Hi, I know this is an old thread but I was just wondering how the Fanie Botha went in the Peregrines? I’ll be backpacking that trail in September and everyone is advising boots rather for the ankle support, I was eyeing the Saucony’s myself for that trek.
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Hi,
The trail was absolutely great. It was on my bucket list for many years, and it did not disappoint!
I was quite comfortable in the Peregrines, but I also do allot of Trail running and hiking on average 40km a month running and 400km during my hiking season per year. So my ankles and calf muscles are strong.
Also I hike lightweight. My non-consumables are a max of 6kg (Including sleeping bag and pack).
I would not recommend doing it without boots if you are not a experienced hiker. Especially the section Maritzbos Hut to Stables, and section 5. It is steep in many places and can be wet and slippery. The other parts a mostly on dirt track and forest roads.
I hope this helps. Feel free to ask any more questions.
And dont forget to go to the Safcol ecotourism center in Sabie to buy the sew on badges!
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Hi All,
My first submission so be gentle. I used to hike when i was younger and am just starting again. I have my sights set on doing Kilimanjaro next year and am doing a small (first) hike this weekend to get back into it. I am doing this weekends hike in trail shoes which is not a problem but would like to purchase a decent pair of hiking boots for future, more demanding hikes. I have read through the string of comments above and have some idea on what to look for but want to ask a potentially silly question, is there a hiking boot that would cater for local conditions in comfort and also would be able to use for the climb next year?
Thank you in advance
The Merrell Reflex 2 boots I bought a year and five months ago now have worn out soles. Uppers, inners and laces are still good. They have done a good amount of Limpopo thorn bush and rocky mountainous hiking as well as nature trail type walking. I want to buy another pair and find they are no longer available. Boots have now gone the way of trail shoes, with new models and colours (I hate bright orange) every few months. You find something you really like and you can never get it again. What is with these manufacturers? I should have bought three pairs. I bought three pairs of the old New balance 410’s when I found I liked them years ago and they are also no longer sold. The last pair came out of the mountains held together with duct tape. They were brilliant for hiking in streams. The NB’s that are now called 410’s are street sneakers.
All the Hitec boots I have owned have not lasted a year before they came apart. I had a pair of Freestyle boots that I had resoled three times and did a good amount of serious summiting before the uppers came apart, but they caused me problems with thick skin growth on my outer heels. I suppose it’s all about where the market is and real hikers are becoming more and more a niche market.
Hi @Arno!
I have been wearing my Kway Kili boot for three years now and have been happy with them, have never experienced any of the cons that other reviewers have. They have been faithful to me through muddy wetlands, Drakensberg hikes, almost all of the western cape mountain terrains and sand. Looking for a boot for my fiance’s 30th birthday gift and can’t decide between the Salomon X Ultra Mid GTX ; Salomon Quest 4D and as of late the Zamberlan Rolle’s boot. Was wondering though- do you think he would be able to hike the Fish River Canyon in the Zamberlans? Also- would you say the Salomon X Ultra would support the ankle enough for the FRC?
Hi @janine_green, I’m glad to hear that you’ve had such a good experience with your K-Way Kili boot - they’ve obviously done something right there, because it sounds like you’ve put it through its paces 
The Salomon X Ultra Mid is basically a mid-weight approach shoe with some ankle protection. Judging by the type and amount of hiking you do, I don’t think it’ll last your fiancé very long. They are very comfortable though.
The Salomon Quest 4D is a great boot. Very comfortable out of the box and excels in any environment. It’s only weakness is that the grip wears down quite quickly.
The Zamberlan Rolle is my favourite boot thus far. Comfortable, stylish and extremely tough. I’ve done about 400km in mine, of which 300+km was off-trail, Cape mountain traversing, and they’re still going strong. No reason why you wouldn’t do the Fish River in them, other than they might be a bit hot - but I think that’s the case for all boots on the fish.
Hope that helps 
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After my last post I bought Jim Green Razorbacks. Well priced, but really well made. They are a bit heavier than other boots, but so far they are comfortable and have endured some good hiking with no problems.
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Arno,
I purchased a pair of Salomon’s X Ultra 3 Mid GTX hiking boots last year. My usual boots for Berg hiking is either La Sportiva’s or Boreals. My main reason for acquiring the Salomons was breathability. I find that my feet tend to sweat a lot in the thicker leather boots, which sometimes leads to blisters.
So, for summer or warmer conditions I now use the Salomons, and they have not disappointed. I sweat a lot less, so no more blisters. Happy feet 
As an added bonus, they are much lighter than my full leather high mileage boots.
On the downside, they do not offer the same amount of feet support when compared to my leather boots as they don’t have a steel shank built into the sole. My backpack usually weighs around 14 -17kg, so I do tend to feet my feet a bit after a long day in the mountains. That being said, it also depends on the terrain you traverse. My feet are more tired on very rocky terrain, but walking on footpaths in the Drakensberg they were none the worse for wear after my recent excursion from Giants castle to Redi peak.
They will obviously not last as long as a proper high-mileage boot, but so far I am very impressed with how they are performing. Only done 2 hike sin the Berg with them. Nov 2019 we went up Pins pass and descended via Ledges pass, and 2 weeks ago up Langies, to Giants pass, South to Redi peak and then back down to the camp via Giants pass.
They still look fine. The soles aren’t showing much wear yet, and the upper is still mainly unscratched. The front of the shoe has a couple of scuff marks - missing a thick rubber rand here. I tend to look after my gear, not sure how long they would last if you trash them. The stitching on these lighter boots typically wear out first, next to your big and small toes. The same happened to a pair of La Sportiva Garnet’s that I had years ago.
In short then - they would be perfect for a Fish river hike and should easily last the distance, and then some. The Fish isn’t nearly as abrasive as the berg, with mainly the first 2 days involving a bit of scrambling over larger rocks.
Regarding ankle support - I had my reservations about the lower cut, and yes, it isn’t as supportive as the high mileage boots. That being said, most of the hiking boots nowadays offer ankle flex support in any case, so the difference isn’t that noticable anymore.
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Excellent! Glad to hear they’re working for you
Hi all. I have a question re boots.
Short version: are the fancy imported European boot brands worth it? Like La Sportiva, Zamberlain and Mammut. The expensive mountaineering ones with Gore-Tex and the works.
Long version: i use oldschool leather boots (Frontline, similar to Jim Greens) and work as a offtrail wilderness guide ande hence my boots take a severe beating.
My current boots are starting to show wear, and i recent did a snow camp where my wet feet were frozen for 2 days and i actually had developed some slight neuropathy / raynauds disease type symptoms (lost feeling in some of my toes which is persisting for about 2 weeks by now). So i am considering to pull out all the stops and get REAL mountaineering boots for next winter (and future higher-altitude type treks).
So, are fancy boots worth it? My advice is usually to get 3 pairs of hitecs instead of 1 pair of mammuts, but hey. Perhaps i should live a little. All inputs welcome.
I have imported Salewa gore-tex boots and they’ve been worth every cent. Also mid tear and not the more expensive alpine/mountaineering ones. Only done about 300km in them but they are holding up insanely well. Did a hike in the snow a while back and feet stayed dry. Maybe just me but my shoe choices I take seriously
I think the frequency of use will be the justification on your decision. Personally I am a 3x boots of Hi-Tec altitudes (also have razorbacks), don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t mind wearing a nice European boots but really feel you start paying for the name vs the actual out put of the shoe.
The way I see it: if a pair of boots are 3 times the price of Hi-Tec then they should be 3 times the boot, so is that extra R3000/R4000 really worth the better craftsmanship/Gortex/materials etc? in my opinion no.
I can’t justify the money but then again if I win the Lotto I will buy a pair of over priced boots and give you feed back in the coming months…
Thanks @TrailHunter and @Naartjie for your views, I guess both do have merit.
The big question I usually have is regarding the quality and the durability of the gore-tex lining. Some people have wonderful experiences, and others tell stories of La Sportiva’s wetting through in half a day.
Regarding the durability on an outer, the specific shoe design would give a good idea of durability (synthetic; nubuck/suede; oily leather; without a rand; with a rand; approach shoe rubber around the rand; can boot be resoled, etc)
I am leaning towards trying out a pair of high-end boots and guess I posted here for some reassurance. My biggest issue with imported boots is that they are made for people from the Northern Hemisphere with narrow rat’s feet that have never walked barefoot. Not for the ultra-wide South African boerpoot that has walked barefoot for decades 
Lastly, rumours are true that Scarpa boots are being brought into SA and should start arriving Nov/Dec. This is also an Italian brand in similar (or better) reputation to La Sportiva, Zamberlain and Mammut.
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It’s a lot of money, but the day my Zamberlan Rolle finally die, I will most likely replace them immediately. 3 years old, 4 sections of Rim of Africa, Cederberg Grand Traverse (~150km), many off-trail weekend adventures, all of these with a ~25km backpack and I way 90kg and they’re still going strong. Out of the box comfort, not a single blister, dry feet in all conditions and fantastic grip. I can’t praise them enough.
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Hi Arno,
I agree, that Zamberlan are great for trekking👍
Have a good weekend,
Ian
Hi all, FYI regarding my comment about Scarpa.
Traverse Outdoor Gear is the importer and have added the models that will become available to their site during Summer 2021. Check it out: https://traversegear.co.za/brand/scarpa-footwear-climbing-hiking-running/
Sadly very little of the more technical mountaineering boots save for the “Marmolada Pro HD”, but lots of other interesting-looking models. Would be very interesting to see at which price point they come in.
I may be interested in the Marmolada’s if they fit and the price is right. The “Hdry” waterproofing seems promising, it is bonded to the inside of the outer (as opposed to Goretex that is just a liner). Then, in addition to the Hdry layer, the boot is lined with another material (37.5 fabric) inside of that. Hence, the waterproofing is not in direct contact with your socks and will theoretically be subject to less wear and tear. They are also compatible with walking crampons and have the rubber rand for scrambling.
Hi.
So I’m actually looking for “Non Waterproof Lightweight Hiking Boots”.
No leather. No lining membrane.
This is for summer hiking in heat and expected thunderstorms, river crossings etc. I get hot feet easily and want just a little extra support for gnarly routes, tiredness and general wobbles.
Of course I could just carry next to nothing but the gear I have now, and unlikely to change for a while, falls into the upper midweight range. It’s pared down too.
Any thoughts? I’ve looked but found scant.
The INOV-8 Roclite G range is fantastic. They seem to be out of stock of the boot at the moment, but it sounds like the right solution.
Question, for those who’ve been through multiple footwear tunnels and seeing as I have neither owned boots in yonks, nor the type of trail runner mentioned below…
For off trail, very sloping (Berg passes) rugged terrain, with a pack 12+kg:
Will only boots prevent the dreaded “sideways foot slide” within your shoe, where you’re basically walking on the inside/one foot and outside/other foot of your footwear of choice as you traverse along the steep slope or will snugger more rigidly constructed trail runners eg Salomon X-Ultra 4 (as reviewed by @Arno here Review: Salomon X-ULTRA 4 - Hiking South Africa) or Salomon XA Pro Max Plus Bonus etc prevent the slide?
I was daft enough to do this in my Altra Olympusiz, Platform Marshmallow shoes. Now I’m looking at - looking at another approach. It was tough going. Had to tack along the slope in a roach kinda zigzag. Otherwise comfy.
I’m just a little reluctant to dish out for boots and not too enchanted with the waterproof mythology.
Any thoughts.
How about a non-marshmallow-platform Altra? I love my Lone Peaks.
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