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Walking boots in Toulouse?


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I am looking to buy a new pair of walking boots. I have tried all the places I can think of here in Carcassonne, Decathlon, etc. and can't find any decent ones. I am sure that there must be a couple, at least, of good shops in Toulouse, but I have no idea where?

Anyone any ideas please??

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Merrells are good but, if you are serious about quality, I think it's got to be LOWA.

Made in Germany and nice and solid but do need breaking in.  I think if you do a Google and you don't mind buying them on-line, you might find that the best prices are on-line.

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That first shop looks a good bet Clair. I might have known that you would come up with the goods, thank you [:D]

We will take a trip out there this afternoon and I'll let you know how we get on.

The others are either in the middle of Toulouse or the North so if we don't have any luck they will be the next [:-))]

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I agree Doux and Meindl are worth the money too. My last boots were Meindl and they were very comfortable right from the start.

There is no way that I could buy boots online though. I have to try them as I have a very wide foot, goes with the bouche I suppose? "The Old Camper" has got a load of boots with up to 50% reductions on them so it looks like a good time to look. Possibly get some boots for SWMBO too (who said that would be a good swap [I][6] )

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Well, Jonz, did you manage to buy some?  And for Mrs Jonz?

 Meindl WERE very good but I understand that the family, whose firm it was, sold their company some years back to a big global brand and the boots are no longer made traditionally in the German factory.

You could google LOWA and see the factory where the boots are made and read about the process.  I get the feeling that my last 4 or 5 pairs, although well-known brands, were all made in places like Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc.  All the soles separated from the boots thus rendering them useless for wet weather, even though the uppers and soles themselves remained intact.

Once my Lowas are properly broken in, I shall be rearing to be off on a longish trek [:D]

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Wellllllllll? According to the blurb on my new Meindl Burma GTX they are made in Chermany in the trad way. So I hope that they ain't telling me porkies?

They are a lovely fit. The Lowa were too narrow for my wide feet.

The Old Camper place was HEAVING and the place is packed from floor to ceiling with such a lot of kit. It's a shame that there weren't more staff to give advise. Just as well I did some googling beforehand.

I'll tell you later if my new boots need breaking in? They state that they can be walked straight from the box and as we have a village walking club walk on Tuesday I'll find out soon enough [:-))]

SWMBO didn't get any unfortunately, but we will get over that soon... I hope. I was going to get a pair of trainers, but I refuse to spend over 100€ on a pair, so back to Decathingy?

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Meindl Burma GTX, yes, I looked at those when I was buying boots to prepare for the Compostelle walk.

Pricey but worth the money I should think.  Maybe I got it wrong about their not being made in Germany but I did read about the family selling their business to a large corporation.

Hope you have lovely walks in those.

I have these amazing Lowa Albula GTX in nubuck leather and they have a tongue at the back of the boot as well  as at the front so that I can wrap the top of the boots securely round my ankles and so I don't get stones inside[:D]

Don't know what it's like where you live, Jonz, but here the place is full of cailloux and nothing is more annoying than having to stop, take off your boots and shake them free of stones every few kilometres. 

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We live a few K NE of Carcassonne and there is some lovely walking within a few K of here. Anything from flat amongst the vines to the Corbiers and Mt Aleric, last Tuesday, where I finished up on me bum once on the way down. That's because I didn't have me new boots!!

A trick to stop the stones is to wear 2 pair of socks, the outer being long boot socks. You fold the boot socks over the top of yer boots and on up yer leg (cheeky [:-))]  ). That way the stones can't get into yer boots.

These new boots have a memory foam ankle lining that forms to the ankle and is supremely comfortable and you won't want to take them of? That is if you believe what you are told [blink]

The Lowa boots looked good, but they were just now the same shape as my foot. Possibly because I wander around in flip flops for as long in the year as I can, that's most of it..

My old boots were/are Meindl. About 13 or more years old and because of the situation with our poor old, now dead, chocolate lab Celé we haven't been able to walk for several years. They were always lightly used, but for the last several years had no use so it isn't fair to complain about them. It goes to show that I bought another pair of the same brand..

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A word of warning Jonzjob! Make sure you wear the boots regularly.

If not, stupid as it may sound - the soft mid-sole the vibram sole is attached to, could start to decompose and literally will turn to powder![8-)]

I had a longstanding battle with the Meindl agent in the UK over such an issue, and they finally acknowledged that if the mid-sole wasn't "activated" regularly by use, then it could break-up.

My previous Meindl's were of a different construction, far more comfortable, and past their best but I continued to prefer them over the new boots, so literally I wore them until they fell apart through use.

When that day came, that's when I started to experience the problems described with the new boots.

On the question of stones and other debris getting in the boot, Stop-Tous gaiters are ideal.

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Hi Jonzob - I am maybe too late for this thread but I was recently searching for boots and backpack as I start to kit up for my walk follwing in Sweets & Gems footsteps next September [:$]

I had some good advice on a Camino forum about kit in that they suggested I find a store that was a certified Osprey specialists... reason being that the staff had to be trained to a certain level in order to stock this product and chances are they would have more knowledg generally to assist and also that the store would sell a more specialist ranges of gear. (a genrealisation of course but a good idea)

I found an outlet in Bordeaux but there are a number dotted around... http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/outdoor_shops

Sorry I came in late to this... but hope you enjoy your boots

p.s. Salty Sam I'm thinking of getting the vibram sole so I'll take that advice away too thanks

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Rose, I thought of you immediately when I read Jonzjob's thread.

"in Sweets and Gems footsteps"...... and just about in the the footsteps of 5 hundred years' worth of other pilgrims as well![:D]

Rose, I have been thinking about something I MUST mention to you so look in your emails in a few minutes and I will write it down before the ironing and lunch intervene.

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I will heed your warning Sam and I am hoping that they will be getting a fair amount of use from now on.

The Old Camper or Au Vieux Campeur if you want the French bit is one of the Ospreypack distributors Rose, so we did have a look around while we were there.

We were spoiled for shops in the U.K. because we used to live close to Cotswold Outdoor and used to visit their shop, when they just had the one in the middle of the Water Park, South Cerney. The staff in there were really good at advising as they used the kit they were selling. That was the original, single shop. They now have 69!!!

As I said before, there's no way I would buy any footware on line. I have a very wide foot, well 2 actually [8-)] and so very many boots are not my foot shaped.

Well ta for all of the info that you have given me. Now, if anyone knows where I can get good quality, very dry wood for turning? but that's a different story [:D]

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I don't think I would buy boots online, there are some things you just have to do in person.

I have the same issues as you, very wide feet.  On the other hand, it does make walking on soft snow easy [;-)]

The best boots I ever had were Brashers.  Marvellously comfortable and so very well made. In fact I'm going to see about getting mine re-soled by one of their licensed suppliers.

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Just back in from christning me new boots on a 9 Km walk, on fairly rough tracks, and they are the business !! Comfortable and secure. Next Tuesday more of the similar walking.

Good 'ere init ![8-|]

We have a couple of Brasher walking poles, the Monopole jobbies. The ball shaped handle unscrews and you have a monopole to screw in the bottom of yer camera. It gives a nice, easy to carry and stable mount for said camera.

Ta for all of the info folks. You stared yet again [B][B]

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[quote user="Jonzjob"]

Good 'ere init ![8-|]

[/quote]

The walks here are so beautiful and varied. I've just got back from walking with the dogs, only about 3K, but it was a walk we haven't done for some time, plenty of wild life.

My boots are about 5 years old, from Decathlon. they weren't expensive, about 36€, just had them re-heeled.

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Cendrillon - sorry for the slow reply!  I've just seen your PM ... must remember to check them more often!

And... I'm also in the wide foot brigade... I very often find my little toes have blisters where shoes rub - I also lost two toenails after my cancer treatment which my chiropodist tells me is common ... so I need to be sure I've got good fitting shoes to minimise any potential problems.  We'll be off to Bordeaux in November to find my backpack and shoes.and  I'll look out for the brands you've mentioned.

Happy Walking![:$]

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The first pair of real walking boots I bought were quite expensive. We used to go walking in Derbyshire. Living in Hull.

The first time I wore them, never forget, it was for a walk of about 10k. After about 8k I was in agony, and spent the last 1k in bare feet.

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Well Pat, the reason for starting this thread was nearly the same as your experience the basic difference was that we were on a walk in the Massive La Clapp near Narbonne. About a 12 Km jobbie. 2/3rds of the way round the right sole of my boot decided to try to go its own way and I had the last K carrying the dammed thing. It was just as well that the leather of the boot was pretty strong on the underside!!![:-))]

Better now though with me newuns [8-|]

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