User Review: Limmer Standard

Reviewed December 16, 2000 by Matthew Jager

Rating: rated 2 of 5 stars
Materials: leather w/norwegian welt
Use: rough trail (ME/NH) with heavy pack (35-50 lbs)
Break-in Period: forever (about 200 miles)
Weight: 3.5lbs per boot
Price Paid: $289

This is the standard heavyweight Limmer boot sold by Peter Limmer and Sons in North Conway, NH and by LLBean in Freeport, ME. Although people rave about Limmers, I think the enthusiasm is not based on personal knowledge or on carryover from the rave tales of comfort told about Limmers custom boots by old time hikers.

I bought a pair of the standard boots (made in Germany on a fixed last) at LLBean and got them fairly well broken in before starting my thru-hike. They continued to break in for about the first 100 miles though. They did a great job protecting my feet from the awful rocks on the A.T. in ME and NH (exactly the terrain they were made for). So they did their job.

However, my big gripe is that they began to delaminate after only... get this, 200 miles. The delamination occurred in the sandwhiches of leather and rubber below the welt. I called Limmer and they said they couldn't help me as I'd bought the boots at Beans. That is, they wouldn't fix them unless I paid $60. When I bought the boots I called Carl Limmer and he said something like "those soles should last you the entire length of the trail if you have less than 20% wear on them when you start." That was a big selling point for me. When they started to delaminate, I called Limmer and reminded them that they said the sole was supposed to last the entire AT (and I was only 10% done). They said that they never told me that (why would I make up such specific statistics?). And that durability depended on a lot of factors. But then why did you tell me they'd last the whole trail. Remember, they said, we didn't tell you that - 'no one here would have told you that.' Utter bullshit. I was so upset. When I told them that all four pairs of standard Limmers I'd seen on the trail were delaminating at the toe, just like mine, they said 'that cannot be.' I said and it's happening after less than 400 miles in every case. I told them if I wanted a boot that delaminated after 400 miles, I'd buy a cheap Asolo, Merrel, or Vasque (not to put down those guys) and save myself $120.

In the end LL Bean with their excellent return policy paid Limmer to screw on new soles onto my boots. Evidently, Limmer told me when I asked why not put screws int the soles to begin with, when they all delaminate, Limmer said it costs too much but is available as an option (though I've never seen them sold that way - maybe Limmer in North Conway sells them that way... I don't know). Otherwise, they were great in the White Mountains, but I wouldn't hike with them again. Now that I've worn lighter Vasques, I wouldn't hike with the Limmers again. I consider them too heavy for AT backpacking. 3.5lbs on the end of each leg made, honest to gosh, the difference of about 3 to 5 miles less distance traveled comfortably a day!! They, and I've heard other thru hikers say this slowed me down by about a 1/2 mile an hour. The ankle protection really isn't that great either. Besides I think more people probably hurt their feet trying to break in heavy boots (stress fractures and arch and achilles damage) then twist ankles (just an opinion (I know 5 people who did damage (myself included) to their feet trying to break in heavy boots like Limmers).

If you have the time, are working in the NH huts, haul loads upward of 50lbs, these might work for you, but I think they are overkill and not the quality of boot that Peter Limmer used to make (I have no experience with the custom boots). That said, I might still try the light or midweight Limmer. I, personally, though, won't use the Standard anymore and am disappointed with the customer service that Limmer provided me - very frustrating.

Save & Share

You Might Prefer...

Where to Buy

Retailers: Do you sell the Limmer Standard? List your site here.

Compare
See how the Limmer Standard stacks up against the competition: read more footwear reviews or more about Limmer.

Contribute
Have you used a Limmer Standard or a similar product? Write a gear review.

Discuss
Still have questions? Answers? Opinions? Join the converstation in the Trailspace Forums.