boots

[jose]

I know this is a really sad boring post but i am curious are the really expensive boots worth it?

 

For years i used to use the basic sthil boots, my last few pairs have been hiax blue ridge jobies.

 

Now how much didference is there between the ones that cost £139 ( sure they were much cheaper last yr!) and the top of the range hiax ones which are £220!

 

Thats a lot of money difference, is there much in it?

 

I climbe and work the ground (joys of being the boss and bod in one).

 

Any veiws welcomed

 

Jose

[Steve Bullman]

is there a pair of haix for £220?

[Alinicoll]

The protector extreme hit that price. Seems to have come down a bit though.

I`m reconsidering haix boots. Every pair i buy falls apart quicker than the last. They are good to climb in, but i certainly wouldn`t recommed forking out £200 on them. Others may disaggree.

[Tom D]

These were £140:thumbup:

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/9692-goodbye-old-friends.html

[Johny Walker]

HAIX

[Yve_Clark]

I had a wee training session on Haix boots last week and the simple answer is, YES, the Haix boots and others in the same price bracket such as Pfanner's Zermatt and the Klima-Air Tirol Fighter are definitely worth the additional money. (And I'm not just saying that from a commercial point of view ).

 

There are many reasons why, but very briefly, as well as using top quality materials (2.5-2.7mm leather, GORE-TEX etc), Haix have developed many unique features that not only give the necessary protection required, but provide exceptional comfort to the wearer together with a long boot life. An important fact I learnt was that due to the special design of the boot and the sole, good body posture is maintained by the wearer, thereby helping to prevent back problems; an extremely important factor for anyone working in the demanding environment of tree surgery.

 

This link to What Goes Into A Haix Boot should be of use and if you want to be bombarded with any more info, just ask!

Edited January 22, 2011 by Steve Bullman

[peter_t]

imo boots with gortex is a bad thing. in my experience it makes you feet sweat more and doesn't make your boots breathable as it sometimes claims (your feet still have to breath through a layer of leather). my biggest problem is that if your boots do get soaked they will take forever to dry and usually within a year the gortex lining wears away so your boots are no longer waterproof anyway:sneaky2:

 

its worth spending money on boots but spend it on something that will last not something you don't want or need.

 

Pete

[Clark Forest]

Not sure I'd agree with that, it's always (in my opinion of course) worth paying a bit more to get the GoreTex liners in any item of clothing that would be beneficial to be waterproof.

 

I do a lot of motorbiking and a bit of snowboarding in my spare time (on those rare occasions in Scotland when it stops raining...) and I've always gone for GoreTex kit whenever I can afford it.

 

I've got a pair of GoreTex snowboard trousers that are 4 years old now, been through the wash hundreds of times and are still 100% waterproof - they haven't let in a drop since the day I bought them. The same applies to my textile bike jacket, it's stood up to some of the worst weather I've seen, let alone had the pleasure to ride into at 70(ish) mph. Again, it's remained 100% tight, even after around 20,000 miles.

 

Correctly caring for your kit is the biggest factor in this, GoreTex doesn't simply stay waterpoof by itself, it needs to be re-treated every so often (NikWax is great for this by the way) to keep it in good condition. The same applies to boots themselves, those that complain about them falling apart too quickly, how often do they get cleaned, polished and the leather treated? This can easily improve not only their lifespan, but also their comfort and waterproofing qualities too.

 

I get the point about breathability, but GoreTex kit is certainly 'more breathable' than non GoreTex kit - try running around in an old school type waterproof jacket and you'll soon notice how sweaty it can get in there!

 

Some of the other branded versions of GoreTex are also worth a look too if it's merely a cost concern - Sympatex is an example of one that also works well.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Clark Forest

[Treewarrior]

Haix extreme all the way:001_tongue:

[Yve_Clark]

Secret with the Haix boots, and any others with removable insoles, is to slip the insoles out at night and let the air take any surplus moisture out of them, leaving them nice and dry for the next days work. Apparently on average your feet produce about an egg-cup full of sweat per day ! With Haix boots, their special climate system helps reduce the amount of moisture trapped in the boot by enabling it to escape to the outside via holes in the top of the boot, just through the natural pumping action created from walking. Clever.