TREKKING
Product 2016
Man
The first thing you notice about these boots is how light they are. But you quickly realize that it is detrimental to underfoot comfort on stony ground. The instep and top of the foot are less protected against stones, but altogether it is not a bad shoe in this range. The foot is held snugly at the heel, and the toes can move freely giving overall comfort. I didn’t notice any rubbing due to the space around the toes even after 5-6 hours hiking.
They have limited cushioning due to the thin sole, and the heel is therefore positioned quite low without a large incline onto the forefoot, this will therefore put some pressure on the Achilles tendon after a long days hiking. One way of improving this boot is by replacing the insole (which is too thin) by one that is thicker at the heel and with better cushioning the whole length of the foot. Make sure you have enough room in the boot to do this, check the size.
The Vibram® sole (exclusive exterior Vibram® sole, inside EVA molded) doesn’t grip on wet rock. But otherwise it has a good grip on terrain in general. Be careful on slippery areas, as the smaller crampons do not fulfill their mission. The lacing system is well designed with a stop loop at the instep: this means that you can keep a good solid hold of the foot and release the ankle at the same time if you need to. This boot is designed for mid-mountain hiking on terrain that isn’t too demanding.
The stone guard is rather lightweight, the stitching is exposed in the event of scree slope descents. Completely waterproof on soft or drenched terrain (see photo), but breathability takes a battering: make sure you take out the insole to help dry out the shoe afterwards because the insole traps perspiration under it.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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