Asolo Powermatic 250 Nubuck - First Look

Asolo Powermatic 250 Nubuck - First Look

Price: £125

Weight: 1470 grammes (pair size 43)

Features: Mountain-walking boot with water-resistant Nubuck leather uppers, Cambrelle lining, Asoflex 00MR last, Vibram outsole with triple-density PU mid-sole, Asolo micro-pulley lacing system. Available in women's specific version and in men's wide fit as well.

Comfortable, well-made, great lacing system. Nowt really.

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What's It For? The enigmatically named Powermatic - one word or two depending on your inclination - is an all-round mountain walking boot, the sort of thing that gets labelled 'three-season' in magazines.

The Powermatic bit refers to the three densities of PU used in the sole unit which are co-injected and moulded together, it says here, more in tech bit below, but the idea is maximum support and comfort. It's also that relatively rare creature, a walking boot without a waterproof lining, which should make it more useable in hot conditions. It's rated B0, so not technically suitable for crampon use, though a beefed up version is on the way for winter, we're told.

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The Techy Bits Two main techy bits for you - the Powermatic sole unit uses different densities of PU cushioning foam in the midsole. Specially, there's a medium-density area under the heel for cushioning and shock reduction on heel strike, a high-density area under the forefoot for stability and a very high-density area under the arch of the foot for longterm support. There are also four strategically positioned columns of PU linked through the outsole to the midsole to increase comfort and cushioning, the round things in the pic of the sole unit.

The other big tech features is the Micro Pulley lacing system which uses, you guessed it, tiny pulleys for 'effortless lacing' and 'maximum' durability. It's an all-metal construction and is also claimed to reduce abrasion to the laces.

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How It Works The Asolo Fugitive - see article link below - proved to be one of our unsung heroes this year so we were cautiously optimistic about the PM250 from the revamped Italian brand - the boots, incidenally, are made in Romanian factories.

So far, we haven't been disappointed. There's enough padding for instant comfort, but not so much that your foot swims around clumsily and the lacing system is excellent, one of the slickest we've used. Pull on the laces and they fair zip through the little pullies, very neat and easy to adjust lace tension to your preference. A lockable cleat to allow differential lacing would be the icing on the cake.

Underfoot you get a nice combination of support and comfort. The soft ankle area is supple and unobtrusive straight from the box and the soles feel both cushioned, yet stiff enough to absorb sharp edges underfoot. It's hard to know how much of that is down to the cunning multi-density PU gizmos in the midsole, but we've found them comfortable even on hard-baked summer trails.

We're also pleased to see another company producing a boot without a waterproof lining. Waterproofing's great in certain situations, but often causes hot, sweaty feet when the going gets scorchio. We prefer the combination of supple, water-resistant nubuck leather and the excellent high-wicking Cambrelle liner, particularly in summer conditions.

We haven't any problems with grip in current summer conditions, but the outsole tread looks slightly shallow, so we'll see what happens when things get murky and mucky later in the year.

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Initial Verdict

So far, so good. The Asolo Powermatic 250 Nubuck manages a great combination of comfort and cushioning but with an underlying sturdiness that makes it ideal for UK mountain walking in anything other than snowy conditions. The stiffish sole unit should work well for backpacking in rocky terrain. too

We're also chuffed to see another good option for those who don't feel the need for a waterproof / breathable liner and the superslick Micro Pulley lacing system is a delightful experience if you've ever struggled with sticky lacing dilemmas.

Some sort of toe protection / rand might be nice in rougher areas, but we'll see how things go without before drawing any firm conclisions there.

Fit is medium volume and will suit many British feet, there are also women's versions and a wider cut edition for wider-cut feet, though as with all boots it's absolutely essential to try before buying - the best boot in the world is useless to you if it doesn't suit your foot shape.

A very nice and instantly comfortable boot despite the slightly bizarre name. More when we've used it a bit more, which we will.

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Asolo web site

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