Priceless Paintings from W7

I tore my trusted Karrimor walking boots some while ago (in Borneo), so when we planned for the coastal path hike, I went and bought some new ones.

I bought a pair of Karrimor KSB Tour Event, and wore them for just one short weekend in the open – broken. Eyelets have torn out, obviously poorly designed and manufactured. I returned the boots and, after a couple of days, Karrimor acknowledged the problem and authorised a refund. Nice.

Next, I went and bought some North Face Cedar Ridge instead. I loved the Cedar Ridge because they were so wonderfully comfortable, but after only one day of wearing around the shops, eyelets tore out. Again! There wasn’t even a trace of stitching or glue on the torn-out pull strap; God knows how this was supposed to last. Same deal again: return to store, they return to manufacturer, they acknowledge fault and authorise refund. Nice.

Next, I went and bought some Scarpa Mistral GTX, and felt at home in those shoes immediately. I wore them for a few hours before we started our trip and was a bit concerned given how little experience I had with those shoes prior to the trip. But, all was well, and Scarpa’s my friend. Definitely. They have the perfect fit, are lightweight, and show absolutely no sign of falling apart. Just as one would expect from a £100 pair of shoes, they’re good shoes.

Out and About, Thoughts hiking, karrimor, north face, scarpa