Hi,
Am on the lookout for new boots as I find my current ones (Berghaus, Hillmasters II GTX) very slippery on wet rock which is far from ideal for the walking on the Mournes. What boots would you suggest I look at?
Thanks
Vibrams Artic Grip tech looks interesting, it's still on a small range of boots at the moment but hopefully more companies incorporate it into their foot-wear ranges:
http://www.merrell.com/UK/en_GB/arctic-grip/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8gmBdC0FaM
I find my Salomon Quest/Cosmic grip well on wet rock, although that may be due to a more flexible sole and therefore more surface contact with the rock.
I've been wearing Brasher Hillwalker GTX Boots for a few years now. I don't like fabric boots and they're comfy, reasonably priced and well made. Brasher did have an issue a few years back where they changed manufacturer and their quality dropped but they're back to decent quality again now.
Meindl for me, I would buy nothing else. I find them reasonable priced and a fantastic bit of kit.
It's been said before but the boots that fit best are the ones that you'll get on with. For instance there are some brands out there that I can't wear having a fairly broad forefoot. It's fair to embark on a search for particular feature e.g. leather/fabric/mid-height, but I'd recommend trying on the various boots of all makes that fit that profile. If the pair at say £40 more expensive fit better then buy them, on the other hand don't buy a pair of 'reasuringly expensive' boots if they don't feel any better on.
I wear Scarpa Ranger 2s. I did have a few pairs of very light GTX fabric boots but they just kept leaking. That's not ideal for some of the walking I do.