Recommend me some walking /hiking shoes

Daz2009

I walk a couple of times a week but not long distance,never more than 5 miles at a time.
I bought a pair of Karrimor walking trainers,the soles gave up inside a year so I bought a pair of Trespass ,the uppers split after 13 months.
They were both around £40 each.
Is this the norm at this price bracket ? Are there better brands or have I just got to spend more ?

elsien

Karrimor used to be good but went downhill when sports direct took them over. 

They are dear, but if you’re look in the sales, I would recommend stretching to Merrell or Salomon because they do  last longer and you get your money’s worth overtime. 

What sort of surfaces are you walking on? 

flaneurs_lobster

At 5-10 miles a week I'd think that getting a year out of a pair of £40 walking shoes is not too bad at all, especially if your terrain is mainly urban or hard country. My second pair of Trespass walking shoes have torn across the upper after a couple of years so I'm looking too.

FWIW, at around the same price, Which! are flagging up Decathlon's QUECHUA range of shoes, Grisport came out well too (at twice the price).

Daz2009

I've noticed those Decathlon ones get good reviews but there isn't a branch near me and I like to try before I buy.
I went in Sports direct today,there was little choice beyond their own brands .
Merrell have been recommended by a friend,they start from about £80.Will they last say 2 years ? In which case they are no better than £40 ones the last a year 🙂
I've got Mountain Warehouse,Trespass,Go Outdoors, Regatta and Nike locally to choose from.... aside from the usual shoe shops 
To add they need to be waterproof, I go out in all weathers and there's going to be some muddy terrain 

flaneurs_lobster

I've taken the decision to stay cheap on the walking shoes, use is pretty much pavement crunching and as long as they don't cause blisters and stay comfortable I'll put up with replacing them every 18mths or so.

I've got a branch of Decathlon (it's actually not a bad 3.5 hike) close, think I'll see what they have during the sales.

I've spent considerably more on decent boots that get used for proper outdoors with less forgiving terrain.

itsthelittlethings

I just buy my hiking boots in Sports Direct, find them very comfortable and good value.

Brie

I'm on my second pair of Salomon "approach" boots - only because the first pair gave up after about 15 years.  I have bought some Salomon shoes but have found them too restrictive in the toe (I have have brick shaped feet!!) and so will be charity shopping them soon.   Thankfully for me my foot size means I can wear the largest of what is considered a boy's size rather than a woman's which are much too narrow for me.  I've always thought that having the right fit will make a big difference to the longevity of any footwear. 

My OH is a big fan of Meindl which are usually well over £100 even in the sales (we've never paid full price).  While I recognise these as being a truly superior brand even they will give out in time.  After not using them for about 10 years the OH took them on holiday only to have the soles crumble the first time he put them on.  Still he'd had them for at least 20 years so they didn't do too badly.

Slinky

OH and I both have Merrell approach boots which get well used, and have lasted very well. I'm on my second pair in 20 years, OH has probably had 4-5 pairs in that time, and we always look to pay around £80 in the sale for them.

Daz2009

Slinky said:

OH and I both have Merrell approach boots which get well used, and have lasted very well. I'm on my second pair in 20 years, OH has probably had 4-5 pairs in that time, and we always look to pay around £80 in the sale for them.

I take it the OH does a lot more miles than you lol

Slinky

Daz2009 said:

Slinky said:

OH and I both have Merrell approach boots which get well used, and have lasted very well. I'm on my second pair in 20 years, OH has probably had 4-5 pairs in that time, and we always look to pay around £80 in the sale for them.

I take it the OH does a lot more miles than you lol

He tends to wear his more in other places, where I would wear smarter footwear

elsien

Daz2009 said:

I've noticed those Decathlon ones get good reviews but there isn't a branch near me and I like to try before I buy.
I went in Sports direct today,there was little choice beyond their own brands .
Merrell have been recommended by a friend,they start from about £80.Will they last say 2 years ? In which case they are no better than £40 ones the last a year 🙂
I've got Mountain Warehouse,Trespass,Go Outdoors, Regatta and Nike locally to choose from.... aside from the usual shoe shops 
To add they need to be waterproof, I go out in all weathers and there's going to be some muddy terrain 

I would go outdoors out of that list. if you get the right member of staff they are really helpful - to the point where one person actually sent me to a different shop to get what I wanted.