Good boot selection N. of Boston?

After slip sliding down the slabs on South Baldface last weekend I've realized I need some new boots. Does anyone know of a place north of Boston that has a pretty good selection in stock?

I'm closest to the EMS in Salem and the Reading REI, so I'll check those out. Is there anywhere else I should be looking?

TIA
Jason

I've had good luck at Ragged Mountain in Intervale - they're just north of N. Conway. Ragged's selection is a bit variable - sometimes really good, and sometimes like an enemic EMS (not all EMS' are created equal). Speaking of EMS, the one at the big hotel in N. Conway usually has a good selection. And of course, there's the motherlode itself, Limmers in Intervale if you're looking for a conventional boot.

Well, that's a little far north of Boston for me.

I'm talking like less than an hour north of Boston. Maybe as far north as Manchester. I'm probably not going to be up towards Conway for a little while. The Limmers are tempting though, just a bit out of my price range. Maybe next time around.

If you're in Manchester, also try All Outdoors. But REI Reading probably has the best selection.

-dave-

If you need boots in width, EMS is better than REI as they usually have a couple in width. On two visits, REI (Reading) had not a single boot in width (that's my one pet peeve about REI).

How about Moor & Mountain ??

If the others don't pan out, you might want to consider Hilton's Tent City. Hilton's is in Boston, it's not too bad a ride from the north: Hilton's Tent City

They have a good footwear selection in the store and good prices.

Width is my concern...

I typically wear a 12-13 4E sized shoe. My current pair of boots is a size 13 D, although they fit pretty well they could be a little wider. Needless to say, I hate buying shoes. I don't even bother looking at anything besides New Balance any more.

I did notice that EMS seems to carry several wider boots. Also, I may be able to score some Dunhams at the New Balance outlet in Lawrence.

RE: Moor & Mountain. It doesn't seem like they have much of a selection of boots, but I haven't been in there in a while.

Another vote for Hilton's - 100 feet from North Station in Boston.

Going for Dunhams at the New Balance in Lawrence is a great idea, too, as they have all widths. Based on these reviews, they are also considered pretty good boots.Dunham Terrastryders

REI, EMS and Hiltons all carry Montrail Torre GTX's which do come in "WIDE"...they have worked very well for me...not sure if they would be wide enough for you.

another vote for hiltons - was in there last week poking around - good selection - and you will pay about 20% less than ems/rei.

Save your pennies and buy the Limmers. With your non-standard feet and Limmer's quality fit, it's a natural. And while I'd wait until I could get up there, there's a place in Townsend called http://www.evansonthecommon.com/ that apparently has 'em (and lots of other stuff, too, from the look of it).

I'm going up to Intervale this Friday and will be getting some walking shoes I've been saving up for for two years. Feet make a big difference, no?

boots

I love my Limmer boots. I use them year round, but i was considering doing more longer winter hikes next year. I noticed that EMS had an insulated boot on sale ($119 from $299) that would take crampons. I don't remember the brand. I tried them on but them seemed so stiff compared to my Limmer boots. Does anyone have a suggestion for an insulated boot? And do you think it really would be necessary.
Thanks

It is worth driving to the EMS in Nashua. The selection there is much bigger than the majority of other EMS stores. Surprisingly, way more than the N. Conway store.

- darren

jfb said:

How about Moor & Mountain ??

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Used to live in N. Andover at least 20 yrs ago. I THOUGHT THEY HAD GONE OUT OF BUSINESS. Glad to hear they're still around..

darren said:

It is worth driving to the EMS in Nashua. The selection there is much bigger than the majority of other EMS stores. Surprisingly, way more than the N. Conway store.

- darren

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll definitely make that trip.

I went to the Salem EMS and the selection wasn't great. They had Montrail Torres and EMS Summits in wide sizes but neither in 12W.

The Montrail Torre 13W felt pretty good, but they were just too long.

Boot Search Update!!!! (I know you're all excited )


So this past weekend I went to the Reading REI to check out the boots. Lo and behold, they had NO wide boots in stock in my size. Wonderful. Since my feet aren't extremely wide I decided to try on a few of the regular width boots anyway. I tried out the Vasque Sundowner Summit (12), REI Spirit III (12 & 13), Asolo TPS 520 (12) and Montrail Torre (12). Out of those the Sundowner Summits actually fit OK, but not great. I liked the REI Spirits, the width was OK but the 12s were too short and the 13s were too long (why don't shoe companies make size 12.5? ). The others were just too narrow or short.

Next stop, Kittery Trading Post. I asked for 12 wide in Limmer Lights ( ) and Asolo 520s. Nada. Neither in stock, nor were the Limmers in size 12 medium.

So far, in three stops I've tried on 8 pairs of boots and have yet to get a fit. I haven't even seen a boot in 12 wide yet.

Now I've gone into phase 2. Ordering online! I know its a scary thought ordering shoes online but at this point I'm doubting any place is going to have more than one or two pairs of boots in my size, let alone that fit properly. I was resisting my urge to shop online until I found shoebuy.com. They have free shipping both ways (i.e. free returns) and a 110% price guarantee (they refund you 110% of the difference between their price and the lower price. Not only that, they have a really solid selection. I just searched around and found the cheapest prices for all the boots I wanted, ordered them and then submitted the lowest prices for a refund.

I ordered 5 pairs of boots in 12W (they even had Montrail Torres in 12.5W!). Three of the five pairs I ordered came in at the lowest price I could find. Here's what I got:

1.) Dunham Mountain Master
2.) Danner Mountain Light II
3.) Vasque Sundowner Summit GTX
4.) Asolo Power Matic 200 GV
5.) Montrail Torre GTX

I'll post another update on the boots and shoebuy.com once I get through the process.

Thanks for that information. I'm starting early thinking about an insulated winter boot and may go that route-especially with gas prices so high. And who wants to waste a day shopping for boots when you could be outdoors having fun!!

Do any of these places have good return policies, e.g. you can return them after you've worn them? (ala EMS or LL Bean) Often I can't tell whether a boot works until after I've gone 3 or 4 miles (walking around inside doesn't cut it).