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Karrimor Boulder Juniors
by blackrose_
As I have said in other shoe reviews I have written, I have narrow awkward feet, with a high arch, and so finding a comfortable pair of shoes to fit me can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare. I have been a huge fan of the Karrimor brand ever since my very first pair of Karrimor hiking boots. They were chosen on the grounds of being the ... only pair to properly fit my B fitting feet (albeit with the addition of a "narrowing" insole), and a little drama in the shop as every shoe fitter wanted to measure my feet to make sure they really were an (apparently unusual) B fitting!
Those boots (I think they were the old KS360) lasted me from when my dear old dad bought them for me at the age of 17 to finally dying a death when I was around 31! And in those days, for the first 5 years or so at least, I was a member of the Scouting Association as well as the Girl Guides Association and Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, plus delivered leaflets door to door most weekends to earn some money, so was walking a fair bit in those boots, both over mountains and along pavements!
I mention this because I will admit that when I went hunting for a new pair of boots to replace my dearly deceased ones, I did have a light bias towards Karrimor before I even went shopping, because the last pair I had had were so comfortable and hard wearing. Having said that, I did inspect and try on several pairs from several brands before settling on these.
I purchased these boots from Sports Direct in my local town, for the princely sum of £19.99! The relatively low price is, I believe, because they are technically a junior shoe, but having said that, they come in sizes 3 - 5.5 (adult UK), so may fit many an adult. I usually try on a 6 in shoes, and did try the adult version of these in a 6, but found the 5.5 a better fit for me, so if you normally wear a 6 it is definitely worth giving these a try in a 5.5, not least for the good saving in buying shoes from a junior range.
Despite being designed for a junior range, I really don't think there is anything about these boots to make anyone think they are "childish" at all. They are predominantly in shades of grey, with a very pale pink here and there, but this is so faint a pink and included in so low levels that I barely notice it. I am not a pink fan myself really, but it honestly is so little of the makeup of the shoe and so unnoticeable once the shoe is on, I don't have a problem with that at all! In fact the majority of the pink comes from the laces, which could easily be substituted for anyone that really hates the colour! Having said that, they do also come in a black/charcoal option, which has red instead of the pink and less grey (as the black replaces it). There is a pic of these here:
http://www.fieldandtrek.com/karrimor-boulder-juniors-094034.
Before even trying the boots on, I inspected the join between the sole and the shoe, the grips on the sole, the stitching on the uppers and gave the laces a good tug to test the durability of the hooks which hold them in place! The fact that the upper was made from predominantly suede leather (thick and "short" pile so practical despite what people may think!) was another thing that drew me to this shoe, as from past experience I have found this to be more breathable on the foot over long distances, and find it perfectly adequately water resistant if sprayed with a waterproofing spray (widely available from high street shoe stores as well as camping/outdoors types of shops). Breathability is further improved by the inclusion of textile panels along the sides and rear ankle areas of the boot.
I chose these mainly because of how comfortable they are. The footbed is rubber underneath a textile inner lining, and is "springy" and bouncy to touch and very comfortable to stand/walk on. The padded area around the ankle gives good support, but at the same time isn't too rigid so as to be uncomfortable and has a good amount of flex yet remains supportive. There are a generous amount of lacing hooks compared to some other brands I tried, and this means that they are very easy to "custom fit" to the width of the foot of the wearer. They have a handy "tag" on top of the well padded tongue to aid pulling them on, as well as another at the back of the ankle. They have a small rubber heel of just over 1/2 inch, and the rubber sole is very flexible (you can actually bend the toe of the boot to touch the ankle part of the boot if you want to!), but is sturdy enough not to allow you to feel every pebble you walk over or make you think the sole may crack!
So far I have walked in the region of 200 miles in these boots, over terrain from mountain tops to pavements, and have found them to be reliable and durable with more than adequate levels of comfort. They still look in tip-top condition, and I honestly think if I told people I had only worn them once to walk the dog they would believe me!
These are an extremely comfortable, well made and durable pair of hiking boots suitable for all types of terrain and all weathers; I have worn them in the snow up a mountain (although I did add a pair of lambswool insoles for this for extra warmth), and on sunny days along a canal bank 10mile walk for charity with equal comfort. They have yet to give me blisters even on my troublesome feet, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking not just for a bargain priced boot, but just for a very solid and reliable piece of footwear. I would happily choose this pair of boots over many more expensive ones available because for me they tick all the boxes one could want in a decent boot!
TECHNICAL STUFF (Taken from http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-boulder-jnr-00-094034)
> Lightweight
> Durable Suede Leather
> Padded Textile Lining
> EVA Mid-Sole
> Rugged Rubber Outsole
I have noticed that some people like to know about the company who make the footwear, so if this includes you, a comprehensive history of the company can be found here:
http://www.karrimor.com/about
Thanks for reading :)
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Hi-Tec Horizon
by darren55
One of my great loves is the setting out on a long country walk, it's something I've always done and has been a great help in overcoming the stresses and strains of normal life. I used to tramp all over the WEst Wales coast during my Ph.D and now if the weather is reasonable and my two boys are busy elsewhere (they are a bit young to go ... waling yet) I will get my walking boots out and plot a track, trail or forest to stomp through.
So I tend to invest every now and again in decent walking boots, they have to be strong sturdy, preferrably with a decent tread and if possible a degree of waterproofing. After my Doc Martins gave up the ghost during late autumn last year I've been trying to find a decent pair of walking shoes which are decent quality but at a reasonable price. Imagine my delight a month ago when visiting a sports stall where I discovered a sale on and a very reasonable pair of the above Hi-Tec walking boots on sale for a reduced £30, normally they are £50.
So I bought them and after walking around in them for a week just to get the shoes bedded in I went out for the first time when taking the dog for an extended walk around the hills around my home. So after getting used to the heaviness of the boot, the way that the shoes are tied and the feeling of support on the ankle I went for a long walk and came back delighted. The shoes had given tremendous support whilst walking up and down dale, through streams my feet barely got wet and the grip and general tough of the boot meant that I could walk wherever I wanted to go.
So the shoes have been in constant use from then on, I take my dog for a walk at night and we can go through the fields, hills and tracks around our home and I come home with my feet dry, not in pain and generally supported by the tred of the shoe.
These boots have so far been the best walking shoes I've used over the last ten years or so, they have a high ankle support have large and durable shoes laces and can be tied up very tight because the shoes have a pair of clips at the top which allows for the user to loop around and pull very tight. They are a light brown/grey colour in general with the thick tred a darker brown. The stitching is tight and the leather is strong and stitched very tightly with no gaps in which water could get into the shoe.
So I can't recommend these walking boots too much, they are reasonable priced and do the business for any but the most serious of serious walkers where a true waterproof walking shoe might be desired but for the serious amateur weekend walker these shoes are more than suitable. I'm looking forward to using these boots for the years to come and anticipate that they will last a few years at least.
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Karrimor Women's Mount Hiking Shoe
by InchyInchy
Karrimor Women's Mount Hiking Shoe
Personally, I love wearing attractive high heels and nice smart shoes. However, since moving to the countryside and getting an energetic yet adorable puppy I have had to trade in my high heel preferences in for a more practical option. On a regular daily basis I find myself in search ... of a pair of comfortable hiking trainers that keep my feet dry and happy while we do our usual treks across muddy fields. When I was shopping around for something that would fit the bill I came across these Karrimor women's mount hiking shoes. Karrimor are a brand that I have tried before and I own and love a pair of their winter boots, which I have had years of faithful service from and wouldn't be without in the snow.
From the first time that I put these on they haven't rubbed or pinched my feet in any form. I am a size six but sometimes I find that size 6's can be a little large for me. These Karrimor trainers do fit fine but they are perhaps just a tiny fraction too large, however, when worn with thicker socks they fit me perfectly. They are also quite wide fitting.
The hiking trainers were available in a range of different colours to buy, but I choose the pewter shade, a rather nice grey. Personally, I think that black is a bit boring and I already had a brown pair from another brand which I didn't particularly like, so grey was perfect for me. I also think grey looks that tiny bit smarter and really goes rather well with jeans, which is my usual walking wear.
There is quite a lot of padding in the trainer and my feet feel nicely supported when wearing these shoes. They are also ideal for rough ground because the sole is quite thick and unlike some other walking shoes I have owned, I hardly ever feel the terrain that I am walking over.
Importantly to me these shoes are pretty easy to keep clean. They have a darker rubber toe tip which usually takes the brunt of mud, but apart from that they are mostly made from suede like material. I tend to just leave any dirt to dry (at least on the material parts) and then give the shoes a good brush over and most of the time I find that they come up looking relatively presentable. My shoes look far from new but after a few months daily wear in not so nice weather they don't look near as dirty as some other pairs I have had owned in the past.
One of the main reasons that I bought these shoes was because they promised to be waterproof. Although my puddle jumping days are over with I still have to take the pup out for a walk regardless of the weather. Even thou I don't think my dog relishes going out in the garden for the toilet when it is pouring down rain the bad weather never dampens his enthusiasm for a walk. I wanted to make sure that I bought an all round, all weather pair of shoes that would see me through from winter days to summer nights.
I purchased these shoes for a bargain £20 from Amazon, but you can find them in a few different stores both online and on the high street, where they are selling anywhere from the recommended retail price of £60. Even at full price I think I would still be singing the praises of these shoes as they are a comfortable, practical but still nice looking pair of walking trainers.
I bought these shoes mainly as a comfortable pair of dog walking shoes, but I found myself wearing them more and more often as the weather up here in the north east of Scotland has barely been anything but cold and damp. Therefore, in my opinion these shoes deserve a full five out of five stars from me. They have really been a great and comfortable pair of walking shoes and I would happily recommend these to anyone looking for something similar. In fact I am considering buying myself a second pair of these but perhaps in a different colour.
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