17 Comments

When you've done with your old hikers, plant them up with succulents and put them on your terrace. I did that with a couple of pairs that we bought in the late 80s, the succulents thrived and the boots got moss covered. They looked wonderful and got many comments from passers by. I was gutted to have to leave them when we came to Portugal because of regulations. I will definitely get another pair or two and do it again here!

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Not necessarily for boots, but have you tried vinted for clothes? They're a secondhand website where I got most of my clothes in Scotland and I think they have a Portuguese one too

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Thanks for the tip!

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I really don't like to shop, so I feel for you. It's so frustrating when you know what you want and can't find it. 😒 Good luck ❤

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Hate hate hate shopping. Maybe it's genetic. My mom hated shopping.

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I only buy hiking gear abroad, Portugal has no outdoors culture unfortunately. Luckily for us, there’s La Sportiva, Scarpa and Salewa shipping cheaply (best hiking shoes and boots are for me the La Sportiva ones, especially for great mountain hikes - think glaciers and Dolomites). Here you can find fairly good and “grippy” Adidas (the Terrex model, highly recommended for our mild outdoors and the tricky Calçada).

For gear, same issue. Salewa is my to go outdoor clothing choice and I only buy abroad. Decathlon is only good for cheap gym clothes and summer cheap gear.

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Great tips, thanks!

For the shoes, because of my feet, I have to try them on in person :-(

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They offer free return: https://www.deporvillage.pt this is my to-go place here on the peninsula, and it has very good prices too :)

Good luck in the search!!!

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I feel your pain, but I find us stuff online and ship to my daughter's us address. Then she visits here or I visit there. Not the most efficient or coat effective. My most frustrating thing is that I see MANY women here wearing the perfect little linen shift and I want it!!!!! But it's nowhere to be found here! I need to learn Portuguese and German and multiple other languages to stop them and ask where they got it! Any clue?

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I know that shift. I have seen that shift. On people on the street! I, too, want it! If you find it, let me know.

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I will. Maybe someone will see your post and give us a clue...

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Your hiking boot delema is so relatable! My favorite boots are nearing their third decade. About 15 years ago I was lucky enough to find a cobbler and have them resoled.

Perhaps you will come across a sweet old cobbler in Lisbon ?

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So far I have had horrid luck with cobblers here. I had some boots resoled once in the US before I bought these, and they fit totally differently afterwards. And not in a good way. I'm glad it worked out for you!

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I have Moabs and I love them!!!

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Try trekkinn.com or Deporvillage.com. But Natura is a good find too!

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Have you tried taking your old boots to a sapateiro? Maybe they can resole them. 🤔

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The thought crossed my mind - but I bought them on sale, and they were never the right size. I just couldn't pass up the price! I figure I should finally get boots that REALLY fit!

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