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Mountain Boots, I might be the only fan

t4halo

One of the Regulars
Messages
135
Location
Irish Hills, MI
I know, there too big and too heavy, but I enjoy wearing them. Anyone besides me still wander around the woods wearing heavy old boots? I just recently gave up my red laces.

Here is my favorite pair of Pivetta boots. Have another pair that are a little rough but very comfortable. Pivetta has a pretty nice history dating back to WWII and the American 10th MTN troops.
D2BABF6F-DC39-430D-9E9B-033AC0E85E58.jpeg
 
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GJ nord

Familiar Face
Messages
62
Location
Jockland
I use to when I lived in the hills of Northern England, have me a pair of repro ww2 Gegirgsjager boots, the snow clumps up a goodun due to freezing to the metal studs/cleats even if you add alot of grease around them.... but the grip they give is immense
 

Michael A

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,287
I'll agree they are a damn fine boot. Very comfortable and the ankle support is the best for sliding down side hills. I need to get them resoled one of these days.

Funny story how I came by these. I was living in an apt complex and I took my garbage out to the trash house one evening. There sitting on the floor right inside the door was this pair of boots. They were in unworn condition and the tag showed my size so I took them home. They fit great, but after I walked in them for awhile they would wear the heck out of the side of my foot. So I set them aside for a couple of years. Then one day I pulled them out and looked at them for awhile and I could see they had never even been broken in. So I worked some oil and wax into the area that rubbed me wrong and worked on it with my thumbs for a couple of hours until it softened up. Did the trick and now they are in the top two or three pairs of my most comfortable shoes or boots. And quite possibly the top.

Thanks,
Michael
 
Messages
10,343
Location
vancouver, canada
I know, there too big and too heavy, but I enjoy wearing them. Anyone besides me still wander around the woods wearing heavy old boots? I just recently gave up my red laces.

Here is my favorite pair of Pivetta boots. Have another pair that are a little rough but very comfortable. Pivetta has a pretty nice history dating back to WWII and the American 10th MTN troops.
View attachment 309463
I have multiple pairs of Danner boots, favourite footwear.
 

Ernest P Shackleton

One Too Many
Messages
1,219
Location
Midwest
I have a nearly perfect pair of Pivetta 8s. Back then, all the Italian makers made similar, great boots. Even old Vasque are of similar and great build. Not that Vasque was considered a lowly brand at that point, but many in the USA recognize Vasque as THE Italian brand because Redwing distributed them throughout the 80s and were the marque brand in outdoor shops. They must have sold millions of Sundowner model boots in that period.

One of the problems with buying these older boots is our feet shape has changed in the past few decades. A lot of those old Italian and Swiss boots were made on lasts with thinner footbeds. You have to order up in size if you don't want your feet squeezed.

Remember when Colorado boots were the trend in the late 70s or early 80s? Made for Kinney stores. High quality Italian boots made in two models. You had the red lace, lower model, and then you had the dark brown leather/striped shoe lace/taller model. Kids walking around pavement in boots that weighed 4LBs per shoe. Like walking around town in cement blocks, and for why?

There aren't a lot of brands making this kind of boot anymore. Limmer still makes these type of true backpacking and mountaineering boots. Others might still have a model here or there, but they're few and far between.
 

yellowfever

One of the Regulars
Messages
188
Here are my Zamberlan Italian hiking boots. I’ve had these boots 30 years. I got them for hiking when I lived in northern England, from a super little independent outdoor shop run by climbers which has sadly closed since. I knew nothing about boots, but followed their excellent advice on what to get. They were comfy from the start, reliable, grippy and waterproof (if you treat them properly).

Over the years they’ve also been used for numerous muddy music festivals, snowboard trips and backpacking and having cared for them properly they still look great and function perfectly.

Zamberlan themselves are still going, still family owned (3rd generation now) and made in Italy and they celebrated their 90th anniversary in 2019.

https://en.zamberlan.com/post/1929-2019-zamberlan-90th-anniversary.html

C110AF33-1E1D-43B4-ADFF-51966B817129.jpeg
 

yellowfever

One of the Regulars
Messages
188
Yellowfever, thanks for the link. I see a pair of these Zamberlan boots In my future. I really like a good Norwegian welt.

T4
View attachment 309698

You’re welcome, glad it was of interest and thanks for the thread, a nice idea.

I’m no expert when it comes to hiking boots, but those climbers running the outdoor shop I got them from way back when clearly knew what a good boot was and set me on the right track!
 

Short Balding Guy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,557
Location
Minnesota, USA
I wear my current pair of modern Lowe mountain boots frequently. Hikes through rougher terrain, snow situations, snow shoeing, chainsaw efforts, moving yard or beach materials and of course when weather makes them an essential.

i-Cx7dCS6-M.jpg


The boots in the pic are a modern iteration of boots I have worn through the decades. They are ready for me with only the need to slip into a pair of Smart Wool medium hiker socks. Custom footbeds, originally installed for the infrequent backpacking trips, provide terrific support.

i-QPDdd3k-M.jpg


BTW: The Gannon beaver hat was soaked, but after drying, blocking and conditioning the leather sweat it appears flawless. My kit gets worn for its intended uses.

Cheers, Eric -
 

yellowfever

One of the Regulars
Messages
188
I wear my current pair of modern Lowe mountain boots frequently. Hikes through rougher terrain, snow situations, snow shoeing, chainsaw efforts, moving yard or beach materials and of course when weather makes them an essential.



The boots in the pic are a modern iteration of boots I have worn through the decades. They are ready for me with only the need to slip into a pair of Smart Wool medium hiker socks. Custom footbeds, originally installed for the infrequent backpacking trips, provide terrific support.

Cheers, Eric -

+1 for smart wool hiking socks, great warm comfy padded socks with nice ribbing that doesn’t cut your circulation off!
 

Bushman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,138
Location
Joliet
I use these for hiking, as well as everyday wear. They're just a standard pair of steel toe Carolina Loggers, and even though they're heavy, clunky, and old, they're also made with high quality leather and stitching, they're waterproof, and most importantly they're comfortable. They've been up and down mountains, across the country, forgotten in a Reno hotel and shipped back to me, and saved my toes on a number of occasions. They're the most reliable boot I've ever owned and I'll swear by them.
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t4halo

One of the Regulars
Messages
135
Location
Irish Hills, MI
Bushman, Great looking pair of boots! Well worn and look very comfortable. Up here in Michigan we havent seen 30 degrees for a while and steel toe boots get a little chilly in the winter. Do they make that boot without the steel toe option?

T4
 

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