User Review: Limmer Light-Weight

Reviewed September 28, 2007 by leadbelly2550

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Materials: leather
Use: day hikes through heavy pack
Break-in Period: depends on use, but take the time to do it right.
Weight: 3-4 pounds per pair
Price Paid: $265

Bottom line - this will probably be the best hiking boot you have ever owned.

I purchased a pair of Limmer Lightweights to help keep my Limmer Standards from wearing too fast. This is a full leather boot with a full leather lining, Norwegian welt (leather upper is stitched down to the midsole with the stitching visible). It laces up in the center and has a padded, gusseted tongue.

Unlike most leather boots, the upper is made from one piece of letter, with the only stitching on the instep. these boots are easier to waterproof and fit differently than most hiking boots as a result of the design. The heel pocket is particularly comfortable, and there is plenty of wiggle room for your toes, yet feet are very secure when the boot is laced up.

Fitting is important. Limmer has taken sales in-house, which should be a positive step in terms of fitting. though it would probably be best to try them on in person, I purchased them by following the instructions and providing a foot-tracing and measurements (with the sock combination I always use when I hike).

This is also a traditional, firm leather boot that requires a fair amount of break-in. Again, follow Limmer Boot's instructions, use their boot grease, and take your time. This is not a boot you should buy a week before a big trip, because it's stiffer than most. As a means of comparison, however, the Limmer Standard is significantly stiffer, fits higher on your ankle, and requires more break-in. I have had success wearing them to work at first, then graduating to short hikes, then taking them for longer hikes. With steady wear, they will break in after a month or two without blistering your feet.

Once the boots are broken in, they form to your feet, provide outstanding support, have a great sole, and are a pleasure to wear. They are, with the heavier Limmers, the most comfortable shoes I own, hiking or not. I have carried a pack with over 50 pounds in these boots without blistering or aching.

My frame of reference: Fabiano overlap hiking boots (horrible); the older-model Merrell Wilderness, full leather-lined and Littleway welted (very comfortable, didn't wear as well as I would have liked); Merrell and Vasque leather/nylon gore-tex boots (comfortable featherweights); and Raichle Montagnas (big, heavy duty overlap leather boots, Norwegian welt - worn for a decade before I bought the Limmers. An outstanding boot that was discontinued, not as comfortable as the Limmers but very, very good).

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