There are many things to consider when buying a pair of walking boots but one of the most important is comfort. If your boots are comfortable you are much more likely to enjoy the walk. Having said that they also need to be suitable for the environment that you will be using them in, if you are walking the dog along a tarmac footpath then trainers are probably the most comfortable but if you intend walking rocky paths and up mountains then trainers just won’t do.

That brings us to walking boots, there is a huge range of boots on the market and I won’t recommend any particular brand but will say that they should be fitted by someone who knows what they are talking about, most outdoor shops will have an expert on hand to help you with the choice, everybody’s feet are different and what’s right for one person probably won’t be right for someone else.

For D of E at Silver and Gold level they should be sturdy boots preferably made of leather and fairly rigid, you can go for GORE-TEX lined which will be more waterproof but they can be quite expensive. Your walking boots also need to support your ankle to reduce the chance of injury while navigating rocky paths.

Needless to say, these boots probably won’t be comfortable ‘out the box’ and will need some bedding in, before you set off on your expedition you should have worn your boots on a number of occasions and at least broken them in a little, it’s too late at the end of the first day to run back to the shop and change them.

The other point to mention here is lace them up properly, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen young people walking with boots undone and the laces just tucked into the boot, they don’t do the job they were designed to do if you don’t wear them properly!