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G'day,
I am hoping somone can help me out with some information on the best type of hiking boots to wear for the Kokoda Trail.Is having a "breathable" boot on the tropics an issue due to allowing too much moisture in?
I am looking to buy a pair in the near future to allow plenty of time to wear them in.Any help / tips would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
MickHi Mick,
Boots, like clothing can be a matter of personal preference.I believe both leather or the breathable "Gortex" boots (ankle high strongly recommended) are OK. I walked the track in August last with the majority of time (over 9 days)in wet and muddy conditions. Even the best quality leather boots will become water logged after 2-3 days. Some of our group attempted to dry theirs out around the evening fire. This practice is very unwise for the boots longterm welfare. I wore a pair of Kathmandu "Trail " leather boots which I have had for some time. I have always found them excellent on many hikes in the Victorian High Country and Tasmania's Overland Track.
As I am now in my sixties I did contemplate changing to the lighter breathable variety however I now believe I made the right choice to stick with my old faithfull "Trail" boots. I am not sure if Kathmandu still sell the "Trail" boots, however their "Rondonee" model which I know is still sold is also made of first quality leather. Lesser quality leather boots( i.e cheaper) will become logged in a matter of hours.
Hope this helps in your decision making.Cheers, Geoff Hardie
Hi
I am on my third pair of Rossi Australian made leather boots my wife Maureen wears the Rossi lites whilst I wear the heavier boot we love them they have and still are serving us, wet or dry very well indeed we would not consider anything else as we had previously tried others we found not as good and Hey! they are Aussie made.
My second pair of Rossi boots still have plenty of life left in them but I purchased a new pair as a Christmas present for myself specially to wear on Kokoda later in the year.
Go for Rossi support the Aussie company.
Like mentioned in the earlier email be extremely careful about drying any boot around the fire if you want to get a long life out of them.
Enjoy your trekking
BrianHi again,
I am familiar with Rossi Boots they will certainly get you through. If however you wish to do further serious hiking I would recommend you seek the advice of a reputable/knowledgable hiking boot salesperson at a place like Paddy Pallin. They will be able to advise you on the many variations in boots from the low price bracket to the high end. e.g. shank support, soles etc. My Trail boots have done well in excess of 3000 k's and are nearly as good as new. One pair of Rossis would last at best, 1000 k's.
Cheers, Geoff HardieHi,
Hope you don't mind me jumping in on the conversation here!
I went down to Paddy Pallin yesterday and spoke with an awesome salesperson for about half an hour or so (more impressive, because I told him I wasn't going to be buying anything at that time) and tried on some gortex boots and some full leather ones.
Can anyone tell me the pros and cons from personal experience? The leather obviously will last a lot longer, but will start to hold water and will take much longer to wear in. The gortex were a whole half kg lighter than the leather, were waterproof (as much as a shoe can be), but didn't look like they'd last as long as the leather.
I'm thinking gortex is the better option, but would like other opinions, please.
Thanks.
EveHi Eve,
I only have direct experience with good quality leather boots. People I have hiked with over the years wearing lesser quality leather boots frequently enquired why it was that my boots stayed dryer longer.
You will find however, on the Kokoda Track, the possibilty of slipping on rocks and accidently immersing you whole boot in water is a frequent event.I did once or twice. Whether you are wearing leather or gortex boots will therefore not matter.
Good boot shank support is vital when walking along most of the Track, particularly on the many water crossings.
Again, not having direct experience with gortex boots,I would however tend to recommend the gortex boot for yourself because of the lightness factor.
Cheers, Geoff HardieAs a trek operator naturally I get to hear a lot about boots. To put it simply, you can walk in a cheap t/shirt/shorts etc but to skimp on your boots is asking for trouble as it should be the best investment for all trekkers and they must be worn in and comfortable.
Some wonder why we suggest a pair of sneakers and boots. On a couple of treks some boots have broken. I can remember one trekker using the rubber bands we supply to put around one of his boots to keep it together.
One girl from Lismore broke her well worn shoes on around day 7 and had no other spare…she had to walk the remainder barefoot and her feet at the end were not a pretty sight.
On one occasion early in the piece I bought my business partner Russell who was doing a lot of walking at the time, a new pair of boots which cost from memory around $250.00. On his first trek with them, one shoe split and got water in it. Hence, whatever shoe you purchase start training in them straight away to wear them in and to test them before you hit the track.
Lots of stories like that. Good brands you cant go past. At one time I put various options on our website which were published in an adventure magazine which you might find useful. For myself I walked in a pair of scarpa's and found them very supportive around the ankle area and no water got inside my boots.
My husband and son purchased Merrell boots and had no problems. I too own a pair of Merrell's but prefer the lighter Scarpa ones.
On one trek we had a Japanese who was struggling to keep up with the group. Their guide checked out his boots and was astonished to see how much they weighed. They left the boots behind in a village and he started walking in his sneakers and finished his trek. Our guide said the boots fitted him well but for the terrain and mud at that point of time were just too heavy.
I suggest you click on the following link:
Hi Mick
I guess shoes are a personal thing as everyone is different and what suits one person may not suit another, but one thing for sure is that they have to be comfortable. I had an old leather pair and I kept getting blisters when I started training, so they went West.
I was able to pick up a great pair from Boots Outdoor World at Erina on the Central Coast, they were from Caribee, which is a well known brand. They were $119 but on this particular weekend they were on special for $49.95 and I ended up getting them. I wore them for all my training, with 2 pairs of socks as they were slightly larger. They served me extremely well for the entire Trek, through puddles, creeks, mud, the lot. Not one problem with my feet, toes, heels from start to finish. I also smeared vaseline between my toes and around my heels each morning.
Hope this helps, but just make sure they are worn in before you go.
Cheers
Warren (waza) – Trek 83
Hi everyone,
I too am looking at purchasing a good pair of boots to do Kokoda in. I am wondering if anyone has ever had anything to do with rockport boots. They look light and comfortable, but I have never heard of them before and am not expereinced enought to pick the difference between a quality pair of boots and a 'don't go there' pair of boots.
Thanks.
Neat.Hi Neat,
I am aware of the Rockport brand which is regarded as a good quality "fashion" footware manufacturer. I am not sure however if their range includes good quality hiking boots. If your Kokoda Trek is to be a "one off" then possibly what you have in mind will be adequate, if a little worse for wear at the end
As frequently mentioned in the previous posts it is strongly recommended you seek the advice of an expert at your local quality hiking/camping store,(Paddy Pallin/ Kathmandu) Issues such as full foot support are particularly important for the unique conditions on the Kokoda Track, (exposed tree roots, exposed rocks at numerous creek crossings etc.)Best of luck with your preparation.
Geoff Hardie
Thanks for the advice on the Rockports, sounds like a good pair of boots NOT to buy. The sales person in the shop assured me that they were a great pair of hiking boots at the only shop in town that sells this type of boots, just one of the many advanatages in living in a rural area that is very, very flat. I am sure the sales assistant would have thought them suitable, but unfortunatley hiking and outdoor adventuring is not a popular hobby in this area of the world so the poor fellow had no more of an idea that I do really. I have lots to learn!
I have decided that to be safe, I will stick to the boots listed in the Footwear, Shoes and Boots thread from the link in this forum above. I actually went away on the weekend and had a look a the Hi Tec boots, I was glad to see them on the list as they were so light and comfortable when I tried them on, but I thought I should do some research first and want to check out the Vasque and the Columbia as well.
Cheers
Neat.Hi Neat
I have worn my Hi Tec boots for nearly a year now, up and down mountains, through creeks – you name it. They are excellent. I am hoping they will see me right for Kokoda as well. However I will still take half a roll of Duc tape in my pack "just in case". It has held many a boot together in an emergency.After years in leather boots and always getting frustrated with them getting waterlogged (my pet hate) I have been trying out a new pair of synthetics for the last month. They're the Salomon Elios Mid XCR. These things are nearly as comfortable as a pair of runners, and very, very light…and even lighter by comparison when compared to a waterlogged boot. I'm looking forward to kicking heck out of them on Kokoda in April. I have had no blisters from these things at all. They came highly recommended to me by the boys at Extreme Sports in Cairns and I'm very happy with them so far so thumbs up to them atm.
Despite the gore-tex (anti pong thing) in them they still pong after a good day in them however.
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