[at-l] Does anyone know a custom hiking boot maker??

[stephensadams at hotmail.com (Steve Adams)]

Longhaul,

Reference your post, and the post of OrangeBug, both dated 9-20-04.

You advise you?ve ?... had an awful problem with blisters due to boots that 
don't fit right.?  You ask, ?Can anyone recommend, from personal experience, 
a custom boot maker??

I have two pairs of Limmer Boots, one custom made the other a stock boot 
made for them by a boot maker in Germany.  I drove to New Hampshire to have 
my foot accurately measured for the custom made boot.  You can buy the stock 
boot via telephone or mail.

1)  They cost money.  They are not the most expensive boot but for the price 
of a pair of Limmer boots you can probably buy other boots to last your 
entire hiking life.

2)  The wait for a pair of Limmer boots is over a year.

3)  They are heavy.  The Limmer theory is you may not be able to make the 
same number of miles hiking each day, or at the least you will be more tired 
at the end of the day, but you will make it.  You will not damage anything 
in your feet.

I?m not certain this is completely accurate.  It has become my impression 
that you can damage or exacerbate existing damage in your knees by wearing 
heavier boots.  The process of walking includes lifting the foot your about 
to take a step with, then swinging it forward, then planting it on the 
ground.  The swinging forward part of the process may be injurious if the 
boot is heavy.

4)  They take time to break in.  Until they are broken in, the soles are not 
very flexible.  I felt as though a 2 x 4 was bolted to the bottom of each 
foot.

OrangeBug suggested going to a boot seller who knows how to fit boots.  This 
is EXCELLENT advice.  Someone with such a reputation will also stock good 
footwear.

The problem you, I, we all have resolving your problem is, your feet are 
unique.  They aren?t on the ends of our legs.  A dream for one hiker may be 
utter misery for another.  If you have some particular problem with a foot, 
or both your feet, a custom boot may be the best avenue.

Steve

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