steep grass has presented no problems. The sole unit passed with flying colours. I am pleasantly surprised considering my first impressions.
One of the conditions that usually find out how good or bad a sole unit is is when you are on wet and smooth slab rock. Once again they have surpassed my expectations. Good grip and support. So far so good.
The boot has a 2mm flexible plate in the foot section which protects the foot from stone bruising and a nylon insole which is a tougher grade than is found on the Chameleon 5 shoe, designed with medium pack carrying in mind. The EVA insole has proved to be very comfy.

 The outer boot is made from Pig suede leather, coupled with mesh and a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane. The heel has a pull loop and the tongue is the normal bellows type.
I have found cleaning them very easy with a soft bristle brush. I havn’t yet had the pleasure of entering a bog and so the need to completely wash them has not been done.

 Waterproofing has otherwise worked well and on one completely wet day they kept me perfectly dry. The wet days for testing have been very limited i must state, due to our warm and dry summer.

 The toes are protected with quite a high rubber toe cap but i would prefer it to come a little further over the top.

 The ankle has a tough plastic support arm that stops ankle roll, maintains the heel shape and works well. Even when contouring.

 I found the laces stayed secure all day and the lacing system is easy and adjustable but they are a little too long. There are 8 plastic closed eyelets and final lacing is held with 2 metal hooks either side.

 I wasn’t at all impressed with the material of the inner ankle cuff. It’s comfy but the weave is quite loose and it retained debris to the point of annoyance. Grasses especially, got trapped in the weave and then pierced the sock resulting in uncomfortable walking. Removing the debris was harder than you might think. Not just a matter of removing the boot and shaking out the debris, i first tried wrapping some duct tape around my hand and hoped i could get the grass to stick to the tape, this didn’t work. I had to get a pair of tweezers and pull the grasses out. Very time consuming too. Obviously wearing gaiters would have prevented this problem but you don’t want to wear gaiters in dry summer conditions.

Trapped debris on inside of the boot proved really difficult to remove. 

(Sorry the lower image is a bit blurred). But at least you can see the problem.

 Conclusion.
Within the time period for this review there is very little i dislike about them. Yes at £140.00 rather expensive but you can buy them on the internet for £84 - £105 which is where i think they should be priced and at this price they are a good buy.
 Comfortable straight from the box, probably the most comfortable boots i have ever had in fact. Great sole unit in all conditions outside of winter. Excellent build quality.
Quite lightweight for a mid boot with a waterproof membrane.
Inner ankle material needs improving.


I am now looking forward to the next 500 miles wearing them.

Update. 12th December 2013.
One point that i have found since my initial review is that they do take rather a long time to dry out.
With the boot having a membrane, you need to keep outside heat sources away from them otherwise your membrane could be damaged.  Drying inside a warm building or in a breeze still takes a lot longer than i expected. I would like Merrell to consider this point, but otherwise my original review stands up. A fantastic boot.

Where to view or purchase.
The boots can be found in pretty much all the major outdoor retail shops on the highstreet or you could just click on the links below if you wish.
The Merrell range at Fitness Footwear.
http://www.fitnessfootwear.com/Merrell-Shoes-Boots-and-Sandals~b289.htm
The Merrell Chameleon 5 Mid boot.
http://www.fitnessfootwear.com/Merrell-Chameleon-5-Mid-Vent-GoreTex-Shoes/2412837ff.htm?colour=Carbon

I would like to make the point here that these boots were kindly sent to me FOC for the purpose of this review. I thank Merrell for that.
I have no affiliation to Merrell in any way and the review is completely without bias, timescale or restriction.

Hi Tec Zuuk lightweight shoe.

 For some reason I missed these Zuuk’s when they first came out a couple of months ago. Or I didn't take enough notice of the press release. So i was taken back a bit when i saw them hanging in Field and Trek in Fort William a couple of weeks ago. I was impressed and bought a pair, as did Sheila.

The "best" lightweight shoes I have put on the blog were the Saucony Hittari. At 125gr. Per shoe, a good option for backpacking, bothying etc if you like to have a change of shoe and don’t mind paying top prices. I know some don't.
 The Hittari are still available, many places have stock but they range between £50 - £85.

 The Zuuk are not as light as the Hattari. They weigh 147 grams. (Size 7). But they are pretty cheap at £27.99.  For those on a tight budget these are a good option.

 They have a mesh upper giving perfect breathability and water expulsion with a soft inner and foot bed that is anti odour and anti microbial. The sole is white EVA on all the different colours available and both mens and ladies. For some reason there is not a black sole option which I would have preferred. But its not a big deal.

 Lacing is easy using the pull toggle tightening system and there is a small pocket on the tongue to store the excess lace.

 I found these shoes very comfy indeed and although I wouldn't use them for running, i don’t think the grip is good enough, I would use them generally around camp, in shower blocks, for fording rivers, going to the pub, around the home and garden and ideal for holidays or travel and other sports where water is involved.
 You can fold them over, toe to heel for packing but I think its best to put both shoes together and sandwich the mesh uppers. They compress down to around 40mm.

 I will probably buy a second pair before they stop making them, i think they are that good.

 Hi Tec’s Zuuk shoe

Luna Venado sandals

Pricey but light at 200 grams per pair, size 9. And of course very packable.

 Sometimes i think i won't post this item or that, because in my opinion, it's too expensive. But i've learnt that price isn't everything, if it's what you want.

 If you need a solid pair of sandals, handmade in the US, available in UK, then these are about as solid as they come.
With numerous other sandals of this type, you feel every stone underfoot and really they are suitable  only as beach wear.
 With these Luna sandals, you can run, trail walk, cross rivers without the fear of loosing them thanks to the ATS strapping option on them or limping home because of something that has been felt through the sole. Also ideal for standing in showers on campsites.

There is a choice of 4 (1 option pending release) types of sole and prices vary between £69 and £82.
The sole unit on the Original has 6mm of Vibram neoprene or 7-8mm when combined with the foot bed and the thickness increases through the range as does the cost.

 Two types of footbed are offered. One a Pittards leather and the other MGT or Monkey Grip Technology. MGT would certainly be best for UK hiking conditions.

                The black MGT footbed.






The US webpage is here if you want more info and the UK webpage of Minimalist running gear is here. if these suit your needs.

Carn Kaiteur eVent Boots - user review

 Disclaimer: These boots were purchased by me and i have no associations with Carn.

 I purchased these boots back at the beginning of January 2013. The reason i bought them was because i had been suffering for a few months with a sore Achilles tendon. I wondered if a pair of boots with a padded heel area would relieve the soreness.
  I already own a pair of Carn trail shoes and although i wear them quite a bit on a day to day basis, i don't particularly use them for longer hikes. I prefer my Inov-8's or my Meindl Softline's.
 The quality of the Carn trail shoes are very good, so when i saw these boots i had no hesitation in buying them online.

 Price £34.98  Click on the price to go to the link.

 When i received these boots i couldn't believe the quality. Considering the price of them, they exceeded my expectations by a long, long way. My review is based on having done  ≻ 225 km in them and maximum day walking of 23km.

 What do they consist of:-

 The outer, is Cocona fabric. This is the first time i had come across Cocona fabric in a pair of boots. What you notice is how well water beads off it. The best i have seen from a fabric type boot. The way it cleans after use was also a bit of a shock. Even now, after the mileage they have done, they still look as good as new. I now feel the fabric needs a spray of waterproofer as the beading has subsided some. However, there is absolutely no sign of any water penetration.

 The gusset tongue is well designed and comfy. Sewn into the outer with additional reinforcement are 8 good metal closed lacing hooks and 4 strong open collar hooks. The heel has a pulling loop and the laces provided are round nylon braided.

 The outer fabric dries exceptionally fast, which i like. For me, when backpacking, there’s nothing worse than that first few minutes in a morning when you put your feet into wet boots.

 The Cocona also breathes well ensuring that the foot stays cool and dry. It’s treated to keep odour at bay too.

 The sole :- these use the Approach and Trecking C1 sole unit, the outer rubber sole, is named uTRX or ultimate traction.  It looks like the old Vibram style or commando style sole configuration with deep lugs that are a good distance apart, that do a decent job of shedding debris.

 It works well on all ground except on wet slab rock, moss covered or ice covered. Under these conditions it performs no better than any other rubber tread sole. For ascents or descents it performs well and there is some flex in the forefoot but not overly so.
 The heel does a good shock absorbing job and also lateral support is excellent. At the front is an solid toe bar and a decent rubber rand protection.

(I’m not sure what the C1 equates to in the sole description but i am not stating here that they are C1 crampon compatible. I think the toe flex is to great for a C1 crampon and could result in either the crampon slipping or the attaching bar breaking. (Hopefully i can find out a bit more info).)

Amendment after confirmation from Carn.

The C1 reference given in our listing is indeed a sole unit model number. 

Depending on the planned usage(for short periods of time), a C1 crampon(the
semi flexible type) will fit our C1 sole unit as used on the Kaieteur boots.
Besides the rubber outsole and nylon shank this boot has also been fitted
with a Bi-Fit board which keeps 3/4 of the boot rigid but does allow some
flex in the forefoot. 

Of course C2 and C3 crampons will not work on our outsole, these being for
mountaineering/climbing boots.

 Arch support is not that great but can be improved with a 3rd party insole of the type which suits you best, and of course we all have different feet. What doesn’t suit me could well be perfect for others.
 The insole supplied is actually a decent one in its own right being Poliyou. You don’t usually see Poliyou on boots of this price.

 The rear foot midsole is PU whilst the forefoot is compression moulded EVA.

 The waterproof membrane:- This is eVent, and does a good job. I’m sure there is no need for me to expand on eVent to readers. The inner cushioning is good, breathes well and dries fairly quickly.

 Here are some more photo’s.

  From new, they were comfy and i havn’t had any blisters. They took approx. 20 miles before i felt that they were moulded to my foot. They are like slippers now.
 I have no complaints at all and i can recommend them. For the price they must be hard to beat.

The Kaiteur’s are available in both men and women’s styles.

Update October 2013.
Sheila's boots which were replaced in May 2013 have now let water through the membrane. Not just a little bit making the socks damp. But completely soaked through both boots. Mysteriously she has only done about 150 miles in total in them. On the other hand mine are still ok and must have covered 300 miles.

Walsh Enforcer lightweight trail boot.

Alan, and a few other people asked if i (Sheila), was going to put a review of these Walsh boots on the blog. I've had a think about it and decided that it could only be beneficial  to readers as their seems to be a shortage of reviews specifically about outdoor gear for ladies.

 Well let me start by saying "I am not a boot fan". I much prefer trail shoes of the un-waterproof type and where required, i supplement them with waterproof socks. After all, if you get water inside a waterproof boot it stays there with no escape route apart from taking them off and draining them out.

 So why have i got a pair of boots. You may well ask.
Well it started in early December 2012 when we were getting our gear ready for Martins Christmas walk. I expected snow to cover the ground as it did last year and i was a little worried about cold feet all day.

 Alan was feeling rough with flu and was browsing the internet between moaning about shivering and feeling dreadful. He must have been listening to my apprehensions about cold feet because he said "have a look at these boots, i think they will suit you and for the price must be worth getting".
 The boots were Walsh Enforcers.

 Now i also don't like boots because when they are wet and mud covered they usually weigh a ton and i dislike the whole experience. I wasn't convinced it was the right way to go but Alan kept saying "Give them a go, Walsh make good shoes. They will be worth every penny". I said ok,ok, and ordered a pair.

 Walsh, i eventually clicked, was the same company as make the running shoes of note. I have seen lots of Norman Walsh  running shoes on the fells and therefore i was a bit surprised to see a boot and at such a cheap price, because i know what good shoes they make.

 So they arrived, i was impressed with how light weight they were. I actually said “wow" they are nice. Basically a high running shoe. The sole was the typical Walsh sole. I think they only do one type and it looks nothing like a Vibram.
 The web site actually says it's an all new Pyra grip sole but to me it looks exactly like every other pair of Walsh's i've seen. Not that there is anything wrong with it btw.

 They are now a month old and i have been out in some dire weather, mainly wet, boggy, light snow and some frozen tracks. I am still impressed. I don't fell run, so all my comments are just about walking in them although no doubt you can run in them.

 The boots are a size 5.5 and each boot weighs 395gr. That's measured on our own scales. I don't know what the official figure is.
 Two tone grey with a red trim upper, a waterproof and breathable membrane. I have been pleased with the results so far, they have kept my feet warm with only a lightweight sock and dry as a bone.

 I found the ankle collar quite firm at first and just a little uncomfortable on my right foot. I put this down to me not wearing boots for so long although why one foot was a little sore and the other one ok i don't know. Maybe i had the lace too tight.
 So with this in mind i made sure it wasn't too tight next time out. It didn't make any difference, my right ankle still felt a bit sore.

  A month in and around 60 miles done, there is no soreness, so i can only suggest that the problem was my soft ankle.
 I'm not 100% sure. It's not a problem now though.
 The tongue is comfy and bellows type, easy lacing,  and i like the rand protection. The toe protector is not huge but i wouldn’t expect it be on a lightweight boot. There is also a pull tab on the heel.

 The boot itself is quite flexible in the area of the ball of the foot but very little elsewhere and holds the foot extremely well. There is no heel lift.
 I think i have found a last that is made for me.
 The Pyra-Grip sole works particularly well when contouring, this works brilliantly on everything except smooth wet rock where i felt i had to be careful. There's no slipping on wet grass or muddy surfaces due to the shape and depth of the sole lugs. And walking on hard surfaces is not uncomfortable.

 The insole is basic but adequate and i don’t feel i need to change it for a better quality one as yet.

 After Martins Christmas walk these boots were caked in a limestone concretion. They looked like i had been working at a cement works. This was due to walking along the Tissington trail in very wet conditions. Alan got the job of cleaning them and he says he was amazed at just how easy they were to clean and how well they looked afterwards.

 So, i can no longer say i don’t like boots. I barely know i have these on my feet now.
 They only cost £34.99 from Sportsshoes .com.   Truly amazing value for money.
 I am so pleased Alan persuaded me to get them and i wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them.

Mizuno Wave Ascend 6

The Ladies Mizuno Wave Ascend 6.


 Alan says that gear reviews from and about ladies gear for walking are few and far between, so he has twisted my arm to posting about my new walking shoes.

 My Inov-8 are almost done for and are now relegated to gardening duties. I had been looking at getting a new pair recently, probably the Roclite 315’s to replace my old 212’s. When i saw these Mizuno’s.
 Picking them up i was quite surprised how light they were and what a really good sole they have.
It was these 2 points that grabbed my attention.

 I had heard a little bit about Mizuno previously with  being involved with the fell running scene,  but i have never owned a pair previously and they wouldn’t have normally been first on my list to look at. Quite a lot of the fell runners i bump into wear them, so i knew that they were probably up to the job.


 On reading the labelling notes for these shoes, it persuaded me that they would be ideal for walking on loose, muddy, grassy slopes as they were designed for primarily running on such terrain.


  As is usual with outdoor gear there was lots of superlatives describing the design structure but for me the mid sole, the actual sole, the weight and the comfort provided was paramount. These ticked the box’s.

 I was impressed with the insole too. Having been used to the Inov-8 insole, which is quite basic, these have a much better padding layer and are very comfortable.
They shouldn’t hold any more water than the Inov-8’s due to the base being a moulded water resistant rubber material and should dry quickly.

The shoes weigh 265grams each, UK size 5.5,  so i am pleased with that because in comparison, the Inov-8’s i would have bought are slightly heavier.
 The tread depth is about 5mm and as i say, it is designed for Off Road use and as you can see in the above photo there is also a slight curve to the shape of the sole.


The fit is good and the foot stays in place with a good heel cup. There’s no riding up or forward/aft motion. The comfort is excellent. The midsole is quite firm but allows flexing and there is a good shock absorbing pad in the heel area.


The upper is AIRmesh and has 2 layers. The inner being a much finer mesh than the outer and allows good air cooling. There is no waterproof membrane.
I particularly like the tongue as it is sewn to the sides of the shoe for about 50% of the length from the toe upwards which should reduce stone and mud ingress.


Cost £70 but can be found on numerous sites cheaper than this.


 So far so good, onwards and upwards.