Posted: 9/7/2010 9:35:10 AM EDT
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I am still looking for a pair of boots. I need some ankle support. I am not looking for the latest and greatest boots. I am not humping 120 pounds into a firefight. Just everyday wear and some light hiking.
What do you guys think about these.? Price seems OK. http://cgi.ebay.com/Belleville-Gore-Tex-Cold-Weather-Leather-Boot-8-5W-/320571694867?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa38fdf13 |
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shoes are one thing I prefer to try on since sizes do tend to vary between brands. Price looks ok on those but nothing special. I'd check out academy, basspro, cabelas or some other local sporting goods store rather than risk mailorder. I have been to just about every place that sells shoes in town. They have nothing in a hiking boot with ankle support in my size that I liked, so I am pretty much forced into mail order. I know there is a sizing risk with mail order, but it would appear to be mail order or no boots and fall is rapidly approaching, and I want some ankle support so I can more comfortably hike the horse trails and other rougher trails with the creek beagle. |
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I'd say look at Cabela's brand boots. I have bought a couple different styles and all have been well worth the money paid. It would still be mail order and I have no clue what to get. I have had good luck in the past with military style boots. I took at look at the Cabelas web site and nothing in my size tripped my trigger. |
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Well, since you appear to have no other options (no place local to try them on), I think they are fine.
Belleville is a good company and have been making boots a long time. The seller has only one negative feedback in the last 12 months. It was due to a size problem and he states he offered the person a refund, so I would buy them and continue to march. 
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I am more interested in positive or negative comments on the boots themselves. I would have thought with all the (ex)military guys here that a bunch of people would have been able to help me out with their opinions on these style of boots. I wore Bellevilles when I was in the army and I liked them. I cannot say that I wore that exact style, sorry. They have been in business for over a hundred years and I think they have been making boots for the military since WW I, so, they must be doing something right. I believe they are still made in the USA. |
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USA Danners. I like Acadias. My next pair will be an all leather model. They make a short 6" version- Patrol. Good boots for me. I have a mid length pair of Columbia hiking boots now. Very comfy and great everyday and hiking shoes but I need more ankle support for the more uneven tails I like to hike. My ankles get sore. When I was wearing the cheap Chinese made jungle boots, my ankles felt better. But it is really late enough in the season that getting a better pair of jungle boots is less of an option since I would not get much use out of them. So I was looking for a boot I could wear most of the time until next summer when I would get a nicer pair of jungle boots for the summer. |
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I am still looking for a pair of boots. I need some ankle support. I am not looking for the latest and greatest boots. I am not humping 120 pounds into a firefight. Just everyday wear and some light hiking. What do you guys think about these.? Price seems OK. http://cgi.ebay.com/Belleville-Gore-Tex-Cold-Weather-Leather-Boot-8-5W-/320571694867?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa38fdf13 I think you'd be better served by a good pair of civvy hiking boots. The type you showed are fairly heavy and bulky, and they'll likely be uncomfortably warm in warmer weather. What size do you wear? |
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I am still looking for a pair of boots. I need some ankle support. I am not looking for the latest and greatest boots. I am not humping 120 pounds into a firefight. Just everyday wear and some light hiking. What do you guys think about these.? Price seems OK. http://cgi.ebay.com/Belleville-Gore-Tex-Cold-Weather-Leather-Boot-8-5W-/320571694867?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa38fdf13 I think you'd be better served by a good pair of civvy hiking boots. The type you showed are fairly heavy and bulky, and they'll likely be uncomfortably warm in warmer weather. What size do you wear? But it is really late enough in the season that getting a better pair of jungle boots is less of an option since I would not get much use out of them. So I was looking for a boot I could wear most of the time until next summer when I would get a nicer pair of jungle boots for the summer.
I am a 13W. One would think that it would not be all that hard to find a suitable boot around here but there is just nothing in the stores in my size in a taller boot. I am inclined to agree the boots shown would be uncomfortable in the summer, but I am looking for something until summer. It's not going to be real warm around here until May or June. But it will be cold. Do you have a specific brand and model in mind? Even online it is not all that easy to find the taller boots other than in a heavy work boot. I guess they just are not real popular. |
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Well...... you do live in the People's Republic of Illinois, why not just drive on over to the Belleville factory in Belleville IL right by Scott Air Force base? I'm about 99% sure they have a store or at least the boot shops near by carry their product line.
The combat Bellevilles are nice but are spartan like the Altamas. I'd pick some up through Mil surplus but wouldn't pay retail for them. I was in your "shoes" recently with this same search. I ended up going with Danner's TFX/GTX temperate boot. I've worn them around all summer with no issues. I plan to use them out hunting this winter too and should do just fine. |
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The combat Bellevilles are nice but are spartan like the Altamas. I'd pick some up through Mil surplus but wouldn't pay retail for them. They are not real pricey at full retail. Under $50 shipped. Does anyone have any links where I could get them significantly less? I was in your "shoes" recently with this same search. I ended up going with Danner's TFX/GTX temperate boot. I've worn them around all summer with no issues. I plan to use them out hunting this winter too and should do just fine.
Thank you for the advice. The only ones I found in a quick search were 3X+ the price, and finding any in a color other than desert was non-trvial. I will have to think on that some. |
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For serious SHTF use, I would be looking for boots with HARD soles. I would not want debris (nails, rebar, glass,...) to poke through the sole and stab me in the foot. Puncture wounds can be particularly bad. Don't most military boots have a steel or fiberglass shank these days? In any case, I am not all that worried about a "serious SHTF" event at this point. just looking for some boots to walk/hike in that have decent ankle support. Quoted:
Wow, that's cheap for Bellevilles. They make one very fine boot, however I wouldn't be planning on long summer hikes in those. Tj Summer is over. I will worry about summer when it comes back. I am more worried about cool than hot right now. |
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One of the most consistent things I've experienced about Belleville boots is that they are sized smaller than other makers. I wear a 10.5W Belleville, but an 11.5W Altama and 12W New Balance running shoes. Your feet might be different, but dimensionally they are the same since I've got 2 pairs of orthotics insoles that I routinely swapped between the 3.
Besides that little issue, they are some of the hardest wearing boots I've ever owned. I've got 2 pairs of boots that I alternated throughout a year in Iraq: a pair of Altamas and a pair of Bellevilles. I still wear the Bellevilles as field boots, the Altamas didn't make it. As for lightweight hikers, have you checked out HiTec? They sell them at every Academy store I've been in and they are good quality and durable, IME |
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For serious SHTF use, I would be looking for boots with HARD soles. I would not want debris (nails, rebar, glass,...) to poke through the sole and stab me in the foot. Puncture wounds can be particularly bad. Don't most military boots have a steel or fiberglass shank these days? In any case, I am not all that worried about a "serious SHTF" event at this point. just looking for some boots to walk/hike in that have decent ankle support. Quoted:
Wow, that's cheap for Bellevilles. They make one very fine boot, however I wouldn't be planning on long summer hikes in those. Tj Summer is over. I will worry about summer when it comes back. I am more worried about cool than hot right now. Well if you are a combat boot fan, Bellvilles have one very solid reputation as being top notch and that's an unbelievable price. My concern would be the price is too good to be true and there has to be a catch. Tj |
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Combat Boots have wrecked my feet pretty well. I prefer Merrel goretex hiking boots. Can always splurge for some asolo's or lowa's too. Yes, I'm a Merrel fan myself. I have three pair now. A Gortex for winter, a breathable pair for summer, and low quarters for casual. They are extremely comfortable and well built boots that you can go hiking the day you take them out of the box. They have excellent arch and ankle support, good traction, and their Vibran soles provide an amazing cushioned walk. I really like the shoe string arrangement which can provide very tight support like combat boots but unlike combat boots extremely easy to take off and put on. They were a great replacement for my old issue combat boots which use to be my field boots for decades. I went though a number of boots before I settled on Merel including Danner hiking boots. I'm totally sold on them, unfortunately my wife has discovered them too and she now has twice as many pairs as me. 
Tj |
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<snip> Well if you are a combat boot fan, Bellvilles have one very solid reputation as being top notch and that's an unbelievable price. My concern would be the price is too good to be true and there has to be a catch. Tj It appears that the catch is those are size 8.5W and the OP states he wears size 13W. I have seen Bellevilles at a surplus store in San Antonio for a similar price, but the problem is they also only had sizes 8.5 or less. |
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<snip> Well if you are a combat boot fan, Bellvilles have one very solid reputation as being top notch and that's an unbelievable price. My concern would be the price is too good to be true and there has to be a catch. Tj It appears that the catch is those are size 8.5W and the OP states he wears size 13W. I have seen Bellevilles at a surplus store in San Antonio for a similar price, but the problem is they also only had sizes 8.5 or less. That was just an example. There were other examples in my size. They seem plentiful right now. I am guessing Belleville made a batch up for a GI contract and made some extras to sell on the side. Anyone else find that Bellevilles tend to run larger than the size indicated? I have not heard that anywhere before. |
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For serious SHTF use, I would be looking for boots with HARD soles. I would not want debris (nails, rebar, glass,...) to poke through the sole and stab me in the foot. Puncture wounds can be particularly bad. Don't most military boots have a steel or fiberglass shank these days? In any case, I am not all that worried about a "serious SHTF" event at this point. just looking for some boots to walk/hike in that have decent ankle support. I don't know anything about combat boots but I do know there are lots of hiking boots out there, almost all of them, really, that have soft soles for initial wearer comfort. The thing is, when you really need it, these boots will leave you with sore feet. Hiking down hill or on rocks and debris is really tough without a stiff-soled boot. |
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I ended up buying these for $43 shipped.
Belleville Gore-Tex Cold Weather Leather Boots 13W http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320474811119&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.com%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp3907.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D320474811119%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1 I plan to remove the insoles I bought from the jungle boots that failed and reuse them. I screwed around long enough looking around town for something I liked. If I don't like them, I will ship them back and just pay the $10 return shipping fee. I will let you guys know how they work out. |
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Hello ,
I've had really happy feet with with a good pair of smartwool socks & asolo boots. I have a pair of the fugitives & fsn95s , if you want to spend alittle more $ you might want to check into them. Asolo boots carry wide sizes which was great for me. sierra trading post has a sale on them right now if interested. goodluck , Pep |