First steps...

First steps.....

Well, first thing's first.....get some walking boots! I did some research online but I figured the best thing to do was hit the shops. I never thought I would be so excited to go try on boots but I really was!

We went to the Cotswold Outdoor store in Reading and we were looked after by Jack who was fantastic. The staff are a credit to the company, they know their stuff inside and out and he spent a lot of time with us making sure we got exactly what we needed.

He picked out 4 pairs for me to try on, these were:

Scarpa Womens SL M3 (B1) Boot £130
Salomon Womens Quest 4D GTX Boot £155
Berghaus Womens Explorer Trek GTX Boot £120
The North Face Womens Verbera Lightpacker GTX Boot £160

 

After 1.5 hours, lots of walking around the shop, climbing up "practice" slopes and numerous pairs of socks.....I chose the Salomon's.

 

They were all fairly similar in prices (see above) but I felt the Salomon's were overall the best for the following reasons:

 

> Ankle support - higher support than some of the others, I felt more stable especially when on uneven ground

> Waterproof - Goretex lining and waterproof leather, no chance of getting wet feet!

> Lightweight - Only weighs 550g so very light, but yet still feels supportive and sturdy

> Lace hooks - 3 Sets of lace hooks on each side of the boot above the ankle. This gave my ankles lots of support and it also means I can undo those laces if I was getting hot which will air my feet, but I don't have to remove the whole shoe.

 

My husband ended up buying a pair of shoes too, same shoe but in the male range!

 

I bought the shoes with the idea of "wearing" them in when I went to Exmoor a few weeks later. We definitely did that! We walked about 30 miles over 4 days and although my calves ached a little, my feet felt great! No rubbing, no blisters, not too hot or too cold and no wet feet!

 

Fantastic buy and it feels great knowing I can confidently wear them when climbing Kilimanjaro.

 

Next time.....Car boot fundraiser!