Every week or two a post pops up asking about boots. Here is my offering to that topic...
Family ski weekend in North Conway, New Hampshire. Yes I am that douche that wears an assortment of surplus shit with commercial stuff..... [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/kVitkuO.jpg"}[/IMG2]
and yes my wife and I are bad examples in not wearing helmets when we ski. Horrors we even wear cowboy hats when we ride horses because John Wayne never wore a helmet and he didnt die from a crack on the head.
Before heading up I put off buying other silly shit, well except for me new high speed Litefighter tent bought here off the forums, attempting to save money because I thought its been 17 years since I bought my last pair of Limmer Boots and its time to compliment my still going strong Limmer lightweights with a set of Limmer medium weights. Ive got the heavyweight category covered already but Limmer does make a boot to fill that need.
My new boots
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/N2oSaOl.jpg"}[/IMG2]
They are not at all stylish. They kind of remind me of the orthopedic shoes Forrest Gump wore when he was a polio stricken lad. Looks aside they are a bad ass boot. These are the Limmer retail boots. Its their one piece leather design but they are built be Meindl in Germany. You can get a custom set of Limmers that will be built the same but specific to your feet. Lead time is currently two years.
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/c5EzLSp.jpg"}[/IMG2]
These are a boot that requires break in. The soles are like 2x4s initially, you kind of step up on your toes as you walk until they gain some flex. Limmer has been building boots in North Conway since the 30s. People that buy them treasure them. Trade ins were selling for the $150-$200 range. New they are +/-$330.00 depending on which weight boot you buy. While I was buying mine a man walked in with a set he bought off an older man in Florida that no longer hikes, he was going to have them resoled and rebuilt. I know leather is not for everyone with the goretex, kevlar and other high speed materials out there but I LIKE LEATHER!
I had my Lightweights out on Saturday for a hike up Kearsarge Mountain with the family.
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/V5SVKYJ.jpg"}[/IMG2]
Temps this weekend were unseasonably warm in the 60's. It was that weird weather of which you walk along in a comfortable 55-60 degree temp than you run into a warm pocket of air that is sauna like as if the mountain spirits just took a leak on you. We needed snowshoes as most of the snow was slush and heavily traveled areas of the trail were ice. The kids dont have proper footwear for crampons nor do they make micro spikes in their size so the snow shoes crampons were plenty good for keeping them on their feet.
My lightweights are looking beat. My feet got wet but it was from the inside out as evidenced by the salt.
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/JWoP8CZ.jpg"}[/IMG2]
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/liELgom.jpg"}[/IMG2]
I bought these boots 1999-2000 time frame and have hiked and snowshoed them all over. They have been resoled once about two years ago but that cobbler used a grippier, walking vibram that has worn much faster than the Limmer soles. I learned this weekend Limmer will rebuild a boot with about a one month turn around so once I get my midweights broken in these are going north via the postal service to get made new again. They look like hell now but once dried, desalted and greased they will look good as new despite averaging casual wear about twice a week in addition to the hikes.
The big Limmer selling point on their design is the one piece leather single seam design. Besides the tongue and sole the only seam is at the instep of your foot where there is little stress. You can see that on the pics above. They dispense with the heel seam which they claim helps to eliminate blisters. These are my medium weights next to my heavy alpine boots showing the difference...
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/xdfZpco.jpg"}[/IMG2]
And speaking of the heavy Alpine boot, these are a Meindl product I bought in 1988 when I was in the mil working in Europe. I bought them in Praz de Lys, France and hiked them all over the jura and back home in the Northeast. They are some heavy mofos and I only wear them for a heavy hike, cold temps, especially if I plan on being stationary or when shoveling the serious snow storms. They look in need of some greasing too...
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/swiYB1x.jpg"}[/IMG2]
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/j0D0Xqd.jpg"}[/IMG2]
If you are looking for a solid leather boot and can wait two years the custom built Limmers are the way to go. But if you cant wait I have had 29 years of experience with Meindl products and they are still going strong.
http://www.limmerboot.com/
Side story....
This is my son after having just thrown a major league tantrum. I kind of had to hold him by the nape to get him to stand for the picture... [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/wl1eqfG.jpg"}[/IMG2]
About ten minutes further up the trail the clock struck 1630 and we decided we had to turn around without reaching the summit. He went into a rage "I hate you all!", "You fucken suck!", "I wont be able to tell my friends I did something!", "I'm going to the top without you!" and hurled his pack off the slope into the woods.
Usually he wouldnt get away with that shit but I wasnt going to crush a quality tantrum because I thought it was at least in good spirit.
He wanted to reach the peak, why even start to hike a mountain if you are not going to summit?
Still, setting sun, White Mountains, snowy/icy/rocky trail, February and a Type 1 diabetic sibling isnt something to screw with even if the temps are in the 60's. I dont know if he eventually realized turning around and avoiding the all too frequent call out to rescue idiots from Massachusetts in the White Mountains was the right decision but when we were walking the last 1/4 mile back in total darkness save for headlamps I got the feeling he was looking in the woods for bears, wolves and what other horrors he imagined and he was pretty happy to have turned back when we did.
Family ski weekend in North Conway, New Hampshire. Yes I am that douche that wears an assortment of surplus shit with commercial stuff..... [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/kVitkuO.jpg"}[/IMG2]
and yes my wife and I are bad examples in not wearing helmets when we ski. Horrors we even wear cowboy hats when we ride horses because John Wayne never wore a helmet and he didnt die from a crack on the head.
Before heading up I put off buying other silly shit, well except for me new high speed Litefighter tent bought here off the forums, attempting to save money because I thought its been 17 years since I bought my last pair of Limmer Boots and its time to compliment my still going strong Limmer lightweights with a set of Limmer medium weights. Ive got the heavyweight category covered already but Limmer does make a boot to fill that need.
My new boots
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/N2oSaOl.jpg"}[/IMG2]
They are not at all stylish. They kind of remind me of the orthopedic shoes Forrest Gump wore when he was a polio stricken lad. Looks aside they are a bad ass boot. These are the Limmer retail boots. Its their one piece leather design but they are built be Meindl in Germany. You can get a custom set of Limmers that will be built the same but specific to your feet. Lead time is currently two years.
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/c5EzLSp.jpg"}[/IMG2]
These are a boot that requires break in. The soles are like 2x4s initially, you kind of step up on your toes as you walk until they gain some flex. Limmer has been building boots in North Conway since the 30s. People that buy them treasure them. Trade ins were selling for the $150-$200 range. New they are +/-$330.00 depending on which weight boot you buy. While I was buying mine a man walked in with a set he bought off an older man in Florida that no longer hikes, he was going to have them resoled and rebuilt. I know leather is not for everyone with the goretex, kevlar and other high speed materials out there but I LIKE LEATHER!
I had my Lightweights out on Saturday for a hike up Kearsarge Mountain with the family.
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/V5SVKYJ.jpg"}[/IMG2]
Temps this weekend were unseasonably warm in the 60's. It was that weird weather of which you walk along in a comfortable 55-60 degree temp than you run into a warm pocket of air that is sauna like as if the mountain spirits just took a leak on you. We needed snowshoes as most of the snow was slush and heavily traveled areas of the trail were ice. The kids dont have proper footwear for crampons nor do they make micro spikes in their size so the snow shoes crampons were plenty good for keeping them on their feet.
My lightweights are looking beat. My feet got wet but it was from the inside out as evidenced by the salt.
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/JWoP8CZ.jpg"}[/IMG2]
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/liELgom.jpg"}[/IMG2]
I bought these boots 1999-2000 time frame and have hiked and snowshoed them all over. They have been resoled once about two years ago but that cobbler used a grippier, walking vibram that has worn much faster than the Limmer soles. I learned this weekend Limmer will rebuild a boot with about a one month turn around so once I get my midweights broken in these are going north via the postal service to get made new again. They look like hell now but once dried, desalted and greased they will look good as new despite averaging casual wear about twice a week in addition to the hikes.
The big Limmer selling point on their design is the one piece leather single seam design. Besides the tongue and sole the only seam is at the instep of your foot where there is little stress. You can see that on the pics above. They dispense with the heel seam which they claim helps to eliminate blisters. These are my medium weights next to my heavy alpine boots showing the difference...
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/xdfZpco.jpg"}[/IMG2]
And speaking of the heavy Alpine boot, these are a Meindl product I bought in 1988 when I was in the mil working in Europe. I bought them in Praz de Lys, France and hiked them all over the jura and back home in the Northeast. They are some heavy mofos and I only wear them for a heavy hike, cold temps, especially if I plan on being stationary or when shoveling the serious snow storms. They look in need of some greasing too...
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/swiYB1x.jpg"}[/IMG2]
[IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/j0D0Xqd.jpg"}[/IMG2]
If you are looking for a solid leather boot and can wait two years the custom built Limmers are the way to go. But if you cant wait I have had 29 years of experience with Meindl products and they are still going strong.
http://www.limmerboot.com/
Side story....
This is my son after having just thrown a major league tantrum. I kind of had to hold him by the nape to get him to stand for the picture... [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/wl1eqfG.jpg"}[/IMG2]
About ten minutes further up the trail the clock struck 1630 and we decided we had to turn around without reaching the summit. He went into a rage "I hate you all!", "You fucken suck!", "I wont be able to tell my friends I did something!", "I'm going to the top without you!" and hurled his pack off the slope into the woods.
Usually he wouldnt get away with that shit but I wasnt going to crush a quality tantrum because I thought it was at least in good spirit.
He wanted to reach the peak, why even start to hike a mountain if you are not going to summit?
Still, setting sun, White Mountains, snowy/icy/rocky trail, February and a Type 1 diabetic sibling isnt something to screw with even if the temps are in the 60's. I dont know if he eventually realized turning around and avoiding the all too frequent call out to rescue idiots from Massachusetts in the White Mountains was the right decision but when we were walking the last 1/4 mile back in total darkness save for headlamps I got the feeling he was looking in the woods for bears, wolves and what other horrors he imagined and he was pretty happy to have turned back when we did.
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