I also own a pair of walking shoes for more light-weight, day-in day-out walking. I use them almost every day, but my current pair of Brasher only just gave their money’s worth: the sole is already falling apart, the cap and other parts of the surface are breaking up. While they are still usable, the end of their life is near and foreseeable.

This time, I went straight in for Scarpa, didn’t even look at the alternatives, and bought a pair of Scarpa Meridian GTX. (Why the GTX? Don’t ask for the sense in marketing…) Although I only walked them for less than 2 miles so far, I am already in love – it is now a love triangle between the boots, the shoes and myself.

Oh, and the laptop, the tablet PC, the Le Creuset frying pan, the Neff ovens, oh, and the wife. That’s a different story though.

Seriously, these shoes are a perfect fit, and look and feel like they would be up for the job. Time will show.

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.