I’ve got myself a pair of Solovair chelsea boots about a year ago and the soles are already pretty worn out. Water gets through the sole so I probably have to resole them if possible.
The wear has been surprisingly fast. Most of the boots I’ve had have been cheaper price point and lasted at least few years. Do I walk wrong or are the Solovair’s soles just bad? How long should the soles last?
I used to be a big Keen guy and would buy a new pair of Targhee II’s every other year… then it became every year… the last pair wore out in 6 months. Other hikeresque people have told me Keen is crap since moving production to china - but everything is made in china. I also have friends with different brand preferences who have experienced the same degredation in quality over the years. I honestly have no clue if it’s due to regulation with the materials as some have suggested, moving to cheaper materials (the VC special) or what. Long blerb but I am desperate to find a quality brand for hiking that offers a ‘wide’ option for my sasquatch feet.
A lot of people have an outdated view of the quality of stuff made in China. They think that everything is bad quality just because their $2 Aliexpress item doesn’t last forever.
Most iPhones are made in China for example. Like anywhere, there’s both good quality and bad quality products, depending on how much the company is willing to pay. Sometimes the quality is actually higher - for example, Tesla Model 3s manufactured in China have far fewer issues with road noise, panel alignment, and overall fit and finish compared to the ones manufactured in the USA. These days, China has far more experience with manufacturing, and a lot of the raw components (especially for electronics) come from China anyways.
Some companies that outsource manufacturing to China also lower their standards at the same time. It’s not the manufacturing in China that’s the problem; it’s the company’s decision to cheapen their product.
Yep totally, that’s why I mentioned the “VC special”
I have nothing but good experiences with Vibram soles, to the point where I won’t buy hiking boots with anything else these days.
My hiking boots are from Alfa, and I couldn’t be happier with them. They sell a wide version as well. Not cheap though—hopefully it’ll pay off after a few years.
Damn these things look like tanks I gotta find a place to try them on, thanks!
Damn. That would become an expensive hobby if you had to buy new shoes every six months. I’m not even hiking. I just have little walks and go from place A to place B. Though I guess walking on the pavement is worse for shoes than walking on soft hike trail.
Yes they have become my daily drivers for concrete as they started sucking for hiking when I got into long distance seriously after my intial AT hike.
What’s your budget? Because that’s possible but not cheap. Have a look at Hanwag. My Alaska Wide size 13,5 are excellent but came at a price.
Cheap is relative as these boots are like half the price of the other commenters rec: https://www.alfaoutdoor.com/men/hiking-boots - and your boots are like twice the price of my cheap keens hahah. They look awesome too though I will try to find a place to test drive. Thanks!
Jim Green Razorbacks are all leather and resolable with 3E width at $190. You have to sort out the waterproofing yourself though.
Niiiiiiice! Thank you for the recommendation, the whole collection looks awesome!
I don’t have the razorbacks, but I can second the brand being the only traditional leather boots I’ve worn that are foot shaped.
Almost spit out my coffee, thanks for the laugh lol
I’m not clever, it’s a trademark term from Altra who makes running shoes with roomy toe boxes.
I do think it’s a good term, though, cause it does get across the point that most shoes are not shaped like your feet naturally want to be.
Quality costs money. I got my partner custom made shoes that perfectly fit her feet and will likely last for decades not counting resoleing. Cost $1200 for the pair, but I can drive to the shop where they were made and talk to the cobbler.