Hi-Tec Men's Ravine Lite Wp Walking Shoe

Product Information

Made from tough full-grain leather, with a cushioned footbed and CMEVA midsole, gusseted tongue and metal lace eyelets, the Snowdon IIs are designed to ‘keep your feet dry and comfortable on all-day treks’, according to Hi-Gear. We found them surprisingly comfortable, with the leather build proving soft and supple where we wanted it to be, but reassuringly strong and sturdy at the toe and heel, while the rubber outsole had decent traction on some pretty wild mountain terrain. Overall, there is a lot to appreciate here if you require a boot that puts performance over style. The all-brown design and simple leather construction aren’t eye-catching but it is practical. You should be able to get out in bad weather for good walks in comfort.

The Hi-Tec Ravine Hiking Boots look like they are all about a protective and practical solution for hiking rather than any sort of fashion statement. If you’re wanting to get into walking and fancy yourself as the next Arthur Wainwright, there’s only one way to find out if you’re cut from the tough stuff – by buying a cheap pair of walking boots and heading out into the hills. One of the interesting things about this women’s shoe is how rugged and smart it is. There is the look of a more high-end masculine boot here, but you still have the shape and sizes needed for women’s feet.They kept my feet super dry, on the tough 14km trek of Kinder Scout that we did. They also did a super job of keeping my feet warm, as it had been raining the night before and the ground in parts was quite boggy, yet slipping ankle deep into mud proved no problem at all and I stayed warm and dry. One report from a user found the book lost its shape and some of its weatherproofing after a while. You could end up with a more relaxed fit and may benefit from adding a protective coating. For hot summer days, it might run a little hot, but still this is a real all-rounder of a boot. BUY NOW: SALOMON.COM

I’ve had my Hi-Tec Ravine Walking Boots for several months now, so I’ve had the opportunity to wear them out and about a fair bit. As well as wearing them for casual weekend walks, I’ve worn them on several camping trips (in terrible weather), and have also been on a couple of major hill walks in them, including our recent walk at Kinder Scout. So what do I like about these walking boots? Actually, that’s a pretty easy question to answer, because I haven’t really got anything at all negative to say about them. They provided a snug, but comfortable fit from the first time I wore them, and after months of wear, I am pleased to report not a single sore point or blister. The smooth lacing system provides volume adjustment flexibility, and the lacing eyelets are all made from a solid metal which are shaped to capture the laces securely – the middle eyelet even has little gripping teeth. As long as you are careful with the sizing and remember that they may feel a little heavier at first, the Hi-Tec walking boots should cause too many problems.

Even after our longest, most challenging walk (just under 8 hours across various different types of terrain), my feet still felt good in these boots. The boots coped excellently even when I was walking through streams, and across boggy land and I simply would not be without them. The third iteration in the popular Quest series, this is a boot designed for fast and light hiking on technical terrain – think trail walking in the Pyrenees or scrambling in Snowdonia. Salomon say it was developed with running shoe-adapted technology, the evidence of this being a slightly flexible chassis and a low-ish overall weight. The springy Techlite midsole provides good cushioning and impact absorption. I found the Peakfreaks extremely comfortable straight out of the box, so much so that I enjoyed wearing them out and about post-adventure. I felt extremely light on my feet, testing them out during fast, energetic Munro-bagging trips in Scotland. So, if light and fast is your thing – with the added bonus of reliable waterproofing – Columbia’s Peakfreak Mids are the ideal choice for any of you peak freaks out there. BUY NOW: COLUMBIASPORTSWEAR.CO.UK Because they are leather, they don’t look like your standard walking boots, which means they look good with more than just your normal walking gear. With my old walking boots, and even in my snowboarding boots, I find I get slight heel rise/rubbing, but with these boots, my feet stay in place, which means no rubbing and no painful blisters.

But, most are confident that the walking boots will hold up well enough. Aside from some other comments about getting a size bigger for a wider fit, there doesn’t seem to be much to worry about. Absolutely zilch nasty chemicals have been used in its creation. What we’re specifically referring to are those PFCs or perfluorinated compounds, which have been proven to be environmentally hazardous. Plenty of brands have stopped using these in the water repellent treatment that’s applied to the outer fabrics of their footwear – the DWR that makes water bead off – but not many have taken the extra step of removing all the nasty stuff contained in the waterproof membrane as well. Haglöfs have removed the lot here so kudos to them for doing that.

Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX

All in all, we were pretty impressed for the price. We wouldn’t take them out on longer expeditions or in gnarly weather, but they have plenty to offer for such a small price-tag. BUY NOW: GOOUTDOORS.CO.UK The Hi-Tec Ravine Hiking Boots have the simple specification and design that a lot of regular walkers are after. There are also some great comments about the comfort provided, even with that little extra weight. Many find that they can walk for miles in these Hi-Tec hiking boots and that it didn’t take too long to break them in.