72 The Great Outdoors Spring 2019NEW FOOTWE A
Chris Townsend checks out the latest designs of boots and shoes for 2019
E
EVERY YEAR companies bring out new
footwear for the hills and revise or drop
older designs. Sometimes the new shoes
and boots replace previous models,
sometimes there are revisions, sometimes
the same name is kept but the design
changes. What it means is that often you
can’t replace footwear with an identical
model, which can be frustrating.
That said, here I’ve looked at a selection
of the new footwear for this year. It’s a mix
of boots and shoes with different features
so it’s not a comparative review.
One feature common to almost all the
footwear reviewed is that the it varies from
narrow to very narrow, sadly for people
like me with wide feet. Indeed, I suspect
that those with average-width feet will ind
many of these boots and shoes narrow. Of
the 15 pairs, only three it me well enough
that I can walk more than a mile in them
comfortably and even those I can only wear
with thin socks. I removed the footbeds
from several pairs so I could walk at least a
short distance in them. More wide-itting
footwear or a choice in widths, please!
A second and more general complaint is
the use of waterproof membrane systems,
especially in shoes. Once footwear is wet,
membranes impede drying – something
I’m very aware of, having had three pairs
get soaked in the weeks before writing this
and then taking many days to dry – and in
summer I ind the membranes too hot and
my feet get sticky and sweaty.
Those who suffer cold feet won’t be
affected by the latter issue, but will still
have the problem of keeping water out of
their footwear. Outside of winter, when I'm
more likely to be wearing boots than shoes,
I’d personally still rather have quick-drying
footwear without membranes – but I know
that isn't the case for everyone.
Which of these boots and shoes is best
for you, assuming a good it, depends on
the intended usage. There are models
suitable for winter hillwalking and others
best kept for low-level summer walking
on good paths.Merrell
Choprock Shandal
£100 700gultralight, gripthe horrible composite word
‘Shandal’!
Uppers: synthetic, mesh, webbing
Outer sole: Vibram Megagrip
Mid sole: compression moulded EVA
Flexibility: very lexible
Sizes: men 6.5-14, women 2.5-8.5
merrell.com
For times when you know it’s going
to be wet underfoot – gorge walking,
bog trotting, walking through wet
vegetation, hillwalking in a wet summer- and you don’t want to wear waterproof
boots (and know they probably
won’t keep your feet dry anyway) the
Choprock Shandals are excellent.
They’re made from fast-drying synthetic
and mesh with many cut-outs along each
side so water runs out fast. The midsoles
have drain channels and ports too, and
the insole is perforated.
For a light shoe (I think these are
more shoe than sandal) the tread is
quite deep – more so than on some of
the boots reviewed. There’s a good hard
shaped heel counter for stability and a
hard toe.
The it is narrow. I have a struggle
just getting my feet into them as the
tongue isn’t gusseted and is sewn in to
the top. Sadly, as they don't it me, I can’t
fully latten my feet when wearing them.
This is a shame as I do like the shoes and
would love to really test them when the
weather’s warmer.3NOTES: all weights are for UK size 9 unless otherwise
stated. Flexibility is approximate – 'very lexible' means I can
easily bend the toe towards the heel. 'Flexible' means there
is some resistance. 'Semi-stiff' means quite a bit of effort is
needed, and the sole won’t bend very far. 'Stiff' means almost
rigid. All the shoes come with removable foam insoles.Gear comparative review
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