Shoes on a narrowboat

[carlt]

Never, never, ever wear Timberland's! They are absolutely lethal on damp stone, marble, painted gunwales. 100% suicide footwear!

 

Couldn't disagree more!

 

I've worn my Timberlands in all weathers, on all surfaces and (almost) always outperform the state of the art "technical" shoes and boots that I've trialled, for my BIL.

 

I've got a pair of La Sportiva boots that are grippier but they are too stiff to be comfortable.

[NB Alnwick]

Are you saying that British workers are overpaid and that if wages are reduced so that items can compete with imported goods then the problem is solved? Is the minimum wage a problem? Or are you saying that when overseas wages have caught up with ours then we stand a chance of competing again? Is it too easy not to work in Britain - the safety net of the state damping enthusiasm for working at a lower wage? Are top executives overpaid and if they were paid less and that money used to lower prices would that help?

I don't know the answers but they are questions that come to mind that perhaps need answering?

 

I certainly don't know all the answers either but I do know that workers in our near neighbours, Germany and France, earn wages that are at least as good as ours and they enjoy a decent standard of living. They are also far more discerning about what they spend their money on and they always seem to show significant support for products made in their own country first and other EU countries next. Perhaps this is the real answer? Spending more money to help our own may mean that we have to make do with less, but in the longer term it must help towards ensuring that we do not need to reduce wages and can enjoy sustainable levels of employment.

 

When shopping I try to buy British or EU goods whenever I can - it isn't always possible but where a locally made item is too expensive for me, I would rather go without than buy a cheaper import . . .

[Speedwheel]

Here are a few of firms that deserve our support:

 

Altberg (Yorkshire boot manufacturer)

 

William Lennon and Co.

 

Loake Shoemakers of Kettering

 

Thanks for those. I have a pair of Loake shoes but was unaware of the other two companies.

[DHutch]

Skate shoes for everything, again.

[NB Alnwick]

Skate shoes for everything, again.

 

If you want a modern looking shoe that is made in the EU without harming animals, take a look at these:

 

Vegetarian Wombats with soles made from re-cycled car tyres

 

This firm supply a wide range of styles - mostly made in the UK or Portugal.

[jonk]

Perhaps we should have a pinned thread listing recommended British companies and their products which canal (and other) folk can buy with confidence? Which shoes for example are good quality and made in the UK? Buy British is not a new slogan but perhaps it could be used to good effect in these times.

[Guest wanted]

For summer

 

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winter

 

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weekends

 

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[Woodford]

Perhaps we should have a pinned thread listing recommended British companies and their products which canal (and other) folk can buy with confidence? Which shoes for example are good quality and made in the UK? Buy British is not a new slogan but perhaps it could be used to good effect in these times.

 

That is a good idea! Shoes are one of the many products that can be hand made, locally, by small firms and co-operatives. Nevertheless, there are things that we may always need to import - for example, tea and coffee - so buying British when we can helps to maintain an even balance.

[Lady Muck]

Very well said.

 

The answer, in short, is simple: If we cannot afford to buy locally made shoes, we cannot afford shoes . . .

 

Here are a few of firms that deserve our support:

 

Altberg (Yorkshire boot manufacturer)

 

William Lennon and Co.

 

Loake Shoemakers of Kettering

 

Some more

 

http://www.walshsports.co.uk/

 

http://www.softwalker.co.uk/

 

http://www.newbalance.co.uk/Classics/Made+in+the+UK (although the soles and most of the components are injected in China)

 

http://www.underground-england.co.uk/ One of my past clients - still owes me money though grr! - the Brothel creepers are made in the last remaining factory that makes that kind of shoe in Northampton, the rest is from Portugal though.

 

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/men/curiosity-daita-kimura/footwear/items.aspx

 

http://www.timlittle.com/

 

http://www.celtic-sheepskin.co.uk/footwear/sheepskin-boots/

 

http://www.inch-blue.com/uk/

 

Theres actually alot more than this, quite a few hippy type shoe makers in the West county as well

 

more here http://www.britfoot.com/madeinbritain.cfm

 

http://www.shoemakers.org.uk/

 

some DM's are still made in England

 

http://www.britboot.co.uk/engine/shop/brand/Dr+Martens+(Made+in+England)

 

That is a good idea! Shoes are one of the many products that can be hand made, locally, by small firms and co-operatives. Nevertheless, there are things that we may always need to import - for example, tea and coffee - so buying British when we can helps to maintain an even balance.

 

The problems we've got now is that nearly all of the component suppliers have gone. 20 years ago, when I graduated you could get everything you needed. Even as recently as the last two years I've seen the main London leather wholesalers go under. I still get my lasts developed in Northampton, but I can't get heels or buckles or much else anymore.

 

So you have to bring everything in. The other thing is that alot of English shoemaking was absolutely crap. I should know, I worked with these factories. They'd try cut corners, for instance use one heel for sizes 4 to 8, when you actually need two different heights. They'd moan when you tried to get them to do anything even slightly different to the norm. The shoes were so hard you may as well wear the box. It wasn't just price that drove us to the continent, it was the bad attitude. The factories that are left aren't like that (well some are )

 

Funnily enough, there's an exhibition on in Leeds now featuring shoes I worked on, made in Dalston in the now defunct Incredible Shoes.

 

My fantasy is to get a workshop in a butty boat but I dunno what Bw would say to that! I can still remember how to hand make, but I reckon that wash from the patrol boat would make the stitching wobbly.

Edited February 6, 2011 by Lady Muck

[NB Alnwick]

Some more

 

http://www.walshsports.co.uk/

 

http://www.softwalker.co.uk/

 

http://www.newbalance.co.uk/Classics/Made+in+the+UK (although the soles and most of the components are injected in China)

 

http://www.underground-england.co.uk/ One of my past clients - still owes me money though grr! - the Brothel creepers are made in the last remaining factory that makes that kind of shoe in Northampton, the rest is from Portugal though.

 

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/men/curiosity-daita-kimura/footwear/items.aspx

 

http://www.timlittle.com/

 

http://www.celtic-sheepskin.co.uk/footwear/sheepskin-boots/

 

http://www.inch-blue.com/uk/

 

Theres actually alot more than this, quite a few hippy type shoe makers in the West county as well

 

more here http://www.britfoot.com/madeinbritain.cfm

 

http://www.shoemakers.org.uk/

 

some DM's are still made in England

 

http://www.britboot.co.uk/engine/shop/brand/Dr+Martens+(Made+in+England)

 

I was wondering when CWDF's top shoe designer would come forward and contribute to the debate!

[Speedwheel]

Of course when Britain owned/ruled a large percentage of the earth surface, it made it far easier to buy British.

[creamcheese]

yep rigger boots £16 + a pair zero vat cant beat them

 

Unless you're a laydeeee with small feet, then rigger boots are a pain to find! However, mine have been worth all of their 60 quid and have protected my feet often when t'other half starts chucking sheets of steel around. Also handy for the trek to the car where I keep my girly, heely, shoe collection. When not in rigger boots or non-boating shoes I like in my Berghaus hiking boots.

 

(BTW, sorry for getting slightly back on topic by talking about shoes!)

[honey ryder]

Any old shoes will do. trainers are good because you can jump around between the roof and the bank with ease.

its a narrowboat, ie, a caravan.

 

shall I offer the same question to a caravanner...

 

Q: what shoes should I wear when caravanning?

A: any shoes you bloody well like!

-----------

pan fighting shoes might take up rather a lot of space and cause a tripping hazard.

your finest leather soled shoes might be a wee bit slippery and make you look like a nonce

wellies can cause trouble if you decide to go for an unscheduled swim

sailing boots, consdierably more comforatble than wellies, but make you look like a tit on a narrowboat, as you are hardly having to wade through a cockpit full of water.

deck shoes, ditto.

sturdy pair of slightly worn trainers, perfecto! they look normal, no one bats an eyelid, they dry quite fast too.

crocs... you look like a mental patient

welly bobs, you know those short wellies for gardening in... eesh, but they might keep your feet dry in the rain, if you happen to be wearing waterproof trousers.

pair of sandals, yes why not. they dry fast too.

work boots, fine, except they can be a bit heavy and not the best soles for walking daintily over the roof of a boat. but who cares, unless you've been out clubbing and trying to climb over a neighbours boat to get to your own, in which case, I refer back to the pan fighting shoes. it may be better to remove them and go bare foot to avoid waking the neighbours baby/dog/grumpy skipper

 

 

any other shoes?

 

---------------------

Honey Ryder aka Jayne

---------------------

Push the Boat Out

[carlt]

 

pan fighting shoes might take up rather a lot of space and cause a tripping hazard.

 

I never realised specialist footwear was involved!

[honey ryder]

i cant find it for the moment, but vic and bob frequently wore very very long pointy shoes, along with cod pieces and engaged in a bout of pan fighting.

[Jim Batty]

I would be interested to know what types of footwear are best for narrowboating. Probably different types for different weather conditions I expect? Presumably good quality wellies (Hunter?) for rain, but what about general use?

 

Scarpa light weight low cut hiking boots -- with Vibram soles with 'V' and 'X' shapes moulded into them -- do it for me. Seem to be non-slip on everything wet as well as pretty good on ice.

 

That said, my partner's heavier dutier hiking boots with thick and solid Vibram soles are like skates on ice.

[Chertsey]

The key thing has to be grip (on smooth wet surfaces), very closely followed by comfort, and waterproof-ness being a bonus. For years I had a pair of DMs (but not with the standard sole pattern which, in my experience, has useless grip). When they finally gave up the ghost I went to Sports Direct to try some walking boots, testing them on the tiled floor with a little bottled water. I ended up with a pair of Karrimor boots with Vibram soles which have proved to be brilliant, and waterproof as well. So impressed was PB that he too purchased a pair. Now No. 2 son is going boating next week and also needed new boots; we got a different model of Karrimor, but still with the Vibram sole from the website, which I have to say is an excellent, easy to use, website.

[churchward]

Some more

 

http://www.walshsports.co.uk/

 

http://www.softwalker.co.uk/

 

http://www.newbalance.co.uk/Classics/Made+in+the+UK (although the soles and most of the components are injected in China)

 

http://www.underground-england.co.uk/ One of my past clients - still owes me money though grr! - the Brothel creepers are made in the last remaining factory that makes that kind of shoe in Northampton, the rest is from Portugal though.

 

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/men/curiosity-daita-kimura/footwear/items.aspx

 

http://www.timlittle.com/

 

http://www.celtic-sheepskin.co.uk/footwear/sheepskin-boots/

 

http://www.inch-blue.com/uk/

 

Theres actually alot more than this, quite a few hippy type shoe makers in the West county as well

 

more here http://www.britfoot.com/madeinbritain.cfm

 

http://www.shoemakers.org.uk/

 

some DM's are still made in England

 

http://www.britboot.co.uk/engine/shop/brand/Dr+Martens+(Made+in+England)

 

 

 

The problems we've got now is that nearly all of the component suppliers have gone. 20 years ago, when I graduated you could get everything you needed. Even as recently as the last two years I've seen the main London leather wholesalers go under. I still get my lasts developed in Northampton, but I can't get heels or buckles or much else anymore.

 

So you have to bring everything in. The other thing is that alot of English shoemaking was absolutely crap. I should know, I worked with these factories. They'd try cut corners, for instance use one heel for sizes 4 to 8, when you actually need two different heights. They'd moan when you tried to get them to do anything even slightly different to the norm. The shoes were so hard you may as well wear the box. It wasn't just price that drove us to the continent, it was the bad attitude. The factories that are left aren't like that (well some are )

 

Funnily enough, there's an exhibition on in Leeds now featuring shoes I worked on, made in Dalston in the now defunct Incredible Shoes.

 

My fantasy is to get a workshop in a butty boat but I dunno what Bw would say to that! I can still remember how to hand make, but I reckon that wash from the patrol boat would make the stitching wobbly.

That list is just a load of cobblers!!

 

Sorry.... I have my coat in my hand but someone had to say it!

[NB Alnwick]

The key thing has to be grip (on smooth wet surfaces), very closely followed by comfort, and waterproof-ness being a bonus. For years I had a pair of DMs (but not with the standard sole pattern which, in my experience, has useless grip). When they finally gave up the ghost I went to Sports Direct to try some walking boots, testing them on the tiled floor with a little bottled water. I ended up with a pair of Karrimor boots with Vibram soles which have proved to be brilliant, and waterproof as well. So impressed was PB that he too purchased a pair. Now No. 2 son is going boating next week and also needed new boots; we got a different model of Karrimor, but still with the Vibram sole from the website, which I have to say is an excellent, easy to use, website.

 

'Vibram' is an excellent sole (and heel) originally made in Italy and most probably still being manufactured there although for a time they were also manufactured in the UK.

 

The 'Vibram' company claims that it came into existence as a result of the accidental deaths in the late 1930s of several mountain climbing friends of the founder and that they were they produced the first ever rubber soles made for shoes. The second part of this statement is exaggerated. There have been companies in England making rubber soles including the Harboro' Rubber Company who produce the famous 'Dainite' soles and have supplied rubber soles to the British boot and shoe industry since 1894 - another was the Petersfield company called 'ItsHide' who made their name with the famous 'Commando' rubber soles favoured by the Royal Marines from the mid 1940s on - I believe it was this company that may have manufactured 'Vibram' soles under licence in the UK.

 

That list is just a load of cobblers!!

 

Sorry.... I have my coat in my hand but someone had to say it!

 

Right! Off you go then - you know where the 'norty step' is . . .

[twbm]

I vote for rigger boots, quick to pull on and off, steel toecap and nice and warm.

 

Tim

 

Seconded.

 

Edited now I've read the full thread: Thirded, possibly Fourthed.

Edited February 9, 2011 by twbm

[sociable_hermit]

Be careful with Berghaus walking boots.

 

My old pair were perhaps the best boots I have ever had. They were incredibly comfortable and very grippy. Having worn them almost continuously for 3 years I bought a new pair. Disaster! They've changed the spacing of the cleats and the tongue is now too fat, so the laces won't tie up properly to grip your feet as they should. The sole is also made of much harder material that doesn't grip so well, particularly in the wet. I've had them for 3 months (hoping I'd get used to them) but I'm still not impressed.

[luctor et emergo]

Rigger boots are great to pull on and off quickly, but useless when traipsing along the gunnels.....

[Jim Batty]

 

... So you have to bring everything in. The other thing is that alot of English shoemaking was absolutely crap. I should know, I worked with these factories. They'd try cut corners, for instance use one heel for sizes 4 to 8, when you actually need two different heights. They'd moan when you tried to get them to do anything even slightly different to the norm. The shoes were so hard you may as well wear the box. It wasn't just price that drove us to the continent, it was the bad attitude. The factories that are left aren't like that (well some are )

 

.. My fantasy is to get a workshop in a butty boat but I dunno what Bw would say to that! I can still remember how to hand make, but I reckon that wash from the patrol boat would make the stitching wobbly.

 

There seems to be a tradition in Britain where people (probably out of desperation and then habit) pay good money for shoes and clothing that are poorly designed or ill cut or simply the wrong size because nothing else is available. I have averagely narrow feet. It is extraordinarily difficult to find half decent shoes that fit properly. Almost all shops (including the raved about Clarks above) appear to stock mostly wide and extra wide sizes. I think this is a cynical marketing attitude that says 'Well, more people will buy shoes that are too big/wide than too small/narrow, so we'll stock them'. Thus I usually end up buying European or North American brands - who are used to providing for the variety of humanity. Same story with jeans that only come in waists sized in 2" increments (... 32" - 34" - 36" ...). Of course the world is full of ... 33" ... 35" ... waists, all of which are catered for in any North American shop (they wouldn't accept less). I've never really worked out why we tolerate such crappy supply and service.

 

Rant over.

 

I'd probably buy wobbly stitching if they fit well. The stitching would be part of the artisan cache of them! I loved it in India where you could go to a cobbler and have made pretty well anything you wanted custom fit. They had huge ledgers that you'd stand on and have the outline of your feet traced and various podiatric (?) aspects noted. You could also go to a tailor in the market, give them a favourite shirt and say, 'Could you remake this with that material over there, with those buttons, an extra pocket and about an inch longer' ... and pick it up two days later. Brilliant.