Boot recommendations

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

I may be old fashioned but I always applied a good treatment of heated Dubbin in the past. now I use G-Wax.  

I find the sweat from waterproof socks leaves my pinkies all wrinkly, and Gortex lined boots OK only for sedate walks, although the Lowas that I picked up this year are not so bad.  

 

[Oneshotscott]

I can only recommend LOWA zephyr and AKU pilgrims for lighter work as these are boots that I've had.  The Lowa's beating the Aku's in both comfort and performance however.

Ive had lots of other lowa's and other brands but they were more winter/mountain boots and not what id recommend for airsoft purposes.

 

[Rogerborg]

I may be old fashioned but I always applied a good treatment of heated Dubbin in the past.

Especially around the seams, I use a hair dryer to melt it in there good and proper.  That's why I've never taken to new fangled boots with textile panels, I wouldn't know what to do with them.

 

[Lozart]

You'd think, but it's super hard to find.

I mean, in the sense that I didn't turn anything up in 30 seconds and got distracted by something shiny, but I'd love to read something convincing.

The vast majority of research stuff online is sports related. There is some good pointers though if you look at taping vs mechanical supports for prevention of ankle injury as they pretty much all come down on the side of mechanical supports (which is basically what having a high leg boot is seeking to do). As mentioned above, strengthening the ankle through exercise is without a doubt the best place to start but that doesn't mean it should be the only route to take. It's also worth mentioning that one article espousing the value of the ASO Ankle brace (on a walking blog) does make the VERY valid point that no matter how good your boots are, if your gait means you are prone to ankle sprains or if you have a weak ankle from previous injury, NO walking boot is going to completely prevent further injury on its own. From a personal viewpoint I think it's worth remembering that walking boots and tactical boots have very different requirements in the way they will be used and it's entirely possible to go hiking in a good pair of trainers as long as you prepare your feet and joints for it first. There is no one "best boot" for everyone and people need to bear in mind when making recommendations that their feet are not the same as anyone else's and that the BEST boots are ones that fit properly.

If you're in any way concerned for the health of your lower extremities, go see a proper podiatrist that can analyse your gait and give good advice. I went through the NHS and ultimately ended up with custom orthotics that have been an absolute god send! (I have very high arches, I supinate and am prone to Plantar Fasciitis)

 

[ShootingBlanks]

I use a pair of surplus altbergs. £50 and super comfy year round. Any surplus brown boot is going to be great tbh, Alterberg, Haix, Bates, YDS, Iturri . Just make sure you go try them on first with whatever/similar socks you'll be wearing.

Check the soles are still hard and not spongy, wear a pair of thick socks over a pair of thin socks to reduce any chance of blisters. Maybe buy some altberg brown polish and a brush to keep them waterproofed. 

i second this, find a pair of grade 1 surplus army boots, they’ll cost around the £50 mark and for that you’ll be getting an almost new pair of altbergs.

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

I wish I'd read this thread before I went shopping.  I was wearing a pair of very cheap working boots but they split, so I had to go find something towards the bargain-bin end of the market.
The comments are very interesting and I'd probably have stepped back from buying the surplus Austrian Paratrooper 10" chunky leather boot with the full lining, a gazillion lace holes, and the (hopefully) waterproof design.
Instead I would have gone for some ankle-supporting Mil-Tec cordura + leather tac boots (brand new, for the same £40) instead.  The Mil-Tecs would certainly be easier to get on and off, and would be lighter too.

But I'm old and fat, and already have dodgy ankles from too much 5-a-side footy, so maybe  the ankle support I hope to get from those para boots will be the right choice.  I do play exclusively on a woodland site, so I'm definitely at risk of finding holes or just tripping over... and when the weather gets worse I might appreciate the waterproofing too. 

I'm waiting on the boots to get delivered, I'll report back once I've tried 'em on!

 

[Rogerborg]

I think you've actually made the right choice.  You won't be doing backflips off of logs with them, but the truth is that most airsofters don't, most of the time.  What we do a lot is clomp in and out of rabbit holes and marshy bits all the time.

I avoid new fangled multi-panel composite boots because every seam is a leak waiting to happen, and saving 50 grammes will be a great help to the marshals that are hauling you to the safe zone with your feet pointing backwards.