Walking Boots

Sixteen boots here, from a low-cut mesh summer boot to a fleece-lined winter pair. These are new, unbranded boots described from the maker's specification. Three things decide whether you keep them: whether they fit, whether they keep water out, and whether the sole stays on.

None of these are Gore-Tex, and none claim a rating

Buying advice in this category usually says look for a named membrane. That is good advice, and it points away from this shelf: not one boot here publishes a hydrostatic rating or a membrane name, so we print none. What that means in practice is showers and wet grass rather than bog and stream crossings. Water gets in at the tongue and the stitch lines long before it comes through a panel, and a mesh upper that breathes well in July is an open door in November. Buy for the season you will actually walk in.

Bonded soles are consumable, stitched soles are repairable

Fifteen of these sixteen have the sole glued to the upper. That is the standard at this price and it is also the most common failure in walking boots: the bond gives before the upper does, usually at the toe. It also means the boot cannot be resoled, so when the sole goes, the boot goes. One pair on this shelf is stitched rather than glued, and its listing says so, because that is the difference between a boot you replace and a boot you repair. Whichever you choose, dry them at room temperature stuffed with newspaper and never on a radiator, because heat is what breaks a bonded sole fastest.

Fit is what goes wrong most

More walking boots are returned for fit than for any fault. Measure your foot in centimetres, heel to longest toe, standing with weight on it and late in the day when your feet are largest, then check that against the chart rather than ordering your usual number. If you are between sizes, go up: a boot slightly long can be laced down, a boot slightly short cannot be fixed. Width matters more than length for comfort, and a size number tells you nothing about it. These come in one width per size.

Height is a decision about load, not about looks

A low cut frees the ankle and gives no support with weight on your back. A mid or high cut holds the ankle on rough ground and costs you heat and weight. Choose the height for the heaviest pack you will carry in them.

Delivery and returns

UK delivery is free. Orders are processed within 3 to 5 business days and arrive within 10 to 20 business days. Returns or exchange within 30 days of delivery, unused and in original condition, approved before being sent back, with the refund issued within 7 days of acceptance. Return postage is paid by the customer.