Nubuck upper, Vibram sole unit, dual density PU cushioning in the mid-sole and a waterproof breathable eVENT membrane lining - so how much do you reckon?
Somewhere back in early 2000, a whole generation of decent but
affordable middle-market boots suddenly went missing leaving us with
a choice of cheapo budget stuff and £100 plus premium boots,
with not much left in the middle.
The
good news is that the middle-market void is gradually being filled by
the likes of Scarpa off-shoot Contour, Regatta's new footwear line
and, not least, by rapidly improving kit from established brand
Hi-Tec.
The latest new arrival from the latter just knocked on the door of
OM Towers and we're provisionally very impressed. The Hi-Tec
Ascent 2 is claimed to be 'the ultimate, load-bearing,
performance, backpacking boot' and while we wouldn't go quite that
far, it looks like a pretty impressive slice of walking boot.
For starters you get an exclusive Vibram outsole, dual-desnity
cusioned PU midsole and a mostly nubuck upper with some Cordura-type
fabric in the ankle area. Even the footbed has an anti-bacterial
treatment to stop smells.
The waterproof cherry on the features icing though is a waterproof
and breathable eVENT membrane. We're quite excited by that, in our
experience, eVENT outperforms other breathables in clothing use, so
it'lll be interesting to see how it functions in footwear - bear in
mind that your feet can produce half a pint of sweat in a day's
walking and you'll appreciate that breathability matters.
So far we've not found a membrane, Gore-Tex or otherwise, that can
cope in hot conditions, so if the eVENT version does the job, we'll
be very impressed.
On initial fondling, the boot itself seems to have good torsional
rigidity, a nice, stiff heel cup and the sort of overall sole
stiffness and flex we'd expect from a good three-season mountain
walking and backpacking boot. Weight's not unreasonable either at
around 1500 grammes for a pair of size 43 - more once we've had a
chance to use the Ascent 2 properly.
Oh, how much? Would you believe £75 for a boot with a Vibram
sole and a top brand waterproof membrane? No, we didn't either. Watch
this space...
