this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2024
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Ive had a couple pairs of walking boots in the past and none of them have survived more than 6-8 3 day hikes and I'm sick of replacing them. What are some points to look for in good walking boots, where should I look to buy them from in the UK, how much should I look to be spending as a rough guide?

Cheers!

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (17 children)

I'd be interested in how to keep them from getting stinky. I've got some very good, waterproof leather boots, but they get so musty. I've tried Lysol. I've tried Dr. Scholls powder spray. I've tried water with vinegar. I've changed insoles. Nothing helps. You'd think I slogged through a knee deep swamp and left them to dry inside a closed box, but no, I just wear them in Florida and leave them to dry out inside my house.

I thought I knew how to take care of boots, but I guess not. That's apparently a huge part of keeping them for a long time.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (8 children)

Do you use synthetic, cotton, or wool socks?

Wool socks help with odor control because of how they wick away moisture and although they advertise synthetic socks also being good at that they tend to get the stinky funk going on. Cotton just holds moisture and gets stinky too, but somewhere between the two.

If nothing else has helped and you are not already wearing wool socks, I would give that a try. A lot of brands do a blend of wool and synthetic so they might end up being stinkier than 100% wool. Wool is expensive, but holds up really well and is totally worth it.

[–] CharlesMangione 3 points 9 months ago

Hard agree. Wool is amazing. The good stuff doesn't scratch, either.

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