This is a short review of a pair of boots I bought. Since I did quite a bit of research so I thought I would share my findings and maybe some readers may benefit. I also bought a size larger to accommodate extra wool insoles and really thick socks I was preparing to wear in Svalbard. Other than the fitting, there are quite a number of things to consider when buying a pair of boots.
1) The top material. Synthetic materials will probably be lighter but may not be as durable as a leather one. Even for leather, there are many different kinds. You have the most expensive full grain leather, then after that is nubuck or suede leather. Leather also varies in thickness and some manufacturers such as Brasher specify them but not Hi-tec. This pair comes in full grain leather so there will be a price premium.
2) You want metallic parts on your boots? Certain parts such as the shank or the lacing can be made of metal. A steel shank would certainly set off the metal detector in airports. I haven’t had the chance to test out this pair of boots through a metal detactor yet. The shank is plastic but the lacing hardware is metallic.
3) Waterproofing. This would depend on the climate where you are going to use your boots. If you are going to use waterproof boots in a hot tropical climate such as Singapore, your feet would soon be drenched in their own sweat.
After using this pair of boots for a couple of walks and also most importantly hiking up to the summit of Ben Nevis, I think they performed brilliantly and I did not experience any water leaks when walking through small streams. The Vibram outsole traction was good and the boots was rigid enough for rocky terrain. My soles didn’t ache over the rough terrain on Ben Nevis. The only problem I have is somehow if I lace all the way up, the tongue will dig into my ankles causing pain. Hopefully over time the leather will soften. These pair of boots also performs best after being broken in as initially the boots are just too rigid. Overall I am pleased with my purchase considering the price I paid.
As always, let me know if you have any questions and I will try my best to answer them.
Price paid: £46.66 with delivery.
2 Comments
where were you able to find them for £47? The online retailers I’m looking at all have them at 80
Hi Louis,
Thanks for visiting. I got them at Javari, which is set up by Amazon. I’ve just searched for this pair of boots, and they are selling it at £57. However, only sizes 8.5 and 9 are available. You can enter the coupon code “JAVATNGC” to get £10 off making the boots £47!. If these are your sizes, I would think it should be one of the best deals out there, if not the best!
Hope this helps.