suggestions on boots for desert hiking
sorry the spelling on that is altama.
No ventilation holes, as these would let the sand in.
Well these may or may not be what you are looking for, but they are an older style Jungle Boot that the Army used towards the end of the Vietnam War. Leather toes-heels, Canvas uppers and two vent holes in the arches.
Blackheart
The whitethorn acacia in the Sonoran Desert is among the worst I've seen for penetrating gear. Maybe it's similar to what Leo experienced in the Middle East. Cholla (not Jolla) can make it through a soft sole, but not very often. Experienced desert hikers carry a pair of hemostats for that nasty bomb. Cholla has the distinction of being more painful than most other spines.
The Sonoran Desert is unusual in that it has two annual rainy seasons, so it sees a preponderance of veg growth. It's quite different from the Colorado and Mojave Deserts on the PCT.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Thanks - something like that, although I might modify it with more holes. With my feet the shape they're in, I need a 'boot' sole, but when it's 110 degrees out (and the ground who knows how much hotter) I need a way not to sweat myself to death.Originally Posted by BuckeyeBill
@garlic: Thanks for the corrections - Cholla, it was (wasn't it a Jumping Cholla? Anyway, it went through the shoe like it were butter)
Regarding the Jungle Boots linked by BuckeyeBill, from the look I would count them into the 90% fashion rather than into serious hiking footware.
But who knows - unless you really give them a try and run some hard tests yourself.
I never used this particular style of boot. When I was a law enforcement officer I wore an all leather/steel toe jump style boot with a side zipper. Took about 2 weeks to break them in, and they lasted about a year and a half before I needed to replace them. But 95% of the time I was on asphalt or concrete. The uppers held up well but the sole wore down. I would have had them resoled, but the nearest place was 45 miles away. Good luck in your search.
Blackheart
These should last you for a few years. Made from the rubber of a car tire
Zulu-Sandals0.jpg
The sole itself might never wear down, but how's the ribbons attatched to the sole?
It was exactly this point where all the broken sandals i got hands on needed a fix.
I would have to guess and say they are pretty sturdy. Those that make them, make them to use them, and as such attention is paid to the construction. They not super light but neither heavy.
Alternatively, if you a handyman, you can have a bash at making your own.
Looks awfully methy.
We call them Jesus Slippers and yes, at times I made some myself, but youfully threw them away when this funny periode in my life was over.
Have yet to see some Western people do serious (desert) hiking wearing such stuff.
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