Boreal Fuji Boot - First Look

Boreal are best known in the UK for a succession of ultra-grippy rock shoes, but the Spanish company produces a full range of walking, trekking and mountain footwear, including the four-season Fuji.

You're getting a lot of boot for a fiver over £100. The boot has a solid, well-made feel that's almost retro, with thick one-piece Nubuck leather uppers complete with a waterproof and breathable Sympatex liner, brass lace fittings, full rand etc, etc.

Fit is typically continental, so lower volume and a little narrower than an average British boot and internal padding is good. Out of the box both sole and uppers are pretty solid and we reckon there's a fairly serious midsole in there - in fact it's the second stiffest Boreal use and is officially 'rigid'. We reckon it's stiff enough to take a C2 crampon with heel clip.

So far they've been slow to break in and the overall solidness of the boot together with the relatively low cut of the ankle - the soft cuff at the top does nothing really - by four-season standards makes them feel a tad clumsy and clumpy. We've also experienced heel lift, which may be partly due to the stiffness of the sole not being matched by an upper which holds the foot firmly in place. It may, however, improve with use, so watch this space.

What we can't deny is that the build quality of the boots is excellent and at the price they represent very good value for money for a crampon-compatible winter walking boot.

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