The Great Outdoors Spring 2019

74 The Great Outdoors Spring 2019

Keen

Venture Mid
WP

£130 1060g

lightweight, cost

membrane

Uppers: synthetic, mesh, Keen.Dry membrane
Outer sole: Keen All-Terrain rubber
Mid sole: E VA , shank
Flexibility: lexible
Sizes: m en 6 -14
keenfootwear.com

Keen’s latest boots don’t have the brand's
usual chunky look or wide it. The Venture

Mids are sleek and narrow-toed. Too

narrow for me, sadly – I can only wear

them for long by removing the insole.

That apart, they are good boots at a

reasonable price. Grip and cushioning

are ine. The uppers are surprisingly

supportive given the low weight.

There’s a shank in the sole and this

makes them stiff except at the toes

where they lex easily. There’s a solid

external heel counter and a hardened

toe. A thin cord runs round the heel

from the upper lace D-rings so when

you pull the laces tight through them it locks

the boot in round the heel.

As usual, I could do without the

waterproof membrane as these aren’t boots

for the winter hills. The cost is lower than for

similar boots, making the Venture Mids good

value for money if they it you.

Salomon

OUTline Mid GTX

£130 748g

lightweight, cost

very narrow

Uppers: synthetic, mesh, Gore-Tex
Outer sole: Contagrip MD rubber
Mid sole: E VA
Flexibility: lexible
Sizes: men 6.5-13.5, women 3.5-10.5
salomon.com

“Slim, athletic style”. “Sneaker-like comfort”.
The irst of those is certainly true of these

light, narrow boots. Unfortunately,

that narrow width means the latter

doesn't apply for me. Salomon says

they’re for “everyday adventures”,

“equal parts connecting with

friends, having fun outside, and

discovering new places” but the

OUTline Mid GTX could be ine for

summer hillwalking if they it you

and the almost inevitable Gore-Tex

lining isn’t too hot for your feet.

They have a reasonable grip, good

cushioning, a hard toe and a solid

heel counter. They’re quite stiff side-toside,

while lexing fairly easily at the forefoot.

These are boots for anyone who wants

lightweight footwear but prefers some ankle

protection. The weight and cost are good. I

think there are better alternatives though.

Hoka One

One

Sky Kaha

£180 1096g

cushioning, low weight

quite expensive

Uppers: full-grain leather, eVent
Outer sole: Vibram Megagrip
Mid sole: E VA
Flexibility: semi-stiff
Sizes: men 40 -48, women 36-44
hokaoneone.eu

The Kaha in Hoka One One’s new Sky range
has the brand’s usual distinctive look with
its very thick midsole. Hoka One One says it
gives maximum cushioning and describes the
ride as “plush”. It is, too. If you suffer sore feet

these boots could be the answer.

The Sky Kaha boots are lightweight,

especially given the speciications. The

uppers are smooth full-grain leather with

mesh for the tongue and round the ankle.

The heel counter and toe are solid. Lacing

goes a fair way down towards the toe.

The sole is made from Vibram’s tough

Megagrip rubber with a multidirectional

lug pattern that grips well. The boots are

quite stiff but the sole has a pronounced

rocker and I didn’t notice this when

walking.

There is an inner eVent membrane,

which I don’t mind so much in these

boots as I’d wear them in cold weather

rather than summer.

Hoka One One describes the it as

Medium but it is wider than other footwear

with that label. After loosening them fully so

the uppers could expand to their maximum,

I found the boots reasonably comfortable

with medium-weight socks. I’d need more

width for really long walks but compared

with most of the footwear reviewed these

are suited to medium to wide feet.

Gear comparative review

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