discontinued gear

[arghman]

this is a venting post...

My hiking boots are starting to wear out, so I went to EMS to get another pair. This is not a little thing for me; I have foot problems, which at times have made hiking of any serious length rather challenging. (medical advice not needed, I have orthotics & have been through the gamut of doctors) I usually don't find out whether a pair of shoes/boots works for me until I walk 5 or 6 miles in them.

In 2004 my foot problems were acting up & I missed out on a bunch of the season. I got my present pair of boots in Aug 2004 from EMS after trying out two different kinds, both of which I liked. They were great, much better than I expected, & I did a whole bunch of hikes in Aug/Sep 2004 (S. Presidentials, Franconia Ridge, Cannon/Kinsmans, Osceolas) to make up for lost time...

Anyway yesterday I went to EMS and found out that both kinds I had tried on in 2004 were DISCONTINUED. There were some new varieties from EMS, but they were all uncomfortable.

On the plus side, the footwear guy at EMS was very helpful (made sure I had right size & fit was good) and suggested a pair of Vasques which seem to fit well... I'm crossing my fingers & hope they work out. I won't buy hiking boots from any other stores except EMS & LL Bean because of their return policy. :hurray:

The shoes I am wearing right now are discontinued Rockports. Rockport has discontinued 3 types of shoes that I've chosen over the past 5 yrs. It really sucks. Finding new shoes is a major undertaking (more difficult than hiking boots!) that usually puts me through a few weeks of pain and wasted time and money.

I wish I could get onto some kind of registry so I get notified when they're going to discontinue footwear so I can buy up a bunch of pairs.

sigh.

 

[percious]

This used to happen to me all the time when I was mountain biking. I'd get to really love a certain tire tred, shifting mechanism, or seat style, etc..., and then the next year it wouldn't be available. I miss 8 speed. I think they call it *progress* ::rollseyes::

-percious

 

[Jay H]

8-spd... heck, sometimes I just miss friction shifting. I believe 8/9 spd gear are still compatible. My 8-spd cassette on my commuter actually has a "9-spd" rear derailleur on it. Works fine... Now if you had 7-spd gearing.....

Anyway, back on topic: If it's a certain item, might try a google of it, if you know exactly your model and size, it might be worth a shot. I have friends who have bought multiple items knowing that they would be up-a-creek when it was discontinues. I wish I bought another pair of my bike shoes cause it's great.

Jay

 

[the starchild]

I wish I could get onto some kind of registry so I get notified when they're going to discontinue footwear so I can buy up a bunch of pairs.

sigh.

i really liked my new balance 805's, trail runners, several years back and when they got discontinued i was also worried, but found them online and bought two pairs.

now, anytime, i find a pair of trail runners i really like i nip it in the bud and buy two pairs.

if your new boots fit really well, i would suggest you go back when you are sure, and buy another pair and save yourself the pain and agony a few years from now

also, what wore out on your boots? 2 years is not alot of time. i have had my all leather vasque sundowners for almost 7 years now. when the sole wore out i paid about $70 to have them resoled and BOOM!!!......new, broken-in boots! greatest feeling and much cheaper than new boots and more confortable than breaking them in

 

[sli74]

also, what wore out on your boots? 2 years is not alot of time. i have had my all leather vasque sundowners for almost 7 years now.

I wish my boots lasted 7 years. Mine usually wear out in about 2 years also . . . about 600-800 miles or so on average. They get so mangled, it is easier to buy new boots.

Argman, I also buy a second pair when I know I really like a pair of boots. BUT, my recent bad luck has been that my feet have grown over a full size in the past 2 years so I have had to reinvest in new boots all around. BUMMER

sli74

 

[Rik]

This is a very common problem with running shoes.

 

[Rick]

Ditto on the New Balance Series I started wearing them around 1999 when I started doing less peaks and more longer distances.

It seems like they have remodeled them every yeaer since. Here is what I have gone through since circa 1999 - I keep buying them (size 11.5 4E) on closeout for around $30-$40 :
NB 801AT
NB 802AT
NB 803AT
NB 804AT
NB 805AT
NB 806AT Still have 3 pairs left (2 worn somewhat and 1 brand new)
NB 807AT Bought 2 pairs last year, in case they get rid of the whole line.

 

[MadRiver]

I was going to replace my EMS Summits GTX with their new Summit GTX II, but noticed that the quality wasn’t quite the same. I chatted with a guy in the store (not an employee) who didn’t like the new Summit GTX II either, so I chose a pair of Asolo instead. So far, so good. I haven’t done anything extensive as of yet, but as soon as ski season ends I can hit the peaks and see how well they fair. I will relegate the old Summits to trail work.

 

[arghman]

also, what wore out on your boots? 2 years is not alot of time.

you're telling me! After about 12 months of use the side stitching started unraveling & a month or two later the front rubber part started tearing off. I don't even hike a huge deal, maybe 200 miles a year tops. I'm probably going to send a letter to EMS on those things. (I can't remember the particular type, it was an EMS-brand boot but I can't find the name on the boot label.)

I could deal with those issues, but the waterproofing no longer really works (even when I reapply nikwax), and there's something unidentifiable in the footbed that seems to have worn out. My previous boots (EMS Dry Hikers which they no longer make either ) were in good shape after 3 yrs of use, but my feet started hurting with them, and when I got new boots they were fine. It's happening again with my present boots. Maybe they can be resoled, but with my foot problems it's a big pain (literally) to try to get this stuff right.

 

[bobandgeri]

We've always found that EMS has excellent Customer Service, as well as most other retial chains/manufactures. Give them a call and explain the situation. Not much they can do about the same model shoe not being made any longer, but maybe they can resole them for you.

Keep in mind that your feet do change over time - your arch drops, causing your foot to lengthen and widen. A new insole may help - have yourself measured for one!

 

[Umsaskis]

Yes, this is a problem. Particularly, the LLBean Nor-Easter boots that I have, which are sooo comfortable, waterproof and work for everything from mud season to deep snow, are just starting to get a few holes in the seams after 10 years. I've been wishing to buy a pair for my husband, and a new pair for me, but they are discontinued. I mentioned to Bean that I wish they made them again. Since I'm an equipment tester, maybe they'll listen.... The same with the Crawford daypack. Most comfortable, lightweight pack I've found thus far, and they don't make that anymore either. I hate spending extra money, but for those things like boots that are so hard to come by the perfect model, I probably ought to buy two at a time, I guess. And of course the Sherpa snowshoe is a similar problem. There was a thread on that recently.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I also hate that!

I bought a set of Merrell Yukon's back in 2000 and loved them. However, when I put on a heavy sock for the winter I noticed a seam down the middle of one boot on the inside. I brought them back to Bean's, who said I could exchange them, no problem. The only problem was they stopped making them and Bean's had changed their lineup again. I couldn't find any that were as well made, so I went back and asked for my old boots to be returned. I used them last weekend to hike Tecumseh, Carrigan, and Owl's Head with no problems, and they still have many years left despite all the crampon scars and 1/2 worn soles.

 

[jrichard]

Nb 807at

NB 807AT Bought 2 pairs last year, in case they get rid of the whole line.

I agree that this is very annoying.

I wish I could find some of those 807s in size 13. I had two pairs, but now they're gone from my local store, and as far as I can tell, size 13 isn't available online.

I might have to try the 808AT.

 

[Quietman]

I agree that this is very annoying.

I wish I could find some of those 807s in size 13.

This guy on Ebay says he has size 13. But pretty pricey, and not a spotless rep.

NB 807

 

[Jasonst]

I agree that this is very annoying.

I wish I could find some of those 807s in size 13. I had two pairs, but now they're gone from my local store, and as far as I can tell, size 13 isn't available online.

I might have to try the 808AT.

I am wearing the 808AT's right now and I don't think I would buy another pair. They breathe well but are kind of flimsy and chinsy.