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[at-l] Nubuck vs Smooth
John wrote:
> I have had Campmore send me three boots all by Vasque and all in 8 wide:
> Superhiker II, Sundowner, and Thru Hiker. Couple of questions. First, my
> old pair of Sundowners lasted about 10 years. In fact, the leather is
> still great even though the tread is pretty much gone and I can no longer
> wear thick socks with them or use any kind of a real insole (I have a
> W-I-D-E foot). My only problem with them was that they were cut a little
> low for me. I like a little higher boot for the ankle support and water
> repellancy. That is why I ordered the Superhiker and Thru Hiker. They
> seem to be the same boot except for the Thru Hiker's GoreTex layer- a must
> in the SouthEast. They all fit quite well and will improve with wear.
> Question: Will the nubuck in the Superhiker or ThruHiker last as long as
> the leather on the Sundowner? These are expensive shoes and I'd like them
> to last!
>
> Also, the ThruHiker has a spot of delamination right out of the box! It is
> in the arch, on the inside, between the midsole and the thin outermost
> sole, about an inch long and an inch deep. (Looks like no adhesive ever
> made it to that particular spot.) Do these boots have a reputation of
> delaminating? Should I send them back or get them fixed locally- it'd only
> be a couple of bucks at a local cobbler? Other than that the quality is
> striking; very good.
>
John -
I'm not gonna mess with how long boots last - I wear out about one pair
per year. But I will tell you that Goretex in boots is utterly useless
after the first 100 miles (if not before). We were in Colorado last
August and walked into an outdoor shop where they had a notice tacked on
the wall in the boot section - and it said exactly that.
Personal opinion is that you should return the boots if they're damaged
or imperfect. You didn't pay for delaminated boots right out of the
box. And the local cobbler can't fix them. He might glue them, but the
manufacturing process is a "hot" glue process that your local person
won't have access to. There are only a few shops anyplace in the
country that do this kind of repairs. Your local REI or EMS should have
the name of a cobbler that can repair the boots, but it won't be cheap.
Good luck.
Walk softly,
Jim
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