My choice goes to "La Sportiva" mountain running shoes and particularly their well known Ultra Raptor style which, in my opinion, is much more durable than any Inov-8 trail shoes style...:wink:

Hi Colin,
You've heard from a trail shoes user, but if, like me, you prefer some ankle support as in a boot, your options for non-goretex or similar are limited. I use Salomon Quest GTX boots and they leak pretty quickly. I keep on using them because they are light, comfortable, i.e. they fit my feet, grippy and do dry out eventually. Sealskinz or similar socks are sometimes needed for relief from wet feet!

Salomon do make a wide range of trainers/shoes/boots and you may find there are mid-height trail shoes which will dry out fairly quickly even though they claim to be waterproof.

Lowa used to make a non-goretex-lined Combat boot, but I do not see it on RVops website any more. You might find a pair in an Army surplus shop. I do see an interesting boot on the RVops website and there is no mention of it being Goretex lined. It is the Jack Pyke Fieldman boot at £94.99, might be worth a closer look.

Good luck!

I used the Merrell Moab Ventilator (for about 500 miles), on the SWCP this year. I found the soles a little thin over uneven (stone/rock) surfaces, but that may have been down to my choice of insole. They did dry well, particularly at one extended lunch stop in the sun, although we may not be able to rely on the TGO! Merrell offer both with and without Goretex, and a mid and shoe version. I used the non Goretex, shoe version because they dry the quickest, and are of course, the lightest. Hope this helps!

I used Salomon X Ultra GTX 2 mids on this year’s Challenge and they were brilliant. They stayed waterproof and were incredibly comfortable and weren’t sweaty either. These are the third pair I’ve has and none have leaked. One thing I do is apply some Silnet silicone seam sealant to the fabric on the toe area making the front of the boot properly watertight. My only complaint is the soles wear quite quickly, but I do tend to trash boot soles. Salomon do an unlined version, the X Ultra Aero if you don’t want a gtx lining. I can also recommend using Sidas Conformable moulded footbeds with them.

Addendum: Salomon website has a sale on at the moment and they are selling the Aeros cheap. £77 vs £110.

Thanks everybody for the advice. I do really like Salomon and didn't know about the sale or the boots without gtx so I'll be heading there right now.

I'll second what Robin said. I got a pair of the Salomons this year and they have been great-a revelation. Covered about 400 miles so far and they are still waterproof and not showing too many signs of wear. I will definitely be getting another pair. I did have to size up as they were too narrow in the toe and I wanted them for multi day trips and I was worried about my feet swelling. Covered 100 miles in 3 days with no issues.

Good point about sizing. I actually went up one and a half sizes from my normal shoes from 8 to 9.5.