Limmer custom boots

[StickSlingers]

This is a stretch, Anyone have any experience with these?
I’m a big fan of heirloom quality items that wear in instead of wearing out. I clean and oil all of my boots religiously.
I have a custom pair of wesco work boots that fit like a glove, ive worn them every day for 6 years and they are on their 3rd resole.
I’ve really wanted to find something similar to fill the role when I’m hunting, tired of buying a new pair of crispis every couple of seasons.
I’ve tried lowas, asolos, & hanwags. seems like i only get 3 years max.
Allegedly these limmers will last 20 years with proper care and resoles. They aren’t cheap, I’m not particularly concerned with the weight (.5lb heavier than crispi Nevadas for the pair) but if they can hold a candle to modern boots as far as comfort goes I’m in.

I’m open to any suggestions

I’m probably putting 500-600 miles on my hunting boots a year in fairly rugged country, western states
Thanks guys


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[EdP]

My hiking friends in NH have stopped wearing Limmers due to excessive weight and stiffness. They ARE great boots and WERE some of the best available for really rough country but the quality commercial brands and new materials and construction techniques have left Limmer behind in some ways. To my knowledge Limmer doesn't use Goretex for waterproofing. A few decades ago I got measured at their shop for a pair of custom boots but 4 years later there was still no estimate of when I would get them so I gave up and cancelled. Another generation of Limmers is running the business now so I can't say what will happen if you order a pair.

 

[StickSlingers]

My hiking friends in NH have stopped wearing Limmers due to excessive weight and stiffness. They ARE great boots and WERE some of the best available for really rough country but the quality commercial brands and new materials and construction techniques have left Limmer behind in some ways. To my knowledge Limmer doesn't use Goretex for waterproofing. A few decades ago I got measured at their shop for a pair of custom boots but 4 years later there was still no estimate of when I would get them so I gave up and cancelled. Another generation of Limmers is running the business now so I can't say what will happen if you order a pair.

Appreciate this input! Yeah they don’t use modern materials at all including gortex they are still pretty waterproof allegedly.
I’m sure modern boots have surpassed their performance! I wish there was a way to quantify by how much.
I may have to try a set knowing that i may be severely dissapointed


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[Macintosh]

I dont own a pair, but I am very familiar with them in a general sense and I know many people who own them. Yes, they are good quality. Yes, you might get 20 years out of them, depends how you wear them out. If its just the soles that need replacing any stitched/welted boot like that is resoleable. Repair gets more involved if you are wearing out the leather upper from scree, dragging toes, etc. But yes, they will last a lot longer than any large scale commercial boot with a glued sole.

No gore tex. Wax em up to waterproof them. The gore liner wont last anyway with that kind of use, so if you want a boot to last with many years of daily use gore isnt really a viable option to begin with.

For sure they are stiff and heavy, but thats part of why they last…and the lightness of other boots is part of why they dont.

Comfort..depends. What is your bottleneck for comfort? If its fit thats one thing. If its padding for mega miles thats another. Boots like this have no padding and generally feel “hard”. A good footbed helps a ton and imo should be a prerequisite. But generally they’ll tell you that the lack of “softness” out of the box will translate into less tired, happier feet after many miles. Some folks subscribe to this theory, others dont. Imo its likely there are multiple “truths” in this regard and no “one correct answer”. So I think you may need to be the judge of whether they meet your comfort requirement.

Do you actually need a custom fit? Limmer makes off the shelf boots that are +\- identical to their customs except for fit (the off the shelf ones are made in germany, but same materials as the customs last I checked). If the last fits you it might be cheaper and easier to just buy a pair off the shelf. They do work with a few retailers so call them and see if someone near you stocks them, or you can try on if you take a trip to NH this summer. Might allow you to try them on before you drop $$$.

 

[StickSlingers]

I dont own a pair, but I am very familiar with them in a general sense and I know many people who own them. Yes, they are good quality. Yes, you might get 20 years out of them, depends how you wear them out. If its just the soles that need replacing any stitched/welted boot like that is resoleable. Repair gets more involved if you are wearing out the leather upper from scree, dragging toes, etc. But yes, they will last a lot longer than any large scale commercial boot with a glued sole.

No gore tex. Wax em up to waterproof them. The gore liner wont last anyway with that kind of use, so if you want a boot to last with many years of daily use gore isnt really a viable option to begin with.

For sure they are stiff and heavy, but thats part of why they last…and the lightness of other boots is part of why they dont.

Comfort..depends. What is your bottleneck for comfort? If its fit thats one thing. If its padding for mega miles thats another. Boots like this have no padding and generally feel “hard”. A good footbed helps a ton and imo should be a prerequisite. But generally they’ll tell you that the lack of “softness” out of the box will translate into less tired, happier feet after many miles. Some folks subscribe to this theory, others dont. Imo its likely there are multiple “truths” in this regard and no “one correct answer”. So I think you may need to be the judge of whether they meet your comfort requirement.

Do you actually need a custom fit? Limmer makes off the shelf boots that are +\- identical to their customs except for fit (the off the shelf ones are made in germany, but same materials as the customs last I checked). If the last fits you it might be cheaper and easier to just buy a pair off the shelf. They do work with a few retailers so call them and see if someone near you stocks them, or you can try on if you take a trip to NH this summer. Might allow you to try them on before you drop $$$.

Macintosh, long time no talk
Love the in depth replies. Sounds like we’re on the same page, they do come with trade offs but I’ve always been a sucker for handmade boots.
I’m sure i don’t NEED a custom fitted boot but man they sure do feel nice after they break in. I wear my custom wescos to work every day and they are so comfortable i usually wear them out as well.
Hoping to take a trip out there to try on their stock boots.
I may have to take the plunge so i can get an honest assessment and update you guys after a couple of seasons. Thank you for the response sir!


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[eidsvolling]

“I like big (boots).” Previous heavy boots were Pivetta 8 and Raichle Montagna,

I currently own a pair of Limmer Standards. My wife has owned their Lightweight and Ultralight. If my Standards ever showed a sign of aging out (not yet, after twenty some years), I’d get in line for Customs.

FWIW, my other favorite brand has been Lowa - Sheephunter (sold under Schnee’s brand, marketed now by Lowa as Tibet Evo GTX Hi), Civetta, SC 2 (Euro patrol boot) and three pairs of Renegades over the years.

If you can’t wait for Customs, hie thyself to New Hampshire and try on some Standards. You might even find a used pair there that fits you.

 

[ESW19]

I just came up on the waiting list and I’m looking to New Hampshire for my final fitting this summer.

The reason I’m going custom is that I can’t seem to find a brand or last shape that works for both of my feet.

I shattered my right ankle as a teenager and cannot find a boot that fits both feet properly.

I’ll report back with a review on the process and the end product.

 

[ElPollo]

I dont own a pair, but I am very familiar with them in a general sense and I know many people who own them. Yes, they are good quality. Yes, you might get 20 years out of them, depends how you wear them out. If its just the soles that need replacing any stitched/welted boot like that is resoleable. Repair gets more involved if you are wearing out the leather upper from scree, dragging toes, etc. But yes, they will last a lot longer than any large scale commercial boot with a glued sole.

No gore tex. Wax em up to waterproof them. The gore liner wont last anyway with that kind of use, so if you want a boot to last with many years of daily use gore isnt really a viable option to begin with.

For sure they are stiff and heavy, but thats part of why they last…and the lightness of other boots is part of why they dont.

Comfort..depends. What is your bottleneck for comfort? If its fit thats one thing. If its padding for mega miles thats another. Boots like this have no padding and generally feel “hard”. A good footbed helps a ton and imo should be a prerequisite. But generally they’ll tell you that the lack of “softness” out of the box will translate into less tired, happier feet after many miles. Some folks subscribe to this theory, others dont. Imo its likely there are multiple “truths” in this regard and no “one correct answer”. So I think you may need to be the judge of whether they meet your comfort requirement.

Do you actually need a custom fit? Limmer makes off the shelf boots that are +\- identical to their customs except for fit (the off the shelf ones are made in germany, but same materials as the customs last I checked). If the last fits you it might be cheaper and easier to just buy a pair off the shelf. They do work with a few retailers so call them and see if someone near you stocks them, or you can try on if you take a trip to NH this summer. Might allow you to try them on before you drop $$$.

On the issue of potentially getting 20 years out of a boot, I’m curious if anyone has done this on any type of boot that they’ve used a lot. For me, I used custom wildland fire boots (Whites and Nicks) for a lot of years. What I found was that a) over time, the uppers stretched in ways that weren’t repairable, b) the repairs I had done, such as repairing the stitching on the back of the ankle, negatively affected the fit of the boot, and 3) your foot size changes over time. I’ve had boots resoled a couple times before they were too worn out to resole. The boots I’ve had rebuilt were never as comfortable as pre rebuild. I figure I will get maybe 2-3 resolings out of a good rebuildable boot. If you like the style and fit of the boot and it’s not 2-3 times the cost, then maybe it makes sense. But the only people I’ve never known to get 20 years out of a boot are the ones who don’t wear them much.

 

[Macintosh]

On the issue of potentially getting 20 years out of a boot, I’m curious if anyone has done this on any type of boot that they’ve used a lot. For me, I used custom wildland fire boots (Whites and Nicks) for a lot of years. What I found was that a) over time, the uppers stretched in ways that weren’t repairable, b) the repairs I had done, such as repairing the stitching on the back of the ankle, negatively affected the fit of the boot, and 3) your foot size changes over time. I’ve had boots resoled a couple times before they were too worn out to resole. The boots I’ve had rebuilt were never as comfortable as pre rebuild. I figure I will get maybe 2-3 resolings out of a good rebuildable boot. If you like the style and fit of the boot and it’s not 2-3 times the cost, then maybe it makes sense. But the only people I’ve never known to get 20 years out of a boot are the ones who don’t wear them much.

I think you’re spot-on, and thats exactly what I was trying to articulate with the “depends how you wear them out” comment. For a guy hiking and hunting, “a couple resoles” may end up being many, many years. 20 years may be a stretch, but for a recreational user who is relatively younger now, it might not. Re:fit, given feet generally flatten and widen, the leather may stretch to accommodate any fit changes. Working in them or true daily use is different, and Ive had the same experience if you need to patch holes in the uppers, etc.
Pretty sure my brother has had his limmers for 10+ years, and does use them daily in the woods for easement checks on forest land. I know a few folks that have had them for similar duration under relatively heavy use. But yeah, if youre a full time logger or do rock work in them, you aint getting 20 years out of the boot. The uppers do have a different construction than the fire boots Im familiar with, I believe these will flex less in the ankle so may wear different, but thats purely a guess on my part.

 

[ElPollo]

I think you’re spot-on, and thats exactly what I was trying to articulate with the “depends how you wear them out” comment. For a guy hiking and hunting, “a couple resoles” may end up being many, many years. 20 years may be a stretch, but for a recreational user who is relatively younger now, it might not. Re:fit, given feet generally flatten and widen, the leather may stretch to accommodate any fit changes. Working in them or true daily use is different, and Ive had the same experience if you need to patch holes in the uppers, etc.
Pretty sure my brother has had his limmers for 10+ years, and does use them daily in the woods for easement checks on forest land. I know a few folks that have had them for similar duration under relatively heavy use. But yeah, if youre a full time logger or do rock work in them, you aint getting 20 years out of the boot. The uppers do have a different construction than the fire boots Im familiar with, I believe these will flex less in the ankle so may wear different, but thats purely a guess on my part.

Agree with all that, but I think the main point I was trying to make was that spending coin on a pair of “forever boots” doesn’t always work out how we plan.

At one point I was going to buy a pair of Limmers. The advice I would give now is to go for the light or ultra light versions. I can say from experience that a couple decades of daily wear of really stiff mountain boots does not so good things to your feet, even with custom fit boots.