How much of poor fitting boots is just the insoles/lacing? I have a pair of Zamberlans that I have a love/hate relationship with. Sometimes they feel flawless, other times they bruise the crap out of my achilles. For a while they hurt the balls of my feet until I got a pair of superfeet orange. That fixed the bruising but elevated the heel, so I had to peel the plastic heel cup off the insert and that helped the issue. But some days one lacing method works, and another I have to use a different system. I love the durability of these boots, and on good days they feel amazing. They also always feel fantastic with 70 lbs on my back. And now, after 5 years they're about worn out.
Do I go looking for a new manufacturer? Or do I buy a new pair of Zamberlans, now that I know most of the quirks? I feel like every other boot company that I look into has something that scares me away. My general sense after too much research is that Crispi's wear out a little too fast (rubber rand, especially) Kennetreks have spotty waterproofing record, and the soles might be a bit soft, and they're heavy. Meindl's get great reviews, I just haven't tried them. Asolo doesn't make any full rand boots in size 14. Hanwag has some interesting synthetic models, but those won't wear as long as full leather. Schnees seems to have mixed reviews about durability/waterproofing. Lowa's have fallen into my "nope" category, but I don't remember why. Same deal for Scarpa. Danner? Hahahahah! Yeah... no. Had those once upon a time and no. And to top it all off, I'm not close to a retailer that carries many of these boots for me to try them on.
In short, I love everything about my Zamberlans except for the ongoing battle for perfect fit. I also know that I do better in them when I wear them more often. Maybe my feet just need to stay in boot shape? Thoughts? Advice?
Do I go looking for a new manufacturer? Or do I buy a new pair of Zamberlans, now that I know most of the quirks? I feel like every other boot company that I look into has something that scares me away. My general sense after too much research is that Crispi's wear out a little too fast (rubber rand, especially) Kennetreks have spotty waterproofing record, and the soles might be a bit soft, and they're heavy. Meindl's get great reviews, I just haven't tried them. Asolo doesn't make any full rand boots in size 14. Hanwag has some interesting synthetic models, but those won't wear as long as full leather. Schnees seems to have mixed reviews about durability/waterproofing. Lowa's have fallen into my "nope" category, but I don't remember why. Same deal for Scarpa. Danner? Hahahahah! Yeah... no. Had those once upon a time and no. And to top it all off, I'm not close to a retailer that carries many of these boots for me to try them on.
In short, I love everything about my Zamberlans except for the ongoing battle for perfect fit. I also know that I do better in them when I wear them more often. Maybe my feet just need to stay in boot shape? Thoughts? Advice?