Airsoft boots - what to buy? (Was in the 'how did your day go' thread)

[RostokMcSpoons]

Bastard Hermes have fucked up the delivery of my desert boots: it seems my eBay order failed to get delivered to the local convenience store I was going to pick them up from, so they're probably wending their merry way back to the seller by now, and I won't have them in time for Saturday.

 

Arse.

 

[Tackle]

10 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

Bastard Hermes have fucked up the delivery of my desert boots: it seems my eBay order failed to get delivered to the local convenience store I was going to pick them up from, so they're probably wending their merry way back to the seller by now, and I won't have them in time for Saturday.

 

Arse.

 

They did the same to me, & then to make matters worse lost it before it got back to the sender, who was obviously reluctant to send a replacement until it was sorted......... Took way too long. 

[RostokMcSpoons]

I found an Evri tracking link which suggests they need to use a different courier for my 'large package'

 

"Wibble, yub yub" etc

 

But that (if I read it optimistically and with great faith in their business processes) suggests Evri are just returning it to the Hermes depot before trying again.    

It's a shambles regardless, can't they cope with sending a pair of boots in a box???

[Tommikka]

10 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

Bastard Hermes have fucked up the delivery of my desert boots: it seems my eBay order failed to get delivered to the local convenience store I was going to pick them up from, so they're probably wending their merry way back to the seller by now, and I won't have them in time for Saturday.

 

Arse.

 

I had that issue once with a eBay seller who sent with handwritten labels but didn’t put in the long reference number on the label (because it was ‘fine’ with just the name and address)

 

But for a collection point they cannot accept with just name & address, the reference number is needed for them to process in the system

There was an additional issue that the garage being used was on a corner and didn’t exist at the postcode - the usual delivery driver knew where to go but stand-ins ‘couldn’t find it’

 

I therefore had tracking that said ‘location not found’ on the first attempt and ‘recipient refused’ on the second 

 

The reference for delivery point acceptance may be the case for you, alternatively if they operate a cabinet delivery point if too many are received on that day then the cabinet may be full or only small cabinets remained  

[Tackle]

35 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

I found an Evri tracking link which suggests they need to use a different courier for my 'large package'

 

"Wibble, yub yub" etc

 

But that (if I read it optimistically and with great faith in their business processes) suggests Evri are just returning it to the Hermes depot before trying again.    

It's a shambles regardless, can't they cope with sending a pair of boots in a box???

& it's not helped by their idiot "AI" supposedly driven customer service, just pushes you round in circles without actually speaking to a hooman?

23 minutes ago, Tommikka said:

I had that issue once with a eBay seller who sent with handwritten labels but didn’t put in the long reference number on the label (because it was ‘fine’ with just the name and address)

 

But for a collection point they cannot accept with just name & address, the reference number is needed for them to process in the system

 

I therefore had tracking that said ‘location not found’ on the first attempt and ‘recipient refused’ on the second 

That's what happened to me?

[RostokMcSpoons]

I just wish I'd asked for it be posted to my home, but given my current 'between contracts' status (i.e trying to save cash), and the big fuss I'd made when clearing out the shoe cupboard ("why do you need so many" "what a waste of money, you don't even wear them" etc), then I thought it'd be better for me to go collect them when t'wife is at work  

Edited June 15, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons

[Gunboat Diplomat]

I was, until today, quite pleased with my bargain Nortiv8 boots I picked up from Amazon for £17.  However, after half a day on the field my heels are shredded.  Not sure if it's a case of break-in or poor fit.  Hopefully the former as aside from that they are actually comfortable in all other respects and pretty supportive.

[RostokMcSpoons]

20 minutes ago, Gunboat Diplomat said:

I was, until today, quite pleased with my bargain Nortiv8 boots I picked up from Amazon for £17.  However, after half a day on the field my heels are shredded.  Not sure if it's a case of break-in or poor fit.

 

Sorry to hear that.  £17 is taking the budget to an extreme ?

 

My boots were marked on evri as delivered so I went to the pick up shop.  They don't do Hermes or Evri, so feck knows where those boots have actually gone.  The eBay system gave me the option of that store so it's broken.  What a pain in the ass.  They're good boots at a great price, and I'll probably never get them now.

 

Meanwhile my clompy para boots actually were fine through my half day, they just felt heavy once it was all done and I was toiling back to the safe zone with my two guns and heavy backpack

[Dan Robinson]

My new boots were excellent today.  Feet still in a lot of pain, but then, I weigh 130kg, have done 7 miles of running today wearing full plate carrier and 3 litre camelbak. 

 

Just got home and trying to muster the energy to cook dinner and finish the laundry. 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Dan Robinson

[Gunboat Diplomat]

56 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

 

Sorry to hear that.  £17 is taking the budget to an extreme ?

 

 

Possibly too extreme but I’ll see how they break in before I relegate them to gardening duties. 

[Rogerborg]

2 hours ago, Gunboat Diplomat said:

after half a day on the field my heels are shredded

 

Underneath, or round the back? If I'm in any doubt about new footwear, I stick some non-brandname-adhesive bandage on the back of my heel.  In extremis, I've even slapped some duct tape on there to ameliorate rubbing.

[RostokMcSpoons]

Very happy to say the seller has contacted me, the boots have got back to him and he's posting them on to my home address now.  Yay!

 

Glad to hear the boots are good Dan

 

Good idea Roger, though hopefully my pre-owned boots will already be broken in 

Edited June 17, 2023 by RostokMcSpoons

[FMairsoft33]

Hey guys, just thought I'd add that Lowa EU is doing an insane sale at the moment, I just picked up some zephyrs for around £50 when they are usually about £160. I have heard lots of good things about the zephyrs and lowa as a whole so it is worth looking on their site. I will add the sale is only on the eu website lowaeu.com.

[gavinkempsell]

2 hours ago, Dan Robinson said:

I weigh 130kg

Light weight

1 hour ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Underneath, or round the back? If I'm in any doubt about new footwear, I stick some non-brandname-adhesive bandage on the back of my heel.  In extremis, I've even slapped some duct tape on there to ameliorate rubbing.

i saw a youtuber recommend sanitary towels to line the heel & the achilles, was gonna try this if my boots start bothering me.

[RostokMcSpoons]

9 minutes ago, FMairsoft33 said:

Hey guys, just thought I'd add that Lowa EU is doing an insane sale at the moment, I just picked up some zephyrs for around £50 when they are usually about £160. I have heard lots of good things about the zephyrs and lowa as a whole so it is worth looking on their site. I will add the sale is only on the eu website lowaeu.com.

 

Wow, some absolute storming deals on there, all sorts of boots available, including 'ranger green' high ankle boots.  

Really tempted to buy a pair of something at those insane prices.

 

And a nice pair of Lowa socks too

[Adolf Hamster]

28 minutes ago, FMairsoft33 said:

Hey guys, just thought I'd add that Lowa EU is doing an insane sale at the moment, I just picked up some zephyrs for around £50 when they are usually about £160. I have heard lots of good things about the zephyrs and lowa as a whole so it is worth looking on their site. I will add the sale is only on the eu website lowaeu.com.

 

Damn, there seems to be no wide options in my size

 

i mean i dont need em, both pairs of lowas i have are perfectly servicable and mans has recently jumped on the heritage boot bandwagon so i really dont need them.

 

if i repeat that enough i'll be ok......

 

probably.....

20 minutes ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

And a nice pair of Lowa socks too

 

Their hiking sock is warm but very comfortable, although tbh the longevity doesnt quite match up to the boots.

[Duff Beer]

12 hours ago, FMairsoft33 said:

Hey guys, just thought I'd add that Lowa EU is doing an insane sale at the moment, I just picked up some zephyrs for around £50 when they are usually about £160. I have heard lots of good things about the zephyrs and lowa as a whole so it is worth looking on their site. I will add the sale is only on the eu website lowaeu.com.

IT’S A SCAM SITE
 

I got caught, but thankfully it was on the credit card and not for a lot

Edited June 18, 2023 by Duff Beer

[Gunboat Diplomat]

2 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Underneath, or round the back? If I'm in any doubt about new footwear, I stick some non-brandname-adhesive bandage on the back of my heel.  In extremis, I've even slapped some duct tape on there to ameliorate rubbing.

Round the back. Thankfully I carry plasters and bandages in my pack, so was able to patch them up. Although pulling sweaty socks off in the field and trying to get plasters to adhere to damp feet was a laugh.

 

Good tip though, will pad them out for the next trial run. 

[Duff Beer]

Yeah so it’s not Lowa, but some Chinese company.  Avoid!  I’m now watching the credit card like a hawk!

24 minutes ago, Duff Beer said:

Thanks for the heads up!  I just bought three pairs of boots (normal cost about €975 total) for €77 including postage!

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Duff Beer

[Colin Allen]

8 hours ago, FMairsoft33 said:

Hey guys, just thought I'd add that Lowa EU is doing an insane sale at the moment, I just picked up some zephyrs for around £50 when they are usually about £160. I have heard lots of good things about the zephyrs and lowa as a whole so it is worth looking on their site. I will add the sale is only on the eu website lowaeu.com.

Have you received the boots?  The site is flagged as potentially being dodgy with the company being based in China.

[Rogerborg]

4 hours ago, Colin Allen said:

Have you received the boots?  The site is flagged as potentially being dodgy with the company being based in China.

 

Damn, that's sneaky. Credit to the scammers, it actually looks and loads like a legit site, there are very few of the usual Chinglish warning signs.  The "product" info has been well scraped from a real LOWA site.

 

The contact email is some random outlook one, and the About page is a generic one found on many scam sites, even in the same English on this "French" site.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q="And+if+it's+not%2C+then+hit+us+up+and+let+us+know"

 

The domain was registered 4 days ago (at the time of writing) so LOWA won't have had time to do anything about it yet.  I've let LOWA UK know, I can't see an obvious way to contact LOWA GMBH.

 

Best of luck getting your money back.

[Duff Beer]

Thankfully I ordered them on the credit card so I should be covered (and thankfully it wasn’t for a hideous amount too.

 

That’s the first time I’ve been caught by one of those.  As always, caveat emptor!

[RostokMcSpoons]

Yeah fooled me too, but thankfully the fact I'm waiting on a pair of boots already had me considering my options just long enough not to get caught by it.

 

I was even thinking of buying several pairs to resell on eBay once the sale had finished, so I could have ended up on the hook for a lot

 

Thanks for letting us know @Duff Beer

[Duff Beer]

2 hours ago, RostokMcSpoons said:

 

Thanks for letting us know @Duff Beer

It was Jim at Platoon Stores who put me straight.  I dropped him a message to let him know (we both wear Zephyrs) and he spotted it was dodgy.  Unfortunately I didn’t message him until after I’d bought mine.

 

C’est la vie, worst case scenario it’s a £66 lesson to pay more attention

[Rogerborg]

28 minutes ago, Duff Beer said:

C’est la vie, worst case scenario it’s a £66 lesson to pay more attention

 

No dishonour there, that's a really well put together scam site.  If I'd read this after wine o'clock, I might have joined you.  They only got hyperbolic (and ungrammatical) when it came to the "hurry, hurry!" claims on the product pages.