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@lae
Been lurking for a couple of days, reading about boots. I'm after some new boots to be used for general wintery/cold weather use plus walking/hiking. I'm moving to New Zealand for a few years and I just want to take some good boots with me and buy some cheap canvas shoes for summer while I'm there.
I think I've narrowed it down to:
Doc Martens 'For Life'
pros being they look good and have a lifetime guarantee, cons being that the lifetime guarantee costs £20 admin fee + postage from New Zealand, and I've had three pairs of modern DMs in the last decade and they've all split (specifically where my little toe pushes on the upper - I think they are too narrow here - and I've read some unimpressed reviews of them) plus they're not particularly suited to hiking.
Solovair boots
Solovair used to make Dr. Marten's and still make their shoes in the UK - apparently these boots are just as good quality as the original 'Made in England' DM's. They're cheap, too.
Timberland Earthkeepers
Very handsome and quite cheap too. I think they'd make far better hiking boots than the DMs (warm, waterproof, comfortable) and you can specify wider shoes. I've heard that the quality is hit-and-miss, and they're a bit fashionable.
Redwing classic work boots
Again very handsome, but £100 more than the others.
Grenson Cayton boots
Look great, but £375 is far too expensive for me at the moment
I've looked at Danners, Viberg, Wolverines, Redbacks, Blundstone... didn't really like the look of any of them. Meindl look like fantastic hiking boots but I'd fear I'd end up not using them very often - they're a bit specialised.
Have I missed any boots, or has anyone got any advice?