Kitchen Garden Forum

I have always recycled my toetecter work shoes and worn them on the allotment whenever they were replaced with new by whichever company I was working for.I am finding now that these 63yr old feet are feeling the pain and it is time to treat them to a NEW pair!All suggestions,with regards to gardening footwear,welcome!!

Evening Snooky, it's still toetecter builders boots for me at the moment, so i can't really be of much help, but i'm sure someone will have some suggestions for you.

when i was working on concete floors all day i used boots with air cushion soles, it really made a big difference.

Hi Snooky,
My feet are considerably older than yours and I wear Dickie's steel toe capped boots and I find them very very comfortable. They may be a little heavier than shoes but I actually prefer them to my shoes.
JB.

Snooky. Though toetectors are OK, I find in the winter the toes do get a bit colder. I bought a cheap pair of hiking boots, cushion sole , good support on the ankles,and very comfortable.

I usually use cheapish walking boots for gardening but last week I indulged myself with a very comfortable pair of Hush Puppies waterproof boots for £40 from a designer outlet store (Boundary Mill). The old pair had too many leaks and I was getting fed up with wet feet. I don't like toe protector boots.

I use walking boots or wellies.
However, my old walking boots are now too worn on the sole and I am going to get a cheap pair instead. I think my "best" walking boots will get ruined if I keep using them on the allotment but they are comfortable.
I was looking at http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=6880or possibly http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=7140. Both are cheap enough, but I would prefer to try them on before purchasing, which is why i have yet to make the purchase.

Hi Geoff,
I use steel toecaps because of the nature of my work. Too many draw bars to drop on unprotected tootsies. I actually find them a pleasure to wear as they give my toes plenty of room.
JB.

I have a 15 year old pair of salomon walking boots, still in tact and waterproof, comfy with vibram soles, i don't even clean em, they are great!

CoMpO

You often see old people wearing slippers in the garden, these must be pretty comfortable.

oldherbaceous wrote:You often see old people wearing slippers in the garden, these must be pretty comfortable.

OH, You shouldn't let all of Old Codgers secrets out you know

Stephen wrote:I use walking boots or wellies.
However, my old walking boots are now too worn on the sole and I am going to get a cheap pair instead. I think my "best" walking boots will get ruined if I keep using them on the allotment but they are comfortable.
I was looking at http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=6880or possibly http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=7140. Both are cheap enough, but I would prefer to try them on before purchasing, which is why i have yet to make the purchase.

Hi Stephen,

A couple of years ago I bought a pair of walking boots from Cotton Traders, as did my other half at the same time. Both pairs went in the bin very quickly. Most definitely the poorest quality and most uncomfortable boots we've ever had. Funnily enough I was chatting to my son a few days ago and he had recently bought some as well, and they went the same way as ours.

I use an old pair of Doc Martin's but they're getting a bit worn in the uppers, but the soles last forever. Need some new inbetween the house and plot shoes, had a pair of cheap cloggies, so am keeping an eye out for them. They're great for popping out with the laundry or rubbish when the grass is wet.

Dear P.J, Old Codger cuts the front off his allotment slippers, so that he doesn't have to cut his toe nails.

Jack
Thanks for the heads up on the quality. Sometimes you pick up bargains and at other times things are made down to a (too low) cost.
In the light of your advice I may try and find a cheaper apir of boots loacally (I prefer to buy from local suppliers)

My experience with steelies (which I wear often for work) is that my big toes rub on the back edges of the steel toecap (just a bit), so I try to limit the length of time that I wear them.