Quechua Boots?

[Frogwell]

Rather annoyingly, the leather on my three year old Burma Pros has started to split which has allowed dirt to get through and damage the goretex lining, hence a wet right foot in heavy rain or on wet grass. Outside of bath/shower time, I don't much like having my right foot wet, nor my left for that matter, but especially my right, so I have to consider the possibility that I need a new pair of boots. Or at least a new right boot, but I've found nowhere that sells them individually so I must buy two. One of the great scams of our time I think.

Anyway, I've so far spent many a working hour wasting time looking at boots online and I've come to the conclusion that boots have either got really expensive, or I've got really poor. I did come across an offering by French company Decathlon though. On paper they tick all the right boxes, and I did have a brief look over them in store a while back and they seem well made, but I can't find much in the way of reviews on them.

So, anyone here ever tried Quechua Testa Di Moro boots?

I dislike their price less than that of Meindl, Scarpa etc, and I also like their two year guarantee, but I do fear that I may have succumbed to a bit of brand snobbery when it comes to boots.

[nathan79]

I can't speak for the quality of their boots but they're a big brand on the continent. I've only ever tried their baselayers. No harm checking them out.

[Frogwell]

From my trawls in the internet I gather they're a French invention and popular in Europeshire. I'm thinking I may have to make a journey to the civilisation to the South in the next couple of weeks and give them a try.

[stevesey]

Their sales patter reads well

On the Meindl and price front theirs a guy in ambleside who normally has 1 or 2 new pairs on e-bay at any one time - start price £80 and they don't often go for more than £100 - pair of size 8's available at the moment. Mine came from there at below £100 inc postage. If you are happy with the wear the Meindls have given you you could get a new pair for a similar price (might take while for the right size to appear - pair of sealskinz socks in the mean time:-) Also if you start using the right boot you, can keep the left as a spare

[Frogwell]

I'm probably going to avoid Meindl this time. My burma pros took an awfully long time to break in and they do seem to be more worn out than I'd have expected after three years use. It is possible I'm expecting too much of them of course, but I figure if I try another make this time.

I'm now looking at Hanwag boots too, but they're like Hen's teeth in Scotland.

[ascar]

having looked at decathlon boots you will find that a lot of the quechua B3 boots are just rebrands made by Simond climbing gear.
i will agree with you that boots are getting costly but if you are lucky you might find a pair of rossignol summit extreme B3 or scarpa kinesis B1'ish in TKmax for £60 / £70 a big saving when they would be nearer £200 a pair

[J888ohn]

I bought the Quechua Forclaz trek 800 boots last year after being let down by other brands of boots, particularly Karimor ones which lasted less than 100km. My mate had worn them when we did Kilimanjaro and swore by them. They are the comfiest boots I've had and cost around £80. They have been completely waterproof through everything I have thrown at them and have a 6mm sole which is great for cushioning.

I've bought a few Quechua things since Decathlon opened in Glasgow and have never been let down in performance or quality. It's the first place I go to now for clothing. Fairly unknown brand here but when I was boarding in Andorra many of the French skiers / boarders had some sort of Decathlon clothing or equipment on.

[Decal Joe]

I can't say anything on the quality but as Nathan has mentioned the brand is extremely popular in Europe. There's now a big Quechua (not Decathlon) shop in Chamonix.

[BoyVertiginous]

Hey Frogwell, what did you go for in the end?

Looking for a B:2 boot and wondered what you thought of these, they are less than half the price of the other two I'm looking at! Will they take a crampon okay?

[Frogwell]

I went to decathlon in Glasgow and had a look at the boots. They didn't seem a particularly good fit for the shape of my feet so I left it. I do seem to have a lot of trouble finding comfortable boots though - I think I must have odd shaped feet.

That said, the boots did seem to be pretty decent quality and well put together from what I could see. I really didn't think they felt any cheaper or worse made than any of the other high end brands I've looked at - better than some I'd say.

As for crampons, they did feel very stiff, but then again new boots generally do. I think even once worn in though you'd find them on the stiff side so probably fine for crampons. I have no experience with C2 crampons, so I don't know whether they'd work okay with them or not. I suspect if they retained quite a bit of their stiffness then C2 crampons would be fine. They'd be perfectly fine with C1 crampons though, but then again I use C1 crampons with my B0 Meindl Burmas and to date my legs haven't fallen off and the sky hasn't fallen in. I think the worst I risk is the wrath of the mountain police who, if caught, would issue me with copious quantities of lecturing on the hazards of not having the kit as laid down by the mountain law

[BoyVertiginous]

I went to decathlon in Glasgow and had a look at the boots. They didn't seem a particularly good fit for the shape of my feet so I left it. I do seem to have a lot of trouble finding comfortable boots though - I think I must have odd shaped feet.

That said, the boots did seem to be pretty decent quality and well put together from what I could see. I really didn't think they felt any cheaper or worse made than any of the other high end brands I've looked at - better than some I'd say.

As for crampons, they did feel very stiff, but then again new boots generally do. I think even once worn in though you'd find them on the stiff side so probably fine for crampons. I have no experience with C2 crampons, so I don't know whether they'd work okay with them or not. I suspect if they retained quite a bit of their stiffness then C2 crampons would be fine. They'd be perfectly fine with C1 crampons though, but then again I use C1 crampons with my B0 Meindl Burmas and to date my legs haven't fallen off and the sky hasn't fallen in. I think the worst I risk is the wrath of the mountain police who, if caught, would issue me with copious quantities of lecturing on the hazards of not having the kit as laid down by the mountain law

Thanks, Frogwell, I shall take a closer look this weekend.

[Frogwell]

Thought I'd update this - I finally went with a pair of Hanwag Tatra wide. Took them outside for the first time today for a few miles round the farm. Probably the comfiest pair of walking boots I've had out of the box.