Hi all!
My c.10 year old Alt-Bergs aren’t doing too great anymore, and with the RM season starting to warm up, I’m wanting to get more into Road Marching with Arnhem and RAFWARMA next year.
Any suggestions for boots ideal for 40km+ marches?
Presumably you’re an adult whose feet aren’t growing anymore?
Apologies, should have specified, aye I’ve been stuck at size 8 since I was 16. I’m 19 now so probably won’t grow any bigger than that
Age also helps, what’s your price range?
Would probably say tops ~£150
I once got a good pair of boots from Mountain Warehouse, if that helps at all
A lot of people swear by the AKUs, they are costly but within your budget.
More generally I would lean towards patrol boots (Bates or YDS were the issue ones, not sure of current models) as they are lighter rather than High Liability type.
Whichever you choose try to find somewhere you can try them on.
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AKUs seem a solid bet, I had been recommended them by our Wing RM Officer but had forgotten what they were called aha! Gonna require a little saving but that should be fine, as long as electric prices don’t rise again!
Brand is meaningless if they don’t fit your feet. Fit/comfort is the single most important thing.
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Even Magnum’s have a good rep for road marching.
Fit is so important, my old Lowa Urbans were amazing and lasted me years, I bought the replacement, the Recon, when they stopped doing Urbans, and they have never been the same. There’s slightly less room in the toes and I get rubbing on the top of my feet.
However, above all, the most important thing to do is to break them in properly. That means soaking them in water overnight, drying them out a bit, and then wearing them while damp. The leather will mould to your feet better and bend in all the right places.
Once you’ve worn them for a few hours while wet. (Crucially with the right socks and insoles in) stuff them with paper and let them dry fully.
This method makes even the worst boots wearable. I did Nijmegen in a pair of combat assault boots with only one blister after this.
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It won’t work with the Goretex lined ones (Haix) but good advice for Alt-Bergs etc
Cadet04 has given the best advice so far - the best boots are the ones that fit best!
Few things to consider, first up - given your age, I’m guessing you intend to go Military, which means a brown or black combat boot.
If however, you’re going Civvy, then you’ll be doing the 50k route - but, can walk in Civvy boots / shoes.
I’ve done Nijmegen twice. In my first year I went through 6 pairs of shoes / boots including Altbergs and Haix…
On top of that, I went through a range of different insoles and footbeds (fancy insoles).
First and foremost - what’s right for me (or anyone else here), won’t necessarily be right for you…
Sadly, the only real way to work out if a given pair of boots are the best for you, is going to be walking in them!
But - there are some ways you can help narrow the field.
Consider getting your feet measured - not just to work out their actual length (and width) but the shape of your instep.
If you go to a REALLY good sports shop, they should have equipment that can do this for you - this is vital to help understand how much support your arches need.
You haven’t mentioned if you’ve done much RM before… (or long DofE hikes / Ten Tors etc). If you have, then you’ll be aware that feet swell and need room to do so - you’ll also be aware of areas of your feet that are prone to rubbing.
You also didn’t mention exactly what state your Altbergs are in…
FWIW, Altbergs can be resoled if the outer soles are wearing thin - keep an eye for uneven wear… but, have you checked the condition of your boots’ insoles?
I’ve yet to come across a cadet (or many staff) that have checked their insoles in the last 6 months… let alone years…. Original insoles are only good for a few weeks / a couple of months at most, before they become compressed - and have the cushioning of a postcard.
I tried sorbothane insoles - they lasted a month or so at a time…
The biggest eureka moment for me, was discovering heat moulded footbeds. These are “prescribed” by a trained individual, as they need to support your foot / arches - and fit inside your boot with enough room for your foot!
The sales person will ask that you bring in your boots and walking socks - measure your feet / instep and recommend an appropriate footbed.
Your old ones are removed and used as a template to trim the new ones to match.
You then try them, without being heated - they should feel “ok”.
Then the new ones are removed and heated - before being replaced in your boots - you then put them on, lace them and stand in them for @ 10 minutes - the footbeds then go from “ok” to “omg”!
It’s worth considering that weight is going to be your biggest enemy.
At your age; you’ll be factoring in the 10kg of pack weight of going Military. This 10kg is a penalty in lieu of only walking 40k, instead of 50k. Hence, reducing weight where you can will help… (I read somewhere in the last couple of weeks that 100g saved in footwear, is worth 1kg in your bag…)
But… this is an endurance event - lightweight, doesn’t necessarily mean good support.
Depending on how your feet strike the ground and the shape of your arches will determine how quickly your feet tire.
This can be mitigated with insoles / footbeds with cushioning / support where exactly needed.
Big standard insoles should cost around £4
Good insoles about £10-15
Great footbeds - sadly, between £15 and £40!!
With all things - you generally get what you pay for… but time and experience will be the ultimate judge!
If you can - ask around others in your sqn, if anyones got boots in your size you can try on…
Last points…nearly
Whether you buy new or second hand, the boots WILL need breaking in…
Second hand boots should have their soles checked for level of wear.
Once you’ve got pair that you like - keep an eye out for a “bargain” spare pair on eBay / marketplace for when your current ones start to die!
Check the insoles and replace as necessary
Remember to “polish” boots with beeswax / Nikwax / Ledergris / Dubbin to improve the suppleness and waterproofing of the leather!
Last couple of points (honest)
If boots are tight across particular parts lf your foot / instep etc - Google boot lacing techniques, for ideas.
Socks… we advised our cadets to wear two pairs - a thin, cotton pair - worn inside out, to keep the seams away from the skin - plus a thick pair of woolly socks.
The cotton ones help to wick sweat away from your skin - and the woolly ones allow air to circulate and provide cushioning.
The two pairs worn together also help to minimise friction - leading cause of blisters.
The thin ones move with your foot, the woolly ones move with your boot!
Try this experiment!
Rub your hands together - they heat up very quickly!
Now pull one sleeve down, over a hand - then rub them together… they still warm up, but nothing like as much…
Now pull both sleeves down and try again - no warming up - because there’s MUCH less friction…
Ok - really last tip… the Blue RM Theory session should cover this - but look up foot taping and how to dot it correctly…
And… with all that in mind…
Good luck and maybe see you in Nijmegen
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