It’s already been a couple of years since Adam Lane-Olsen and Chris Sawyer took over as owners of Limmer Boots, the 100+ year-old micro-maker for which Lane-Olsen hand-crafts what are considered by many to be the best classic hiking boots available anywhere in the world.
Limmer has two distinct arms of boot production: the aforementioned handmade-in-New-Hampshire custom options from Peter Limmer and Sons, and then their stock Limmer models made by their manufacturing partner Meindl in Germany, the growing wing of the business managed Sawyer.
Up to this point, perhaps the most exciting customer-facing aspect of the company’s new leadership was a revamped limmerboots.com that united both sides of the Limmer brand under one digital roof—where customers can sign up and place a deposit for the custom boot waitlist online. (Current wait: up to three years.)
But now, here comes Limmer’s first new stock model in a very, very long time: the Hiker.
The hiking shoe features a similar foundation to Limmer’s popular Lightweight model—a rocker construction style to help propel the foot forward efficiently, a nylon shank, a 3 mm composite midsole, and a proprietary Vibram outsole that looks beyond capable of tackling all manner of terrain. Up top, the shoe is made with all-leather uppers and lining, and features a lace-to-toe configuration to help dial in a secure fit. The whole thing is brought together with a 360 Norwegian welt that’s sure to do well at keeping the elements at bay.
It’s notable to see a hiking shoe style coming from a brand like Limmer, whose bread and butter has always been full-bore hiking boots. Hiking shoes have been around for several decades now, offering wearers a great deal of traction and protection for the trail while also removing much of the weight that comes with a traditional hiking boot.
Limmer does already offer shoes like their Oxford and Walker, but they’re a bit of a far cry from modern-day hiking shoes. The Hiker not only fills that gap in Limmer’s catalog, but also offers something you can barely find in the hiking shoe market: footwear that can be properly and easily resoled.
The Hiker is available for pre-order now, and is expected to arrive in the fall. Retail price will be $385.
