I had been planning on riding to the factory to order my Hogg boots but two things conspired against me. Firstly, the factory is shut at the moment to visitors / customers due to the English lockdown (I should have gone the other week whilst I had the chance) and secondly I had to go on an online meeting. To be fair that was my first online meeting since Covid kicked off but it did last 3 hours - it was good though.

Anyway, I went on line and ordered a pair of boots after talking the options through with the staff at the factory. Whilst on the site I registered as an eMember and immediately got 7.5% off which paid for the postage and the boot care kit. To get the discount I put the boots and care kit into the "bootbag" and started the paying process - towards the bottom of the bootbag page there was a small section that asked for email address and postcode - I entered the required info and clicked submit and an email came through pretty well straightaway witht he code to use. No pain whatsoever.

When the boots will arrive is not known as yet but the factory will be getting back to me within the next couple of days with an estimate of the timescale. I am hoping for before Christmas so I can wrap them up as a surprise for me.

Well, I have my reply from Alt-Berg with the expected despatch date. 5 February 2021! Well, there isn't much fun riding this time of year anyway - but if you want them for the spring and summer you had better get them ordered soon. I am still looking forward to getting them though.

The boots are being despatched today so should be arriving tomorrow on the exact day that they were planned to arrive - I am quite impressed by that. Once they arrive I will do a quick review and then over the weekend see if I can get out on the bike.

If they are anything like as good as the boots they made for my daughter for when she walked the Silk Route then I will be very happy - she wore them straight away for a 10 mile hike in the Lake District before going to do the walk and didn't get a blister or anydiscomfort - they were the best shoes / boots for walking she had ever had. Everyone else that did the Silk Route with her had blisters - including the guide - and she reckoned that they felt really light. Fingers crossed.

All of my boots are well past their expected lifespan and as at least one pair will be replaced this year I'd be interested in your 'road test' of them when they arrive - fit, comfort etc. Warts and all if there's anything in the negative column.

Blisters and how you get them / prevent them is something that's been taxing my mind for a few years i.e. how much it's boots, how much it's socks and how much it's 'genetics' (sweat levels etc). I've done a few ultramarathons in recent years and suffered from a number of blisters, and although I'm not planning on doing a 100km run in bike boots any time soon it would be interesting to get other peoples feedback to see if there are any general principles to be gleaned. I've seen some people so crippled by them they couldn't move at all. Feet swell up / shrink down depending on a raft of factors so getting an exact fit (particularly if you've ordered on-line) must be a bit of a lottery.

I finally recieved my North Fell hiking boots after 8 months, the Hoggs I ordered at the same time took 4 but due to current restirctions I have not been able to really test either yet but hope to this summer.

As Mark has said the opportunities for riding are limited at the moment so these impressions do not include any motorcycle activity - I will try them on the bike as soon as possible and report back.

The boots are the Altberg Hogg All Weather Original Motorcycle Touring Boot - they come in a choice of black or not at all - I thought that the black would be more comfortable than going barefoot so I went for that.

First impressions out of the box were that they are solid and will take some breaking in but when I put them on they were really comfortable. One thing I forgot this morning was to put on a longer sock to account for the higher boot. Even with a shortish sock they are comfortable to wear and they feel much lighter than they actually are - the pressure is even all over with no pinch points. This should mean that they are not going to cause rub points or blisters so the breaking in period may in fact be non-existant, much like my daughter had with her Altberg straight walking boots.

They are comfortable walking around and are neither warm as some boots are not cold - hopefully this will indicate that they will not be too sweaty on long hot days.

There is padding around the ankles and they have sufficient give to enable easy walking but are still stiff enough to offer some protection - they do not offer MX boot levels of protection but then again I am not going to be doing MX but I will want to walk in them.

The sole is definately going to be good for grip when walking and there is plenty of support there whilst still having some give - essentially it is a pretty typical up market walking boot sole. The band above the sole is a normal height for a walking boot but it is thicker than any of my previous walking boots.

With the boot I bought a bootcare kit - this comprises polish for the leather and a couple of brushes to apply the polish - the small one is to get the polish into the stitched seams. Also incuded is an small advice sheet on how to look after the boots with regard to drying etc.

When I bought them I got the e-discount of £18 - it was easy to get this sorted out and I explained about it in an earlier post.

So far I think that I have made a good investment and given the reputation for longevity I am hoping that moves towards a very good investment. Someone who works for me said they look like Doc Martins but the leather is far nicer, they are padded and they are significantly more substantial. I cannot vouch for their waterproof capabilities other than whilst I have been wearing them inside the factory where I work my feet are still bone dry :innocent:.

Hopefully I will get out to play on the bike soon - perhaps this evening before the weather turns cold and we get iced up.

I wore DMs on bikes for 20 odd years and the Altbergs are far better, waterproof, stronger, longer lasting and just about as good for walking. I hiked the Inca Trail in a pair of DMs without a problem but my Hoggs have got me to the top of Ben Nevis with two dry feet, which is more than anyone else had that very wet day.

A year or so ago I asked Altberg if they'd supply a pair of Hogg Lites in brown (not the advertised colour) which they did without issue. They took a few months to arrive but nonetheless excellent customer service.

There you go - that is me trying to be a smart arse and failing miserably once again. Sigh.

Anyway, I have had a pootle about on the bike this evening before the rain started. First job was to make sure that the brake and gear pedals were right for the new boots - no adjustment needed but they felt better than using the old boots so I should have adjusted the pedals for the old boots. Hey ho.

There was plenty of feel and I felt connected to the bike really well and the stiffness of the boot wasn’t an issue for gear changes or braking. The one thing that did surprise me was that the side stand sticky out, bobbly, bit that is used to put the side stand down with fits neatly not the tread of the boots - not an issue but a little surprising the first couple of times (sorry about the technical jargon there). As the boot is a lace up it goes inside the trousers so there is a slight draft of air up the trouser leg that I hadn’t expected - yes,I know, I should have expected it - but this was countered by the warm air coming off the Moto Guzzi engine so again, not an issue.

I think I am going to like these boots rather a lot - I wore them all day at work to get used to them and they are really comfortable.

Hi Jay,

If you get to try your new Hoggs in a downpour I'd be interested to hear how they perform.

AFAIK my Hogg lites don't have the breathable lining so it would be interesting to know what I'm missing.

Cheers,

Ian.

Hi Ian

I rode in them last weekend when it was wet - not torrential, but proper rain - and they were as dry as a bone. having said that I would be really hacked off if a brand new pair of walking boots were not waterproof. As it stands, I think that they are a joy to wear.

Well I still haven't ridden in them! I've done a couple of walks with them on Dartmoor. 1st trip I found them a bit stiff, rubbed the ankles a bit.
2nd trip I wore proper hiking socks - much more comfortable.
Tredging through bogs and streams that covered the toes. Feet remained completely dry.
They are not as easy as the Road Runners to get on\off.
Hopefully I'll get a UK trip later in this year.

Ordered a pair of Hogg Lite in early February. Estimated deliverance was set to April. Waiting anxiously....:D

Well, despite repeated attempts i have failed to find a fault with the boots - they are excellent. Really comfortable on and off the bike. I haven’t been on a long walk in them but to be honest I can’t see that being an issue as they provide an even pressure over the whole foot, no pressure points at all. Perhaps something that I should have done some time ago.

They are are more expensive than any other boot I have bought but they are better quality and should last a good while - all my other boots have lasted maybe a couple of years before they fell apart - so on a long term basis they will be the cheaper option.

Look after them and they will last a lifetime - seriously.
I would go for a 3 month walk in my Hoggs tomorrow and they’re 13 years old :D
They offer unbelievable VFM so don’t worry about the price.
Cheers