The forecast for fresh snow flurries comes from Weather Commerce, a Newzealand weather forecasting group looking to take over the UK’s weather forecast from the Met Office.

Weather Commerce has predicted sleet and snow as well as foggy patches with a high risk of ice in the North and the East as well as temperatures of -3.

You may remember the second wave of snow last February, so now is the time to start dusting off your snow boots and getting ready for another frost, more travel chaos and the usual difficulties bad weather brings to the UK.

So with the country frozen to a standstill once again, I think it’s an excellent time to go for a walk and take in the clear blue skies and cool winter air -so long as it’s not raining of course.

Whether you’re walking over the fields on a wet day in winter or hiking in dry, hot climates, taking the extra time to look after your walking boots can make them last for many more years. So when you’ve found a favourite pair fo walking boots, it’s best to take good care of them.

Basic Walking Boot Care

The first and easiest part of keeping your walking boots in top condition is to keep them as clean as possible. Obviously, they’re going to get covered in all sorts of muck when you’re out walking, but brshing dirt, mud and water off them after every walk will go a long way. Dirt particles are surprisingly abrasive while wet mud can damage just about any boot material over time, so the sooner you clean your walking boots, the better.

Drying your Walking Boots

It’s also important that you dry your walking boots out after each venture into the great outdoors. Leaving them near the fire or putting them in the tumble drier is generally a bad idea because these high temperatures can damage the boot materials and cements used to hold them together.

The best thing to do is to store your walking boots in a dry, warm area like a boiler cupboard. If you need to speed up the drying process, packing dry newspaper inside the boots will absorb moisture much more quickly, allowing your boots to dry much faster.

Of course, if you come back with wet and dirty walking boots, it’s best to dry them first, then brush the dirt off afterwards.

Washing your Walking Boots

Most fabric walking boots can be easily washed on the outside using non-detergent soap and warm water to remove built up dirt. Leather walking boots can also be rinsed off, but repeated washing and drying over time can sometimes dry out the leather babric, making it brittle. To keep the flexibility and natural lustre of leather boots, it’s best to use wax or silicone based treatments.

Oil based treatments are generally unsuitable for leather walking boots as they are designed to soften leather and make them more suple, which can negate the support the material is intended to offer your feet while walking.

Walking Boot Repairs

Finally, your walking boots may become damaged and be in need of repair. Repairing outdoor footwear isn’t easy and traditional walking boots will requitre careful stitching while modern walking boots may require a complex variety of adhesives. Either way, it’s best to take your walking boots to a cobbler to repair the leather, fabric or in the most extreme cases, reattach the sole.

A cobbler may charge you from £20 to £30 or even more, based upon the amount of time and work involved. Obviously, depending on how much you paid for your walking boots, it may be more cost effective to simply buy another pair instead.

It’s a shame to part with a favourite pair of walking boots that have been cleaned and cared for over a period of many years, but sometimes it’s a better idea to invest in the latest footwear rather than repair your tired old boots.

Of course, paying that little bit extra for a pair of high quality walking boots which will better last the test of time is always a good idea.

Today the government is urging families to go for a walk on Christmas day to burn off all the calories cosumed as part of their annual turkey roast dinner.

This comes as a surprise to someone like myself who always goes for a walk after a hearty Christmas dinner. I suppose it’s just as well that its a family tradition in my house to walk off a large dinner when apparently the typical Christmas dinner adds up to 1,500 calories which is a half of a man’s recommended daily intake and three quarters of a woman’s.

Even without a Christmas dinner to walk off, it’s an especially beautiful time of year to go for a stroll with friends, family or a furry companion. With so much of the country ground to a halt by the snow, there’s never been a better time to take some time out and stretch your legs.

All you need is a good pair of walking boots and some warm winter clothing.

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of walking in winter with its clear skies, crisp air and stunning scenery that’s blanketted in snow and sparkling with frost.

While it’s tempting to stay cosy and warm inside at this time of year, staying physically active during the cold winter months can make a very big difference to your health, especially when we’re tempted to eat and drink a bit more than we normally would around Christmas.

If you’re in the habit of falling asleep in front of the television after your Christmas dinner, get up and take the family for a traditional festive walk. You’ll all feel thoroughly better for it and enjoy the exercise, especially is someone starts a snowball fight!

So stay active this Christmas, even if it’s just a casual stroll after your annual Yuletide feast.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Walking.org

Outdoors enthusiasts will be turning their noses up at the mention of Fit Flops, but here at walking.org, we may love a walk in the country, but our real focus is on leading a healthy and active lifestyle through the benefits of walking.

So for people with an incredibly busy lifestyle, products such as Fit Flops can help them to stay in shape by burning calories and getting an extra amount of daily exercise.

What are Fit Flops?

Fit Flops started life as a range of colourful sandals, then as they became more popular and fashion orientated, Fit Flops slippers and even Fit Flops winter boots came into being. However, all of these product are designed to do the same thing, which is give you an extra workout while you walk.

They were originally designed in 2007 by a personal trainer named Marcia Kilgore who created Fit Flops to meet her own needs.

Despite being a personal trainer, she didn’t have much time to go to the gym herself, so to burn extra calories, she would wear fit flop sandals whilst walking to work.

So in many ways, Fit Flops are the quick and convenient exercise solution to the busy modern lifestyle where people don’t have time to go for a walk. Or perhaps they prioritise other things instead?

In order to capture the everyday person who’d like to stay in shape but doesn’t have the time, Fit Flops have been fashionably styled to resemble a range of everyday products that can be worn for walking around the shops, picking the kids up from school, walking to work or even getting the most exercise out of a gentle stroll. So there’s a broad appeal for this kind of product.

How do they work?

Fit Flops are designed to give you an extra workout while you walk. They achieve this using a unique wobble board midsole which works by slightly destabilising your footing. This then stimulates the fast twitching muscles in the glutes, hamstrings, calves and thighs, making your legs and bum work harder when walking, which helps to tone these areas, whilst helping you to stand straighter and improve your posture.

These benefits make weapring Fit Flops an excellent addition to a healthy exercise plan by burning extra calories while working, toning and strengthening your muscles with every step.

Originally, Fit Flops targetted the vanity market, stating that wearing their product regularly will make your legs look more slender and your bum look smaller while displaying countless lifestyle shots of well toned women in their product -and in all honesty, who can blame them?

More recently however, they have focussed on the health benefits of their products, having comissioned a study from biomechanics experts at Salford University, Manchester and the London South Bank University.

The most recent study was performed using the original FitFlop sandals over a 36 month period by Dr David Cook, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics, and Darren James at The Centre for Human Performance at London South Bank University.

The diagram on the right shows the muscle benefits from the case studies in red, which include increased leg, calf and gluteal muscle activity, improved posture, mimickery of a barefoot walking gait but with more muscle load and improved muscle tone.

Meanwhile the blue points are feedback from people who have been wearing Fit Flops and reported relief from plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, chronic back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, RLS, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease and all sorts of other conditions due to the soft cushioning and posture improving characteristics of the Fit Flop midsole.

Summary

Unfortunately, because of the way in which they’ve been initially marketed to the masses, many people will think that Fit Flops are a bit of a fitness gimmick, which is understandable.

But having undergone clinical case studies, scrutiny from the press and critques from everyday people as well as scientific experts, Fit Flops have emerged as an excellent addition to leading a healthy lifestyle.

It’s important to note that they certainly won’t work wonders on their own. A healthy diet and actually walking is essential. Wearing a pair of Fit Flops just gives you that extra bit of exercise whilst walking.

If you’d like to add a pair of Fit Flops to your daily routine to increase your cardiovascular health, you can find a wide range of the best selling styles at www.fitnessfootwear.com

As the rain lashes against the office on a dark and dreary day in November, we can only be thankful that our walking shoes and winter jackets have Gore-Tex in them to keep out the wind and rain while being relatively lightweight and breathable.

Often, the sign of a great product is wether or not it has a Gore-Tex membrane. Although many excellent products comfortably make do with out it, Gore-Tex has become a well known brand name that inspires confidence for a customer to part with their spending money and stand out in the rain without complaint.

How Gore-Tex Works

The Gore-Tex membrane is a specially developed layer made up of billions of microscopic pores. Each of these pores is smaller than a partical of water, but larger than a particle of moisture. Therefore, water may not enter through the membrane, because water particals are too large. However, smaller particals of moisture are able to leave the shoe, through the larger pores in the Gore-Tex membrane.

The end result is a waterproof layer that’s highly breathable by allowing excess heat and moisture to leave the shoe, keeping your feet cool, dry and comfortable.

Gore-Tex Guarantee

This is perfectly fine for hats, jackets, gloves and trousers, but unfortunately, this is where the abilities of Gore-Tex shoes become a little hazy. Because the Gore-Tex brand has a guarantee to keep you dry, this has caused a misconception that you can practically go swimming in a pair of Gore-Tex shoes.

It’s an extreme example, but when a multi-sport shoe that’s mostly made of mesh fabric is submerged in a stream, water is going to eventually leak through and into your socks.

However, this doesn’t mean that the mesh fabric which utilises a Gore-Tex membrane isn’t perfectly suited to protecting your feet from splashes of water and everyday moisture from grass, mud, leaves and other wet things you may encounter outdoors. It’s just not 100% waterproof and nor should it be due to the gaps in the various layers of breathable mesh. The Gore-Tex is merely there to offer some extra protection against getting your feet wet when it’s raining. So a little common sense is in order.

If you’re going to go walking in torrential rain and splashing through streams, then some full blown Gore-Tex boots are undoubtedly a better choice. It’s probably best to stay away from the breathable mesh boots, resembling trainers, which have become increasingly popular in recent years and stick to traditional walking boots.

Brasher and Salomon are two excellent outdoor brands that make fully enclosed walking and hiking boots. Either made with full grain leather or a very dense Water resistant textile, these products use the Gore-Tex membrane to enhance their already excellent water resistance, making them 100% waterproof.

It’s a well known fact that any waterproof treatment reduces the breathability of a boot or shoe and Gore-Tex is no exception. So when someone says Gore-Tex is breathable, this is true. It’s just not as breathable as a shoe without Gore-Tex. This is probably why Gore-Tex multi-sport shoes typically feature so much mesh ventilation. But for when it’s freezing cold and breathability isn’t so much of an issue, or your boots and clothing having moisture wicking inner linings, this is a small price to pay for the extra waterproof protection.

While there are many other types of waterproof protection available from Hi-Tec’s own Ion-Mask treatment to eVent linings, Gore-Tex is consistently the technology of choice for all sorts of outdoors enthusiasts.

Today nearly every outdoor manufacturer produces walking sandals, or as Keen calls them ‘hybrid shoes’ – a half shoe/half sandal that’s perfect for walking and water sports.

So what sets Keen apart from Hi-Tec, Brasher, Merrell, Salomon and our other favourite walking footwear brands?

In terms of brand image, Keen are much like Patagonia, with an eco-friendly philosophy of giving something back to their customers and environment as well as getting involved with a wide range of charity projects from summer fundraising events to Red Cross relief efforts.

But for walkers like you and I who are interested in the technical features, fit and performance of our walking shoes, Keen has to offer something more than an environmentally friendly fairytale. Not that being environmentally aware is a bad philosophy or anything you understand.

So while Hi-Tec offers great value, Merrell are best loved for the comfort of their shoes and Salomon are the top dogs of technical innovation, what can Keen offer?

Patented toe protection. It’s not ground breaking, but it’s something that they do incredibly well. All Keen sandals feature a protective toe and that’s what helped to launch them as a brand in the first place. Otherwise, Keen provide a happy medium between Hi-Tec and Merrell, offering a huge range that equals their competitor brands while offering sensible value.

The look of their Keen footwear is very distinctive however and they’re certainly not shy about the technical features of their products. As a result, Keen seem to have a strong cult following and their products can always be readily found in any high street outdoors shop.

Keen shoes are designed to be colourful and comfortable with a number of protective features from protective toe bumpers to eVent waterproofing. The chunky trail grips of both their sandals, shoes and walking boots are great for all types of terrain as well.

So if you’ve had your eye on Keen footwear for a while now, they’re certainly worth trying. As a young brand, Keen has become the middle man, filling the gaps between the existing outdoor brands while offering a unique combination of comfort, style, performance and protection.

The Targhee II Mid looks like a solid walking boot to tick all the boxes, and for walking during the hot summer months Keen Newport sandals could certainly rise to the challenge of the most demanding outdoor activities.

For a selection of the best selling Keen products, we recommend Fitness Footwear who offer free UK delivery and a speedy dispatch.

But before we begin, you’re probably wondering what the difference is between a walking boot and hiking boot. Simply put, hiking boots typically offer greater rigidity in the sole, additional cushioning and greater ankle support for carrying larger ruck sacks and heavier equipment.

The line between walking boots and hiking boots as blurred over time as outdoor footwear has become more technical and manufacturers have become more carefree with their terminology.

But generally, the more technical features an outdoors boot has, the better it is for hiking rather than walking. Of course, many hiking boots are excellent for walking as well, if a bit heavy due to all the Gore-Tex XCR and other technologies.

Now that Autumn is here and winter will be arriving shortly, we’ve selected 5 current hiking boots that we would recommend. To provide as diverse a selection as possible, we’ve chosen one hiking boot from each manufacturer and targetted different price points typically associated with those brands. So for Salomon, we picked one of the most popular technical hiking boots, while for Hi-Tec we chose one of the most affordable. You get the idea.

We’re going to run through the top 5 hiking boots,explaining why we’ve chosen them, why you would want and them and if they offer sufficient value for money.

Most importantly, are they waterproof? The weather isn’t fantastic at this time of year and if you’re hiking far and wide across open fields and up mountain trails, you’re going to get caught in the rain sooner or later.

Lightweight comfort and breathability are also important. It may not be summer, but this doesn’t mean that your feet can’t become hot and sweaty or heavy from all that walking -especially if you have a ruck sac across your shoulders. Hiking is a much more intense form of walking, so extra points will be awarded to products that are light and breathable with moisture wicking linings to help prevent blisters and even anti-bacterial treatments to reduce the build up of unpleasant odours.

On the trail, rocks and other sharp surfaces are common, so underfoot protection is paramount to comfort. As a result hiking boots feature thick and chunky treads to offer excellent grip on all manner of outdoor surfaces.

So to find out which of the 5 wlaking boots are the best, we’ll award our usual 3 prizes. This way the most expensive boot doesn’t always come out on top and we can give you a clearer guide. So if you’re looking to splash out on a boot with all the technical features, then our Best Performance boot will be the one for you.

Similarly, if you’re looking for a pair of hiking boots on a budget, then our ‘Best Value’ boots should be within your ideal price bracket.

Finally, if you’d like an good all-round hiking boot with an emphasis on looks and comfort, then we always select a boot with the Best Looks from our top 5 too!

Salomon Elios Mid GTX- Autobahn and Asphalt
Salomon describe their best selling Elios Mid GTX as the ultimate mid-cut all weather hiking boot and quite rightly so. Featuring waterproof uppers, Gore-Tex lining and 3D padding, it combines protection, comfort and fit with a breathable ‘mesh sandwich’ to ventilate the sides of the foot. The Contagrip outsole offers excellent grip and each boot comes with an Ortholite sockliner for additional cushioning. Salomon’s reputation for quality in their outdoor footwear is next to none while retaining a style all of their own. So if you’re ever in doubt over which boots to buy, Salomon are always a safe bet.

Hi-Tec V-Lite Altitude Ultra WPi – Chocolate and Light Taupe
Hi-Tec’s latest hiking boots have been selling like hot cakes and it’s clear to see why. The Hi-Tec V-Lite Altitude Ultra WPi is their most technical boot to date, utilising all of their technologies from a lightweight V-Lite build to Ion mask waterproofing combined with traditional waterproof full grain leather uppers and an exclusive Vibram outsole. What you get is a fully featured hiking boot with classic good looks, chunky treads and full waterproof protection. The WPi has been receiving rave reviews and for only a tenner more than the Salomon hiking boot, it’s certainly a good time to ‘buy British’ once again.

Womens Merrell Chameleon Arc Mid Waterproof
A fantastic hiking boot from Merrell. It’s a pity they don’t make a similar model in mens colours. The Merrell Chameleon Arc Mid Waterproof is clearly the most breathable of the hiking boots in our top 5 with plenty of breathable mesh ports along the side as well as a mesh padded tongue and cuff. There’s a long list of injection moulded TPU supports, protective rubber areas, footbeds and advanced cushioning technologies.

Merrell are an American brand renown for the comfort of their products and these Chameleon Arc Mid Waterproof hiking boots are no exception. Their grip is exceptional too with suitably chunky treads as part of their unique Chameleon Arc outsole made by Vibram.

These boots look fantastic and are suitable for all-year usage, but we wouldn’t recommend them for trekking in torrential rain, otherwise they’re surprisingly waterproof for a boot with so much breathable mesh.

Carn Storm Chaser eV Mid
Despite the french looking name and design of their footwear, Carn are a new British footwear manufacturer who have launched into the outdoors market with a range of technical walking shoes, hiking boots and trail running shoes. The Carn Storm Chaser eV Mid is the top of the range product, built on their Carn Storm Chaser eV walking shoes, but with an extended collar design to provide extra ankle support and additional protection against the elements.

What you get is a simple, but great looking hiking boot with eVent waterproofing, a Carn exclusive uTRX sole unit that’s very versatile and offers excellent grip over all terrain as well as AEGIS and Trek-DRY anti-bacterial and moisture wicking linings. While these Carn hiking boots have a lot of great things going for them, the Carn brand seems very expensive on the whole when compared to Salomon and Merrell products of a similar price point. It probably doesn’t help that from the side, the Carn Storm Chaser eV Mid looks like the considerably cheaper Hi-Tec Eurotrek.

Brasher Supalite GTX
Designed to be traditionally styled with super-lightweight comfort and a host of modern features, the Brasher Supalite GTX is a very popular hiking boot, if on the expensive side. However, weighing just 1122 grams, this is the lightest, waterproof, breathable leather hiking boot in existence. So you certainly shouldn’t be as tired as a whole day of hiking. The Supalite GTX is made with full grain leather, a waterproof Gore-Tex lining and a supalite sole unit, making the boot appear very modest considering its cost.

Brasher are always modest about their technical features, which makes their boots difficult to compare against other brands. However, the quality and comfort of their products certainly speak for themselves.

Conclusion Because all of these hiking boots are essentially top of the range walking boots, it's quite close to call for our three awards. But while our top 5 are around the £100 price mark, they are all very different and each have their own areas of specialisation. The Merrel Chameleon for example is the most breathable, the Brasher Supalite is by far the lightest and the offers the greatest level of waterproof protection.

So to keep things simple, here are our three awards to help you prioritise what’s important to you in a hiking boot.

Best Value: Salomon Elios Mid GTX
It was a tough battle between the Elios and the WPi for the Best Value and Best Performance awards, but when the Elios is a good deal cheaper, it’s certainly worth the price. Salomon has an excellent reputation for the comfort, performance and good looks of their products and when measured up to the best selling Merrell or Hi-Tec, their value for money is very apparent.

Best Performance: Hi-Tec V-Lite Altitude Ultra WPi
While the Salomon Elios came close to winning this award, it was the all-round appeal of the Hi-Tec V-Lite Altitude Ultra WPi that won. With its traditional looks, full grain leather uppers and full range of features it’s an excellent hiking boot from a British brand that dedicates itself to offering the leading technologies for less than their competitors.

Best Looks: Womens Merrell Chameleon Arc Mid Waterproof
If there’s one thing Merrell always do well, it’s creating great looking footwear with an emphasis on comfort. The Merrell Chameleon Arc Mid Waterproof is a fine example of Merrell’s unique styling with makes their huge range of outdoor shoes so appealing. Costing roughly the same as the Salomon Elios, it couldn’t compete on performance and value for money, but when it comes to comfort, Merrell products will always be the winner.

We hope that our hiking boots guide has been helpful and provided something for everyone, whether it’s value for money, performance enhancing features or just goodness to honest comfort.

If you’re interested in buying any of these or would like to browse a wider range of hiking boots, then visit www.fitnessfootwear.com who offer the web’s widest choice of sports and outdoor shoes with Free delivery.

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