Boots for Kokoda

[kokodabound]

Hi all,

I'm off to Kokoda next April, looking to buy some boots asap so that I can start wearing them in.

I've been advised that a mid-height boot would be most suitable, as they still provide ankle support, and will have a better chance of drying better overnight as opposed to a high boot.

I've been looking (online) at boots such as:

Teva Forge Pro Mid eVent
Merrell Moab Mid GORE-TEX
Salomon XTemp mid GTX

Would welcome feedback on any of the above, and of my choice for a 'mid' height boot.

Also any recommendations on the best place to try and buy and get some decent advice - I'm assuming I'd possible get more 'expert' advice at somewhere like Snowgum as opposed to Ananconda, etc??

Thanks in advance.

[ninjapuppet]

I really cant comment on the suitability of eVent and GTX boots for the kokoda as I havnt done it, but I've got a couple of mates that work at Snowgum. They'll only be too happy to be referred to as "experts" compared to Anaconda

[Strider]

Goretex will be waaaaaay too hot in that climate.

[nq111]

Goretex will be waaaaaay too hot in that climate.

+1 - unfortunately it is near impossible to get quality boots without it. The tropical walking market is very small.

I am going to try some Bestard canyon guides as tropical walking boots (on recommendation from fatcanyoneer on this forum).

The military seems to have gone the right direction with lots of hot weather and jungle boots with quick dry materials, no membrane and drainage holes. But this approach is non-existent in the walking boot market at the moment.

In general though I would aim for quick dry above waterproof and light as you can afford/compromise (but not sacrificing any support you need - everyone is different). I would have thought the Teva's would be the best of the bunch you mentioned - though the Salomon's are likely very good too.

[bauplenut]

I just completed Kokoda. Boots I used my Rossi leather boots. They handled the trek no worries.

Our guide wore Merrill Moab Mids, and he sang their praises.

Some in our group wear the Salomon GTX.

Mind you, we had dry conditions. No rain during daytime, and only some light drizzle on a couple of nights. So no real bad mud or wet conditions to get through. Track was still slippery somewhat on long downhill clay sections. So our footwear never got wet. I was wearing half size canvas gaiters too.

As for tropical boots, I live in North QLD so nice and hot humid bushwalking is the norm here. There is nothing that is really made for the tropics, so we just buy what fits best and suits us individually. Gaiters to keep rain out as much as possible. If they do get wet, well they dry reasonably quick.

[Ramblin]

I walked the Kokoda April last year (2011) in a pair of Merrill MIds.
They got wet and stayed wet but so did everyones boots. I use them again.
I wish I had new socks for every day, even known they will end up.
Gaiters are a must.

[johnrs]

Redback Alpines
light quick drying single layer leather
and made in Australia!
John

[kokodabound]

Any thoughts on the suitability of these?

http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-s ... pid=323634

[johnrs]

Once they get wet
they will stay wet wet.
The padding makes a good sponge.
And your feet will slowly steam cook.
John

[kokodabound]

Thanks to all for your feedback....and for the warning Johnrs!

[Beacon Hill Ben]

This is a very interesting thread, I would like to know the outcome to this question as well! So far I have read and learnt here:

Goretex and similar are too hot, and it slows down the drying of your wet boot. Funny that a product that is supposed to keep your feet dry does exactly the opposite...

"Everything will get wet." Exactly my experience! Maybe wear sandals like the Teva Omnium and forget about trying to stay dry? At least your feet won't boil and once it stops raining the sandals and your socks may in fact dry out. Nice and light as well. Anybody done Kokoda on sandals?

Bring dry socks for every day. How about socks that dry fast? I have learnt about these Footprint bamboo socks, I am going to try these.

Someone mentioned military style boots. I wear the Garmont T8 boots from Kitbag in Perth, which are fantastic! Lightweight, terrific grip with that Vibram sole which is very confidence inspiring. The ankle support does not contain any foam so it does not hold much water when wet and it dries fast. The strong ankle support has saved my ankles several times in rough terrain, preventing me from rolling my ankle. The open grain leather must be waxed though, as it comes from the factory that leather soaks like a sponge. See my wax job here! I will wear gaiters in the rain to help keep the water off.

Also, I noticed that the insoles of my boots are cheap & nasty, open foam variety. That means they hold water like a sponge! Does anybody have suggestions of good quality, closed cell insoles that wont absorb water/sweat, etc? That would be a good upgrade of any boot. Thanks.

[kokodabound]

I went to Anaconda today. The assistant there recommended anything with a vibram sole and specifically recommended Goretex as its the highest level of waterproofing. I walked away confused!!

[nq111]

Maybe wear sandals like the Teva Omnium and forget about trying to stay dry? A

This is the right approach in theory but my experience is the sandals pick up sticks, rocks and sand and you end up forever stopping to dig them out from under your socks.

Interesting experience with the military boots - maybe an out there thought but there seems to have been a lot of investment in better military boots using cross-over technology from hiking / mountain boots in recent times and the general walking crowd (including myself) may be missing some good stuff.

[nq111]

I went to Anaconda today. The assistant there recommended anything with a vibram sole and specifically recommended Goretex as its the highest level of waterproofing. I walked away confused!!

Well you did well to find someone in Anaconda that may have known what vibram and goretex are . But otherwise this advice is wrong, or incomplete, on a whole range of levels.

10 minutes on google and you will know more than most of these assistants unfortunately.

[Pongo]

Based on what you've said I'll try to give my two bob.

Ankle support

The link I've provided below disputes the value of ankle support in a boot, however I've found it pretty handy and suspect my high boots have save me rolling my ankles a few times. With that said, I'm convinced a pair of walking poles are a much better investment when it comes to preventing falls and rolls.

Dryness / Drying Out

The most common purpose (IMO) to keeping dry feet in temperate conditions is to avoid 'trench foot' and 'paddy's foot' type conditions. Keeping your feet as dry and possible during the day and drying your boots out at night will go a ways to preventing this, however as one poster has pointed out, having dry socks to put on each morning is also good for this too.

I won't go into keeping your foot dry during the day as it's O.T from what you've asked. However, when it comes to drying shoes out at night I have few suggestions that you can apply to any piece of footwear.

. Firstly remove the sole of the boot and leave it to dry separately over night
. Stuffing the shoe with something dry and absorbent (eg. a sheet of newspaper) will go a long way to taking the moisture out of the shoe
. I'll quote from Rick Curtis' "The Backpackers Field Manual" (2005) here "Warm up those cold boots: On a cold night, turn your sleeping bag stuff sack inside out and put your boots inside. Sleep with the stuff sack in your sleeping bag, between your legs. The coated nylon on the stuff sack will keep the wet boots from soaking your sleeping bag, and your body heat will keep the boots warm and help dry them out a bit so you don't have to face cold or even frozen boots in the morning."

Play around with these tips and hopefully overnight drying won't be as much of an issue.

Expert Advice

I wouldn't rely too heavily on the sales staff in any store to be honest. Personally I've found the knowledge of most to be pretty rudimentary. Have a read of this link and it will get you through the basics:

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_Footwear.htm

A Final Word

Having had a raft of issues with my feet, I place a much greater emphasis on fit than function. Make sure you know how to try out a shoe in store (for this I refer you to the Curtis book mentioned above pp. 35-36) and be aware of the unique shape of your foot. For me this means being aware that I have minor heel deformity (and therefore don't fit much properly, and blister for a hobby) and need something that will happily accommodate my orthotics. For you, this could mean something completely different.

Hopefully if the above is reasonable advice, you'll come out with a well fitting boot that will dry out overnight regardless.

[nq111]

Bring dry socks for every day. How about socks that dry fast? I have learnt about these Footprint bamboo socks, I am going to try these.

Last thing - just be wary the bamboo is a qimick. These are 'made from viscose from bamboo' which means the material is stock standard rayon as invented 100 yrs ago but instead of digesting cellulose from pine chips they are using cellulose from bamboo. Rayon socks may be the way to go but don't think being bamboo makes them any superior. If you don't beleive me research bamboo fibre USA - the appropriate government department there threatened to prosecute a bunch of brands for misleading advertising over this issue.

Maybe look at heatgear socks or light coolmax (e.g. coolmax business socks - these have worked for me).

[Beacon Hill Ben]

Bring dry socks for every day. How about socks that dry fast? I have learnt about these Footprint bamboo socks, I am going to try these.

Last thing - just be wary the bamboo is a qimick. These are 'made from viscose from bamboo' which means the material is stock standard rayon as invented 100 yrs ago but instead of digesting cellulose from pine chips they are using cellulose from bamboo. Rayon socks may be the way to go but don't think being bamboo makes them any superior. If you don't beleive me research bamboo fibre USA - the appropriate government department there threatened to prosecute a bunch of brands for misleading advertising over this issue.
Maybe look at heatgear socks or light coolmax (e.g. coolmax business socks - these have worked for me).

Dang! Thanks for the advise, saved me at least $100... Now I shall have to look for other socks...