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Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...


Postby electricfly » Fri Sep 19, 2014 2:54 pm

It's been a summer of conflicting views on footwear for me. The snow lasting for so long meant that my B2 Aku boots were worn well into the spring. Last summer my go to choice of footwear was my Mammut Sierra 3 season goretex boots. I'd begun wearing them again after my lighter Salomon Wings Sky GTX boots had expired.

With the snow melting, I returned to the Mammuts, but they just felt too clumpy, particularly during long multi-peak hikes. It wasn't long before I found myself browsing footwear deals in search of my perfect replacement. I eventually took the plunge and began wearing Inov8 trail shoes. If I'm honest it was a bit of a love/hate relationship. I loved the grip, the comfort and the fact that they dried out very quickly. I hated wet feet (although you get used to it), stubbed toes and how the sole appeared to be deteriorating very quickly. Because of those pros and cons I found myself regularly taking several types of footwear in the car and making a decision at the start of walks as to what I would wear.

It is only now that I find myself, perhaps, in posession of what could be the answer to my summer footwear dilemas. Just a shame that the summer is almost over. However, here they are...
Image
The Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe/boot. :D

A goretex lined grippy looking trail shoe that has the luxury of a decent rand and lightweight goretex boot cuff to keep the wet stuff out. I've yet to wear them in anger, but plan on doing so this weekend. I shall come back to this thread and advise of their performance after a couple of outings to give them a fair assessment. In the meantime, has anyone else tried them, or have any thoughts and opinions on their design?

EF :)
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby basscadet » Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:45 pm

They look like a decent shoe - my dad has something similar made by Columbia I think, and he loves them.

Not that I'm a trendy walker or anything, but they are a bit garish to look at - no mistaking who made them anyways :lol:
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby tall-story » Sun Sep 21, 2014 3:15 pm

They are a bit loud :wink: but a couple of hours in muck and gloar will sort them out :)
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Wed Sep 24, 2014 2:05 pm

Have a pair of these which are the low cut version, well made and comfortable but have serious breathability issues.
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby electricfly » Wed Sep 24, 2014 6:09 pm

johnkaysleftleg wrote:Have a pair of these which are the low cut version, well made and comfortable but have serious breathability issues.


Wore them for the first time on Sunday. Approximately 20 miles over mixed terrain taking in Sgurr an Fhuarain and Sgurr Mor from Glen Kingie. Initially they felt light and comfortable. I became a bit concerned on the descent of the corbett, as I felt my big toes pushing forward against the front of the shoe. I resolved the issue slightly by tightening the laces for the descent of Sgurr Mor.

It would be unfair of me to blame the shoe for my feet being too large. On the descent to Glen Kingie the terrain was extremely steep and I was moving diagonally down the slope. Again to judge the shoes performance under these circumstances wouldn't be fair, as this type of descent always burns up the balls of my feet.

I would tend to agree however that there are some breathability issues. Whilst the shoe remained waterproof, I did feel that my feet were quite sweaty at the end. Even on Tuesday afternoon I noticed when brushing off dried mud that the inside of the boots still felt quite damp. I will probably have to treat them more like boots than trainers post hikes and stuff them with newspapers.

On a plus side, the garish colours really didn't look all that bad once they were on and covered by trouser legs. :lol:
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby sonic » Wed Sep 24, 2014 11:59 pm

Been thinking about this situation a lot as I feel my boots are rather big and clumpy, have been considering trying walking shoes and had a look at innov8 trail shoes. Was thinking of trying them with waterproof socks like a pair of sealskin or similar as I detest getting my feet wet.
Do you think waterproof socks would have made a difference electricfly
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby electricfly » Thu Sep 25, 2014 1:12 am

Funnily enough, when I bought the inov8 x-talon 212 shoes at Cotswolds, I did in fact seriously consider buying a pair of sealskins lightweight waterproof socks. I think they were about £25 at the time, which ultimately put me off.

I'd imagine that although your feet technically remain dry with the socks, you would still feel the cold sensation when bog seeps into your shoe.

What appealed to me with the Berghaus Limpets is the ankle gaiters and the heavier duty rand material. Ironically it is probably these feature that are causing breathability issues.
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby rockhopper » Thu Sep 25, 2014 12:18 pm

electricfly wrote:I'd imagine that although your feet technically remain dry with the socks, you would still feel the cold sensation when bog seeps into your shoe.
I'd agree. I use both the sealskinz lightweight and the warmer lined versions of the waterproof socks for mountain biking and occasional commuter cycling - feet stay dry but when the shoe gets wet, the outside of the sock gets wet and my feet get cold. The socks also don't seem to breathe well so in warmer conditions can get sweaty - cheers :)
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby BoyVertiginous » Thu Sep 25, 2014 12:53 pm

rockhopper wrote:
electricfly wrote:I'd imagine that although your feet technically remain dry with the socks, you would still feel the cold sensation when bog seeps into your shoe.
I'd agree. I use both the sealskinz lightweight and the warmer lined versions of the waterproof socks for mountain biking and occasional commuter cycling - feet stay dry but when the shoe gets wet, the outside of the sock gets wet and my feet get cold. The socks also don't seem to breathe well so in warmer conditions can get sweaty - cheers :)

Agreed on both counts. Having been forced, through injury, to walk of late in trail shoes (formerly Adidas Kanadia & Saucony Trail, latterly Scarpa Spark), had the idea of teaming them with sealskinz lightweights. Have had to try harder to avoid bog in an effort to keep the trail shoes dry for as long as possible (mesh uppers wet easily) to avoid the aforementioned pitfalls of wetting the sock outer and cooling feet (usually only once you've stopped). Been lucky in a sense that we've enjoyed such a dry spell, making it easier than usual to avoid the bogs for longer. Have worn a thin liner sock under the sealskinz, for added warmth and to test waterproofing, and the liner is always damp/wet afterwards. It's been a means to an end for me but, I'll probably stick to boots as soon as I can get back to them, hopefully in time for winter but, if not, springtime (except maybe in future incredibly dry spells, when combining a bike and hike).

Not sure if you get trail shoes with goretex-like linings (do Inov-8 do this?) but, even if they keep the outer of the sealskinz drier, imagine this would make the socks sweat even more. This happened when I tried to wear my Teva summer boot recently, teamed with the sealskinz and liner sock. The Sealskinz were drier on the outside but the liner was sweatier.
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby Dan Scheer » Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:52 pm

BoyVertiginous wrote:Not sure if you get trail shoes with goretex-like linings (do Inov-8 do this?) but, even if they keep the outer of the sealskinz drier, imagine this would make the socks sweat even more. This happened when I tried to wear my Teva summer boot recently, teamed with the sealskinz and liner sock. The Sealskinz were drier on the outside but the liner was sweatier.


I got the Inov8 Roclite 312 GTX a while ago thinking the goretex lining might be a good idea... well it works, at least for a while until your feet are completely soggy from sweating as breathability is really poor, so wouldn't recommend the goretex version!

As I generally loved the shoe though, I bought the Inov8 Roclite 245 next and couldn't recommend them highly enough! Your feet get soaked instantly even just walking through mildly wet grass, but they also dry again just as fast because of the great breathability, it's just a mesh really. I had signed up for a tough mudder and having blister prone feet I was worried what it would be like running 11 miles in wet feet, so I went for a walk up Lochnagar in the Roclites and just walked through the river at the beginning of the walk... completed the walk up over the boulder field and back down past the waterfall, around Loch Muick and back to the car park, not a single blister, no discomfort and the shoes were practically dry again!
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Re: Berghaus Limpet Mid GTX shoe...

Postby electricfly » Tue Nov 11, 2014 1:47 pm

So after several more outings wearing the limpets l felt I should come back to this thread and report on results.

They have actually been performing quite satisfactory. I have been using them with a sports insole to prevent my foot slipping forward inside the shoe and using thin bridgedale coolmax socks which have kept my feet from overheating.

I'll most likely continue wearing them until the need for crampon compatible b2 boots. :D
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