Post by Bruce on Jun 17, 2024 14:58:54 GMT -8
TL;DR - I have a pair of over 40-year-old hiking boots that seem to be serviceable, could this possibly be?
And by old, I mean, I can't believe how old they are. If memory serves, I picked these up probably around 1980 to 1981?
I don't know how many of you out there are of the same vintage as I am, (early 60's) or if the fashion of the day was similar to what it was where I was growing up, but there was a time back in the early 80s, possibly late 70s, where full-blown hiking boots were quite the fashion statement.
It seemed like close to half of the people I went to high school with would sport them on a regular basis. There was a particular brand that I can't think of at the moment, and I had hoped to get a pair of those as well, but I had a backpacking trip coming up in the Apostle Islands and I needed something for it. Since they were popular, regardless of whether you backpacked or not, it made double sense to me.
The only thing I could find in town that was my size are these boots that I have pictures of. They were almost identical to the ones that all my friends were wearing, again I can't remember what brand that was, I'll have to ask them next time I talk to them to see if they remember. Anyways, got these boots, went on my trip, it went well, and I proceeded to wear them just around town because again, they were in fashion. They were quite an investment if I remember, so I did try to take care of them, but over the years the amount of time I would use them diminished and diminished. It might've even gotten to the point where it may have been a year or two in between moves (I was Air Force) or something when I saw them again and realized I should probably put another application of snow seal on them to keep the leather supple and everything hopefully watertight. Which is what I would do.
But I know there's probably been times where more than a year or two has passed without me attending to them. I just checked on them again, and they seem absolutely fine. I did some quick googling to see if durability of this level was common, but it's not something that seems to come up very often. I'm thinking about taking them on my upcoming trip, but I want to run them through their paces a couple of times to see if anything starts to give.
For those that haven't run across my post already. I've got a very short two day trip along the well-worn paths of Pictured Rocks, National Lakefront. Seeing what people are wearing to backpack these days is night and day from this, but when I put them on today, they still seemed really comfortable, the insoles didn't seem to be crumbling under my feet, and I'm feeling kind of nostalgic.
I was curious about their weight and it looks like they come in just under 7 pounds for the pair. Nothing like hauling around 3 1/2 pounds on each foot. Maybe after my short hike tonight I'll rethink this whole thing.
But I was just curious, anybody else have experience with equipment, specifically boots holding up this long? I am totally shocked that they seem to be ready for action still after all these years.
And by old, I mean, I can't believe how old they are. If memory serves, I picked these up probably around 1980 to 1981?
I don't know how many of you out there are of the same vintage as I am, (early 60's) or if the fashion of the day was similar to what it was where I was growing up, but there was a time back in the early 80s, possibly late 70s, where full-blown hiking boots were quite the fashion statement.
It seemed like close to half of the people I went to high school with would sport them on a regular basis. There was a particular brand that I can't think of at the moment, and I had hoped to get a pair of those as well, but I had a backpacking trip coming up in the Apostle Islands and I needed something for it. Since they were popular, regardless of whether you backpacked or not, it made double sense to me.
The only thing I could find in town that was my size are these boots that I have pictures of. They were almost identical to the ones that all my friends were wearing, again I can't remember what brand that was, I'll have to ask them next time I talk to them to see if they remember. Anyways, got these boots, went on my trip, it went well, and I proceeded to wear them just around town because again, they were in fashion. They were quite an investment if I remember, so I did try to take care of them, but over the years the amount of time I would use them diminished and diminished. It might've even gotten to the point where it may have been a year or two in between moves (I was Air Force) or something when I saw them again and realized I should probably put another application of snow seal on them to keep the leather supple and everything hopefully watertight. Which is what I would do.
But I know there's probably been times where more than a year or two has passed without me attending to them. I just checked on them again, and they seem absolutely fine. I did some quick googling to see if durability of this level was common, but it's not something that seems to come up very often. I'm thinking about taking them on my upcoming trip, but I want to run them through their paces a couple of times to see if anything starts to give.
For those that haven't run across my post already. I've got a very short two day trip along the well-worn paths of Pictured Rocks, National Lakefront. Seeing what people are wearing to backpack these days is night and day from this, but when I put them on today, they still seemed really comfortable, the insoles didn't seem to be crumbling under my feet, and I'm feeling kind of nostalgic.
I was curious about their weight and it looks like they come in just under 7 pounds for the pair. Nothing like hauling around 3 1/2 pounds on each foot. Maybe after my short hike tonight I'll rethink this whole thing.
But I was just curious, anybody else have experience with equipment, specifically boots holding up this long? I am totally shocked that they seem to be ready for action still after all these years.
