Style Gurus on the Hill

Gear Heroes

Phil and Colin — Phil with big stick and Colin with Skins pack

Phil's Shoes

Phil’s shoes. He reckons everyone will be wearing these soon!

Comments

  1. PhilW says:

    Sorry, think something’s gone wrong with the colour control on my monitor!

  2. andy says:

    Nope Phil — no need to re-calibrate !!!

    He did buy them at a big discount :-)

  3. Stuart says:

    I’m a bit confused about using shoes like this on boggy ground. Don’t you just end up with cold, wet feet (and socks) all day? I have a similar pair which are great in dry conditions but just make me miserable otherwise.

  4. andy says:

    Wet but not cold — the right shoes dry out quickly. Lots on this issue around here — keep up Stuart !!!

    Personally, I’ve given up with wet, heavy and waterlogged boots.

  5. Phil says:

    Wet but warm is the key. These trainers, like the Terrocs, drain really quickly so you’re not sloshing around all day. As well as the delightful colour scheme, the 1100s have a series of off-set holes in the sole as well as alot of mesh to allow it all out. This is where ‘waterproof’ membranes are rubbish, as once the water gets in it’s not getting out in a hurry. I use synthetic socks that dry quickly too. Far better to just walk across a (safe) stream than balance on slippery rocks or remove boots, don Crocs and repeat on the other side.

  6. Stuart says:

    I am keeping up, just around the corner slightly out of sight though. I have very similar New Balance Nordic walking shoes, not quite so bright.I don’t know, though. I had a miserable day around Edale last winter splashing through freezing bogs when it was difficult to keep the feet warm. And doesn’t having wet feet make it more likely you get blisters?

  7. Andy says:

    Stuart, the right kind of trail shoes dry out very quickly. Blisters tend to come when fabrics — such as leather or GOre Tex — let water in and it can’t get out.

    That being said I find that the brand of socks makes a difference (and we all have different tastes).

    For me X-Socks are the best to use. These are shaped left and right and as such don’t seem to get pulled out of shape that easily and they don’t snag.

    In scotland the other week I had to rely on Smartwool as I only realised at the last minutes my X Socks were past it. These were warm enough and they did dry out but they lost their shap. I got a blister !!!

    I most UK conditions I wear Trekking Lite X Socks and do not have problems with cold feet.

    In the Cairngorms recently we started walking after a night of minus 5. My feet were cold at first while I was hanging around camp waiting to leave. A little brisk walking soon warmed them up though.

  8. Peewiglet says:

    Stuart, the right kind of trail shoes dry out very quickly.

    Not if conditions underfoot are wet all day, though. Much as I’m entirely wedded to trail shoes in dry, or intermittently wet conditions, I too find that my feet just get wet, grow cold and make me miserable if I’m walking in water all day.

    I’m not sure what the solution is, really. The Goretex liner problem is a real one, and so is the “waterlogged leather boots becoming even heavier and staying soaked for days in crap conditions” one. I reckon that possibly we all need to move to a place with a better climate *g*

  9. Peewiglet says:

    Oh, and nice pics, btw! I reckon Colin looks like Indiana Jones wearing a Jetpack *g*, and (blush) I very much like the look of Phil’s colourful trainers. Heh…

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