Limmers: Not Your Off-the-Shelf Hiking Boots (NHPR)

[dr_wu002]

This was intended to be purely FYI, not that I mind the direction. Let me hijack my own thread and ask the trail runner advocates about waterproofing - how waterproof are they?

AIn't that the fun of it? Things never turn out how you intended...

No waterproffing. Jump over the mud, deal with the rain. They dry out quick (with wool socks) and, in general, I don't feel any wet socks thing after a few minutes. I did 9 days hike on a very muddy/rainy Long Trail last summer with only 1 extra pair of socks and trail runners. I soaked the socks a few times at streams when I could and wrung 'em out at night. I had nasty feet (so did everybody) but for the most part they were happy feet. Never ever had a problem otherwise and 1/2 the time I just walk through stream crossings, completely soaking my shoes. The shoes release water quick and wool is just awesome.

-Dr. Wu

 

[Pete S]

User impacts

Another side thread could discuss the impact of hikers wear various type of footware. I have often notice trail running shoe prints taking the path around the edges of wet areas of the trail, hence making the wet area larger. Many of the prints through the mud are vibram soles, common on heavier boots.

I am the first to admit that I head through the mud when wearing boots, and around the edge of the mud in trail runners.

My impact on the trail is heavier the lighter my shoes get!

 

[Andrew]

How so? I have tried and have had foot pain and felt less stable carrying a heavy backpack with shoes with flexible soles? I know many people do it, I haven't been able to. I suppose I could with an overnight pack, but not with a 5-7 day pack. I see others doing it -- I think heavier pack weight is the point where I need tougher shoes over trail runners.

I have had good luck with Asolos -- I don't see myself ever buying Limmers. I'm not the type to religiously clean and care for leather.

I too prefer more a more solid sole underfoot. Last year I was at Cabelas in Hartford and lucked upon a pair of Danner Mountain Lights on the discount rack, cost me only $40 brandy new. Funny thing that I had been eyeing that boot in the catalogs since my early teens, and actually was really hoping to find some that day.

I love this boot now since it is low cut below the ankle bones which I prefer, but is heavy leather traditional construction with thick Vibram sole. I will admit that the low cut and boot mass does create a tendency to want to turn the ankle since the boot has a lot of mass.

Not sure if you can find this boot anymore?

 

[dirtpig67]

Here's the link contained in that thread for the NZ boot shop.

In addition to that shop, I have found another NZ shop that makes handmade boots:

http://www.lastrite.co.nz/index.php

Their videos on their website are pretty cool.

 

[Silverfox]

I have a pair of limmer size 10.5 with double thick tongue with about 300 miles on them..broken in and good boots if you are kicking out water bars or

something..first $100 takes them

as for peak bagging..

I will take trail runners ANYTIME..montrails..they grip and fit though becoming a fan of inov8s...no use for heavy stiff boots and I have not worn the limmers in a couple of years..

 

[BF]

In defense of Limmers…

A few hundred miles is barely enough to break in a pair of Limmers.

I have about 5,000 miles on my custom Limmers. Limmer just rebuilt them for the third time. (New scree collar, inside heel liner, lace hooks and sole).

35 years ago I started backpacking with off-the-shelf stiff heavy boots because, at that time, that’s all that was available. I occasionally left them at home and hiked in sneakers. (Long before trailer runners were fashionable.) I would stiffen them up with hard plastic insoles. When lightweight leather boots were available I tried them. Later, I hiked in Tevas. When the light weight Gore-tex was available I hiked in them.

Then sometime in the mid 90s I got my custom Limmers. I’ve never been disappointed. Heavy, yes. Old, outdated, big, heavy clodhoppers, no. At the end of a long day, carrying a backpack at nearly 2 miles an hour, my feet do not fatigue or blister as they did in the other shoes. My ankles do not twist or roll. They grip rocks just fine. They stay true to their form when hiking for days in the rain, and surprisingly, for having an all leather upper, they dry out quite quickly. They are also watertight when stepping in streams. And, while making camp at the end of a long day I do not have the need to rip them off my feet.

The cost of Limmers spread out over fifteen years far outweighs the cost of buying multiple pairs of boots over the same time period. In addition, trying to find a new pair of boots year after year that fits the same or as good as the last pair can be futile.

And lastly, you can not find or get better attention and personal customer service anywhere else as you get from Limmer.

 

[BoulderBum]

The theory of the big heavy boot (as it was explained to me) is that the muscles in your feet are not as strong as the muscles in your legs. Which is why, at the end of a long day backpacking, you feel much less fatigued if you are wearing the heavy clodhoppers. (Mine are Fabianos... bought just before Scarpa took them over, 2 resoles and still going strong 11 years later.). The constant fatiguing of the muscles in your feet could lead to micro-fractures in your meta-tarsals. We are designed by nature to last 30-40 years. Technology helps us keep the machine in one piece the other 60-70 (I'm going for +80 )

Now.... the debate in the running world right now is about getting back to barefoot, because sneakers make people lazy, and that is how heel-striking starts... and back problems. We are meant to move on our toes.... and if we do, we end up with stronger calfs and ankles.

Personally, on relatively flat ground or well maintained trails... I can see the trail-runner being awesome. However, I once hiked the Grand Teton in approach shoes, so I wouldn't have to switch to climbing shoes for the technical bits, big mistake, very sore feet. Shoulda wore the Fabianos.

From Plastic to Barefoot.. there is a time and place for everything.

 

[Nessmuk]

In defense of Limmers…
...Then sometime in the mid 90s I got my custom Limmers. I’ve never been disappointed. ... Old, outdated, big, heavy clodhoppers, no. At the end of a long day, carrying a backpack at nearly 2 miles an hour, my feet do not fatigue or blister as they did in the other shoes. My ankles do not twist or roll. They grip rocks just fine. They stay true to their form when hiking for days in the rain, and surprisingly, for having an all leather upper, they dry out quite quickly. They are also watertight when stepping in streams. And, while making camp at the end of a long day I do not have the need to rip them off my feet....

Everything above, ditto for me. My backcountry trips most often include a substantial bushwhack off trail, often with a heavy backpack and pack canoe overhead. In the part of the Adirondacks I travel the remnants of the 1995 blowdown are still quite significant and smooth ground is a luxury, much less a cleared trail. I really want something substantial on my feet in those conditions. I bought a pair of "lightweight" Limmers off-the-shelf from the Mountaineer in Keen NY when Limmer briefly experimented with OTS sales several years ago. I love them and wouldn't think of hiking my kind of hike without them. My only disappointments were when Limmer ceased OTS sales and when I was passing through the southern NH region I called Limmer to see if they had any in stock at the shop. I was told my size was available. When I got there that wasn't so and I left empty handed, disappointed. No matter, the pair I have are still going strong.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

However, I once hiked the Grand Teton in approach shoes, so I wouldn't have to switch to climbing shoes for the technical bits, big mistake, very sore feet. Shoulda wore the Fabianos.

I rock climbed in the Tetons up to moderate grades in Limmers before I bought my first pair of Superguides. However, the long approaches were brutal for my feet in the Guides, so I switched back to Limmers, and carried a pair of klettershoes on a carabiner in case I encountered something too thin for the Limmers. However, my Limmers were excellent for offwidth jam cracks, such as those on Devils Tower and Yosemite.

 

[kaseri]

We are meant to move on our toes.... and if we do, we end up with stronger calfs and ankles

I've preached this to my competitive boxers for years. I converted all of them from running with the heel striking first to running totally on the balls of the feet. They have significantly increased ankle and calf strength, reduced stresses on the knee and lowered the time it takes them to run 1 mile.

When it comes to sturdy hiking boots I've got a brand new pair of custom made boots completely broken in and ready to be hiked in. Now I need to get this damn ACL rehab finished so I can get back out on the trail. As of right now it looks like I'll have to wait till next summer to use my boots. Oh well... I prefer winter hiking anyhow.

 

[sardog1]

And the hits just keep on coming

So, today we drove to the Intervale mother ship to inquire about what could be done with my wife's Ultralights. After eight years of fairly constant use for dog walking, the soles started to separate at the very tips of the toes. Ultralights are the exception among Limmer boots, in that a Norwegian welt is not used on them but instead the sort of glued-on sole construction that has become de rigeur among most other manufacturers of hiking boots. (BTW, we found out today that the Ultralight design has been abandoned, with a hint that it was for just this reason, i.e., the delamination.)

The response was yes, the boots could be fixed, probably while we went on to Pinkham for lunch. I didn't ask about the cost, and my wife is the sort who happily pays sticker price on a car rather than dicker, if she can get away with it without me knowing. As we prepared to leave, I brought up an idea that I had floated on the way up -- maybe a pair of Light-Weights would be something to consider? They would be in between the Ultralights and her very stiff, very well-made Pivetta 5s, which she acquired long ago but rarely uses these days. She agreed to give the Light-Weights a go in the shop.

I knew the boots had been sold when I saw them on her feet and saw her reaction. Should we pay to have him fix the Ultralights as well? "Oh, I'm not going to charge you anything for fixing those." I worked in outdoor gear retail for several years. I know from defective and worn. These boots were worn.

There was some more fit testing of the Light-Weights, followed by a recommendation to try the next larger size. The big toe on one foot was making contact with the front end when the foot was shoved against the front, as in going downhill. But alas, the next size was not to be had today. It would be available in a week or so, and she would be called when it arrived. I bought replacement laces for my Standards and some boot grease and we left for Pinkham.

After lunch, we found the Ultralights ready and waiting on the shop counter. Drove home, and the phone rang. A pair of Light-Weights in the desired size had just been located, having been placed among the Standards in error. I made a very quick calculation, followed by a (probably foolish) statement that I could make it back to the shop before closing. I was advised to call as I approached -- the closing could be delayed somewhat if I were near.

Arrived two minutes after the scheduled closing, to find another customer being fitted for a to-be-envied pair of Limmer Walking Shoes. Another couple minutes and I was out the door with the Light-Weights.

Oh, and the occasion for acquiring the Pivetttas? A Bighorn Mountains honeymoon trip that started on this date, thirty-four years ago today.

 

[Brambor]

prices

I have not seen prices on their web site. Could someone give me an idea what do the Lightweights sell for ?

Thank You.

 

[sardog1]

Light-Weights are $290.00 new. (I think Standards are now $335, but don't hold me to that. Mid-Weights "might" be the same as Standards?) They also sell used boots on consignment at the mother ship in North Conway. I saw a nice pair of used Light-Weights, size 11.5, with a custom tongue pad added (for low volume feet like mine), listed at $225.00. I didn't notice other used Light-Weights, but i wasn't really looking.

 

[dirtpig67]

Light-Weights are $290.00 new. (I think Standards are now $335, but don't hold me to that. Mid-Weights "might" be the same as Standards?) They also sell used boots on consignment at the mother ship in North Conway. I saw a nice pair of used Light-Weights, size 11.5, with a custom tongue pad added (for low volume feet like mine), listed at $225.00. I didn't notice other used Light-Weights, but i wasn't really looking.

Those prices are probably about right based on what I paid a couple years ago.

If anyone is really interested, just e-mail Limmer and they will e-mail you back the current price list.

 

[Brambor]

Thanks

nah. I just wanted to know if they are in my 'ability to pay' range.

Looks like I will pay them a visit soon.