The Great Outdoors Spring 2019

76 The Great Outdoors Spring 2019

Merrell

Ontario Mid UP

£140 862g

ultralight

shallow tread

Uppers: full-grain leather, M Select DRY membrane
Outer sole: Vibram Megagrip
Mid sole: moulded EVA
Flexibility: lexible
Sizes: men 6.5-14, women 4-8
merrell.com

Merrell describes the Ontario Mids as “clean
and nostalgic”. I’m not sure about the last
word but I guess “clean” refers to the plain
one-piece leather uppers. For an all-leather

boot they are amazingly light.

Unusually they come with two sets of

laces, one red, one brown.

The boots have the usual hard

toe and heel counter. The midsole

cushions well and there’s Merrell’s

air cushion under the heel. The

Megagrip outsole grips well but the

lugs are quite shallow, which usually

means they wear down more quickly

than deeper ones.

Merrell’s waterproof/breathable

membrane works ok in the cold but as with

all others I’ve tried, I may ind them too hot

in warm weather – which is otherwise the

conditions these boots are best suited to, as

they’re too light and lexible for winter – even

for me!

The width is described by Merrell as

medium. On me, they are too tight at the

forefoot.

I wouldn’t recommend these for

scrambling or really rough terrain but for

most walking outside of winter they should

be ok.

Mountain Warehouse

Track Trainer

£50 778g

ultralight, low cost, breathable

shallow tread

Uppers: synthetic, mesh
Outer sole: Mountain Warehouse
Mid sole: moulded EVA
Flexibility: very lexible
Sizes: m en 6 -1 2
mountainwarehouse.com

Low cost and ultralight,

Mountain Warehouse’s trail

shoes would be good for

warm weather walking. For

once there’s no waterproof

membrane so they are very

breathable – you can blow

through the mesh uppers. This

means they get wet quickly but

also dry fast.

Cushioning is ine and the grip is good. The

tread is shallow though so it will probably

wear down more quickly than deeper ones.

The toe is only slightly stiffened – I wouldn’t

want to kick rocks in these shoes. The

external heel counter is solid.

I like these shoes and, if they itted me,

would probably wear them a fair bit later in

the year when it’s warmer. Unfortunately

they're too narrow though.

Aku

Trekker Pro GTC

£195 1494g

shape design, grip

quite heavy, expensive

Uppers: Suede, Air80 0 0 mesh,
welded PU ilm, Gore-Tex
Outer sole: Vibram
Mid sole: shock absorbing
Flexibility: stiff
Sizes: men 6-13, women 3-9
aku.it

These are the heaviest, stiffest, and second-
most expensive boots reviewed. They’re
designed to be highly stable and have a shape
that is said to allow for a natural stride, with

better arch support and an insole

inclined outward for a more natural

toe off movement. Do they achieve

this? I ind them more comfortable

than most stiff boots – which is also

probably due to the rocker sole.

Cushioning is good and the

outsole has deep lugs for excellent

grip. The toe box and heel counter

are rock hard. The uppers have

suede lower down and mesh above.

Aku says the mesh has some of the

best breathability available and

that this continues to improve over 24

hours. Whether this counters the Gore-Tex

membrane I don’t know yet as I haven’t worn

them in hot weather. For me a boot this heavy

and stiff would be for winter anyway. They’re

certainly good for step-kicking.

The it is wider than most of the footwear

reviewed. I can walk further and wear them

for longer without my feet hurting than in

most of the footwear.

For those who prefer stiffer, heavier

boots, these are a good example.

Gear comparative review