[at-l] I'm a trail shoe failure

[spiriteagle99@hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Amy wrote:
>Hear my tail of woe.
>
>I've been through four (or five, I've lost track) pair of
>REI Spirit boots.  The last pair was the goretex version,
>which I've had resoled once.  I had to get goretex because
>they changed the last on the regular version, but not on
>the goretex version.


Amy -
REI Spirit's ate my feet on the CDT - the first pair lasted 300 miles, 
caused multiple constant blisters and ate 8 of the 10 toenails I started 
with.  They expanded INSIDE when they got wet.  And it was wet all the time 
- rain, snow, snail, stream fords, bogs .......

I got the second pair in Colorado where it was relatively dry - back to the 
blisters after 1000 blister-free miles in Vasques Sundowners (although the 
lining in the Sundowners was shot after the first 300 miles).

Found a pair of Lowas (non-Goretex) in Steamboat Springs - kept them until 
Cuba, NM (800 miles?), changed to a second pair of Lowas which finished the 
CDT and part of the PCT (1000 miles?).  Still have one pair but don't know 
whch one - I use them for trail work.  Bought another pair of Lowas a couple 
months ago.  Ginny also bought a pair - she was a long-time (12-years?) user 
of Sundowners but they changed the last too.

You might try Lowas - you can only get the higher priced Goretex version at 
REI,
but they're the only boots I've managed to get more than 1000 miles out of 
without resoling.  Yeah - I walk "funny", but I get where I'm going.

Walk softly,
Jim



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