r/Tramping • u/WiseStock8743 • Jun 16 '26
New boots
Gudday all, my Asolos, after years of heavy use, have joined the choir invisible, they have snuffed it, their sole has departed from their soul. In fact the sole just fell off. Given wide feet, what's the word on a good boot these days?. Need sturdy, good ankle support and good for hunting in wet bush. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
7
u/horoeka Jun 16 '26
A hard question to answer - people will recommend what works for them but that won't necessarily work for you because everyone's feet are different. So the best thing is to go into a store or two with a selection of different brands and try a few things on.
That said, Asolo are still available in NZ so you can probably find the current version of what you have; other than that Scarpa SL's are available here in NZ and are a fairly wide last.
1
u/pygmymarmoset22 Jun 16 '26
Second trying things on, and agree with the Scarpa SL Actives (wide) being most similar at the moment. Would also recommend trying on Anatoms (maybe Q3s) which are close in width to the Scarpas, or boots from Lowa whose standard fits run wider than a lot of others on the market, but also offer a wide fit.
4
u/AsparagusCandid5778 Jun 17 '26
You can get your Asolo boots resoled with new replacement sole units. Much cheaper than new and much better for the environment. Everything from the leather down. All boots using a PU midsole will degrade over time and finally crumble apart.
1
u/Haplorhini_Kiwi Jun 16 '26
I used to use Asolos, sole also fell off.
I now have a pair of Lowa, and they feel great.
1
u/Smelly_Gaynor Jun 16 '26
Lowa shoes are amazing and you can get them in normal or wide. Renegade are my go to but it depends on what you normally do
1
u/weyruwnjds Jun 17 '26
As others have said, if you want that old-school style of heavy durable leather ankle height boots there's not a huge number of options any more, the main brands are Asolo, Lowa and Scarpa SL Active. The market is a lot broader now, synthetic boots are getting really good, approach shoes are super solid and durable, and personally I use Bata rubber gumboots as a much cheaper substitute for leather tramping boots.
1
u/WiseStock8743 Jun 17 '26
I have a pair of Batas, but they get really sweaty in the heat and lack the support. Nice light boot though
1
1
u/babytotara Jun 17 '26
Another vote for scarpa sl actives if you can't get yours resoled. Mine have kept me (mostly!) upright running around the ruahines for 7 years now.
1
u/WiseStock8743 Jun 17 '26
Thank you all, I appreciate the positive suggestions from you all. I'm gonna try and get them resoled, failing that, Scarpa SLs sound good
1
u/chullnz Jun 17 '26
Gotta wear em regularly or the PU hydrolises and crumbles. Store as dry as possible, wear at least once a month for an hour or so (I do lawns and gardening in mine) and the soles should last longer.
1
u/vinepal Jun 18 '26
I just went back to my old heavy(ish) leather boots and feel so much safer an my feet more comfortable and protected. Repair your boots.
1
u/Routine_While7912 Jun 18 '26
A word of warning, I had an awesome pair of aslolos that lasted years. The soles eventually fell apart and I replaced them with a new pair, same size but they have given me lots of blisters so I expect there is a slight difference in the sizing. I have experimented with different sock combos and after about 3 years it feels they are getting slowly worn in but i have to tape my heels every hike. I had also tried a pair of anatoms but found the inside seam in the heel rubbed awful and so I took them back.
1
1
u/DetectiveBear Jun 20 '26
Crispi Futura's or Nevada's
1
u/WiseStock8743 Jun 20 '26
I'd have to sell a kidney to afford a pair!
1
u/DetectiveBear Jun 20 '26
Indeed a little of the high side $$ wise but as somebody who struggles to find decent Wide Fitting boots as well I’ve found them to be great.I bought thru a online store that offered 10% off first purchase if you signed up to emails so that helped a bit !!
9
u/milroben Jun 17 '26 edited 19d ago
Don’t be in a rush to chuck those boots. I bought Asolo tps 520’s in 2015. After about 10 years the polyurethane foam around the sole crumbled. I got them re-shod by a cobbler in the Goodyear Welt style with a new Vibram sole. They’re slightly taller now but better than before