Bushwalk Australia

So I'm a bit annoyed at my current boots... So I've convinced myself that it's time for new ones.
My main boots are Montbells Alpine Cruiser 2000 but I've gotten the toe cap repaired 4 times now and it's just come off again and the goretex design is rather flawed which means water always comes in.
I do like the high design and stiffness of the sole.
Things I need/want:
- wide footbox
- high cut
- stiff sole
- goretex membraine
- solid leather construction

I've come across the Lowa Tibet GTX boot which comes in a wide but is a bit pricey. I'm happy to pay it if needed but wondering if anyone knows of other good boots that fit the bill. Also if anyone has the lowa tibet, is it any good?

Have you tried Scarpa? They meet all your criteria (wide fitting is the norm for their product in Australia). Are good for me, but I know that others no leica.

Just a comment on Goretex membranes - they often fail - and then they leak but before they fail they keep your feet hot, humid and thus more blister prone. This continues after the membrane fails but the boots are now wetter more often. This applies to all membranes, not just Goretex and once water enters, often over the top of the boot so the membrane is irrelevant, the boot remains wet inside for days rather than hours. I do have a pair of mid cut Salomon boots/shoes but they are strictly for snow and winter use. I am not going to argue against your other needs/wants as they are more about the areas you walk in and your expectations of what your footwear should deliver. My personal opinion is low to mid non--membrane footwear - it wets out and then dries quickly while being relatively cool. My experience says that hot humid feet are main cause of blisters assuming your boots are a reasonable fit.

Like Mark F I only use boots for cool conditions where I'l encounter significant mud or slushy snow

I purchased a pair of Decathlon boots earlier this year for NZ, Tassie and shoulder season Aussie Alps use. Really happy with them and they were inexpensive ($120 now $135). They meet your requirement except for the stiff sole. Though unless wearing crampons I find a stiff sole unnecessary and less comfortable. The decathlon boots you don’t feel stones etc underneath.(if thats your reasoning for a stiff sole).

If your using them as a weekly bushwalking boot then Id probably go for a more expensive boot, as the rubber on these ones wont last as long. Perfectly fine for 3-4 trips of about 5 days duration each year for 2-3 years though.

I wrote a review here - viewtopic.php?f=63&t=28850

I personally have found scarpa boots not to fit my feet that well but I may go and give them another chance.
As far as goretex in concerned, the heat factor doesn't really bother me. I don't tend to feel the heat that way. And with the current boots the goretex hasn't failed, rather upon closer inspection it leaks from an incompetent designer that made the boot. Blisters don't bother me as i always wear armaskins.
I tend to do a 3-5 day trip every month and almost always in rugged areas either offtrack or narrow overgrown footpad. Plus day trips.
So I'm skeptical of the cheaper boots as I want a reliable pair that will get me some distance. I find over rougher terrain my feet feel better with the harder sole too.

Huntsman247 wrote:. I find over rougher terrain my feet feel better with the harder sole too.

Keep in mind there is a difference between a hard (mid)sole and a flexible boot.

Most footwear have either a EVA or a PU midsole. EVA is nice and soft with minimal break in time. However, its more susceptible to your feet feeling less stable and feeling more rocks/stones underfoot due the midsole's softer properties especially once the EVA sole starts to degrade/compress over time. Many footwear makers get around this somewhat by putting in rock plates or other structural support.

A PU midsole is much harder and won’t be as comfortable at the beginning. However once broken in it feels comfortable and offers good stability/rock protection underfoot and its support/stability will be more durable over time as it doesn’t degrade/compress like the EVA. PU is heavier than EVA though.

You can have a PU midsole and a very flexible boot. Eg the Decathlon boot I mentioned is very flexible but with its PU midsole I don’t feel rocks and stability is great.

You can also have an EVA midsole and a very stiff boot. (depending on the rock plate/shank support the footwear maker has built into the boot)

I've always been a bit of a trail shoe kind of guy - but I have a pair of new Scarpa Nangpa TX (Goretex) which are lightish weight and work well. I wear a pair of hydrophobic Drymax outer socks paired with a very thin, lightweight Injinji foot gloves to avoid blisters.

The Zamberlan Vioz GTX boots sound like they would work for you but not sure where in Australia you could get them now Mountain Designs have closed down.
For a stiff sole boot they are so nice to walk in. Only down side is they are heavy.

I've still got a pair which I use when it's wet in winter

..

I can highly recommend Salomon Quest4d. They were great straight out of the box. Comfortable, waterproof and good quality in my opinion. They get good reviews all round.

I have the Lowa Tibet GTXs currently, and previously had a pair of Camino GTXs.

A more detailed review will be coming shortly, but long story short, I don't recommend them. The protective rubber rand on Lowas disintegrates quickly - 'quickly' as in first use - coming away from the leather (despite being supposedly heat molded on) and breaking off in substantial chunks, which obviously leaves the underlying leather unprotected from future abrasion and wear.

I had my Caminos replaced under warranty and 'upgraded' to the Tibets but have had the exact same issue. Two friends also have pairs of Caminos around the same age with the same issues, and a fellow from our walking club noted just this weekend past that the rand on his two-week old Caminos were coming away after literally two day walks. So it's definitely not an isolated issue.

Unfortunately the distributor is now claiming it's regular 'wear and tear' - nothing lasts forever of course, but for the major protection feature on a $650 pair of boots to fall apart after a couple of hikes is hardly acceptable. It's a shame because the boots are otherwise seemingly well made and very comfortable.

More to come...

The Lowa Tibet just seem very stiff when you hold them, I have the Lowa Ranger iii gtx boots for hunting and hiking and didn't have to wear them in and very comfy. Also have a pair of Salomon Quest4d which are super comfy and light but the lowa are way better for waterproof but there's a bit of difference in price too.

headwerkn wrote:I have the Lowa Tibet GTXs currently, and previously had a pair of Camino GTXs.

A more detailed review will be coming shortly, but long story short, I don't recommend them. The protective rubber rand on Lowas disintegrates quickly - 'quickly' as in first use - coming away from the leather (despite being supposedly heat molded on) and breaking off in substantial chunks, which obviously leaves the underlying leather unprotected from future abrasion and wear.

I had my Caminos replaced under warranty and 'upgraded' to the Tibets but have had the exact same issue. Two friends also have pairs of Caminos around the same age with the same issues, and a fellow from our walking club noted just this weekend past that the rand on his two-week old Caminos were coming away after literally two day walks. So it's definitely not an isolated issue.

Unfortunately the distributor is now claiming it's regular 'wear and tear' - nothing lasts forever of course, but for the major protection feature on a $650 pair of boots to fall apart after a couple of hikes is hardly acceptable. It's a shame because the boots are otherwise seemingly well made and very comfortable.

More to come...

I ended up getting the tibets. I find them superbly comfortable but they do lack durability. The leather upper on mine are way too soft and gets damaged really easily compared to similar boots of much cheaper prices. The rand is also poorly designed as I find the edge always catches on things when walking offtrack, which is what these boots are touted for.
I'm in the process of getting the local shoe repair shop to stick a much larger rand on the front. A fair bit disapointing given how much of a premium you pay for the boots.
All that being said, they are very comfy especially over uneven terrain.

Yes, I've found the leather scars quite easily too, which causes me greater concern with the issues surrounding the weak rand. Already the missing rubber around the toe area are resulting in deep abrasions into the leather. They were sold to me as shoes that would last 5-10 years (with a resole and maybe renewal of the inner lining around the ankle) but I'm really starting to doubt that claim now.

As you say, for what they cost, they should be a lot better.