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Preparing for Winter - Part 2

Footwear - where to begin!!!!!!!!!

When you have big feet you don't get much choice in womens footwear. In fact, you get none from trail shoe and boot manufacturers if you are bigger than a size 8 UK. The sizing in itself is a minefield that I also have difficulty in understanding as an EU 42 could be a size 9 in womens but size 8 in mens. Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh. I now just go into the shops and ask for EU 42 or 43 in mens and hope that they might fit.

I've been chatting to ptc*, Sandy and bobinson for a few weeks about what to do on my footwear dilemma. Over the last few winters I have been wearing a mixture of La Sportiva Trango Evo S and Keen Targhee Mids. I managed to trash the La Sportivas playing on scree in Skye and replaced them with the next model up the Trango Evo Alp for proper winter playtime. The Keens are exceptionally comfy but are leaking like sieves and not the best on wet rock. As the Alps are for proper snow and a bit like overkill for our wet cold winters, it was time to look for something more suitable.The boys and I had talked over a number of options and I really wanted to try the Haglofs Vertigo Mids. Unfortunately there's only one retailer in Weegieland who stock Haglofs footwear and only the Crag shoe and not even in my size so I couldn't even see how the fit was. I had tracked some down online but was reluctant to take £135 risk.

There was nothing else for it, I had to go wander the gear shops to see what they had in store and try stuff on ;-)  The majority of boots I looked at were just too heavy and stiff but a couple of pairs by Salomon caught my eye, Quest 4D Mid and Mission. I spent a fair bit of time wandering about in both but decided on taking the Mission.




They feel really comfy on. There's good enough ankle support without it being restrictive  and they have the feel of a slightly stiffer approach shoe but not so stiff that you're clumping about. The sole seemed sticky enough on the angled logs and slate thingy they had in the shop but they didn't have any steep wet grass for me to really test it on ;-)

I shall spend most of my time indoors tomorrow wandering about in these trying to make my mind up if  I'm to take them with me to Corran to hopefully play in some Lochaber snow.


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