The IHF/Viberg Hiker

[Finn666]

^ yes, actually i'm still enjoying the holiday break, thanks! so here you go mate

in advance, sry for the shitload of pics y'all, but i can't help it went with the same size as i'm wearing in all of my vibergs - UK9!

…comfortable straight out of the box! gonna clean'em and besides that, i'm thinking about dubbing them!
let's wait and see though...

[mclaincausey]

Love the boot.  I definitely would want smoothout uppers though for ease of cleaning.

[Giles]

Any other takers?  I need 2 more…..

[mclaincausey]

dumb question, I assume they couldn't flip the skin to make a smoothout right?

[Giles]

I'm not sure, technically it can be done of course, but whether that constitutes a separate build, I am not sure.  I will revert.

[JCar2666]

How bout done with a Vibram Christy Sole?

[Giles]

Won't happen I am afraid.

[Finn666]

for those that worry about cleaning the roughout.

…it's really an easy thing to do! just let the dirt try and brush it off...done!

[mclaincausey]

Yeah but the thing about letting mud dry on boots is that the grime works its way into the leather and acts as an internal abrasive. At least this is what happens with smoothout, you're never supposed to let mud dry on those. Perhaps roughout is somehow different, but I would think it has an even greater tendency for mud and grit to work its way into the leather.

[Finn666]

imo it's "just" dirt…if i can wipe it off and the shoe/boot looks like new again, i have to say that i really don't care.
gonna hit them with some coating spray soon. after that i may dubb'em with a coat of obenauf's lp!

[mclaincausey]

Mud has a tendency to wick moisture from leather when you let it dry, in addition to the aforementioned infiltration of grit. I never let mud dry on shoes. YMMV.

[Finn666]

dry mud is way easier to remove as wet mud…at least on roughout leather that is.
when on "normal" leather, i also remove it asap. since these hikers are made to take a serious beating (and i hope they'll receive one), i don't care too much about it! in the end they are just shoes mate

[Giles]

@mclaincausey:

dumb question, I assume they couldn't flip the skin to make a smoothout right?

Yes we can.  G

[Snowy]

If you had 1 pair of boots to take on a month long holiday, would this be them?

[Giles]

If you were to go lying on a beach in Bali, no…...

[Giles]

Seriously, It really depends on what you were going to be doing…..Give me a frame of reference.....

[Snowy]

Walking the Kiso Valley in Japan for EG (8KM) is likely to be the biggest single day.

[Giles]

I'd consider the service boots over the hikers…..They are lighter, smaller and a little less "i'm going feckin hiking"....

[Snowy]

Thanks. Oddly enough a guy I work with wears hikers to work as his work shoes, which really got me thinking about this.

[Giles]

I wear mine for everything and anything at the minute….