Features The new boot eschews the original's Pittard leather
upper in favour of a more contemporary suede and fabric construction.
There's some optimistic stuff about the 'mesh' panels enhancing
breathability, but trust us, the Gore-Tex XCR membrane is the
determining factor here.
The XCR membrane is a less insulated version of Gore-Tex's
original boot liner and intended to be cooler in hot conditions,
though the difference is marginal in our experience.
Finally, the bulk of the weight savings come from the new
five-piece Stabylite sole unit complete with visible carbon fibresque
bits and a new tread pattern. It's claimed to deliver maximum
torsional rigidity while keeping weight to a minimum.
In Action Okay, let's be honest, we didn't really warm to the
looks of the new Supalite XCR - we don't particularly like the GTX
version either if you were wondering - but after a four-hour stomp
through some particularly nasty Peak District conditions, we found
ourselves singing the boot's praises.
First, while it's not as light as the leather version of the
boot, at 1188 grammes for a pair in size 43, it's still relatively
feathery. The good news is that the lightness of the boot doesn't
appear to have a trade off in performance terms.
We found the showy Satbylite sole with its carbon fibre-esque red
and black plates gave great torsional rigidity for a boot this light
combined with decent grip on all the surfaces we encountered.
That's all combined with classic Brasher out of the box comfort.
There's enough padding internally to cushion your ankle bones, but
the company has resisted the temptation to stuff the boot full of
foam which gives good initial comfort at the cost of precision
underfoot.
We were also glad of the Gore-Tex XCR liner which stayed
completely waterproof and kept our feet dry despite some serious
puddle wading and ballistic hail storms. The pay-off is likely to be
sweaty feet in very hot conditions however. so bear that in mind if
you're planning a trip somewhere warm.
The fit is classic British, but the heel, to us, felt slightly
narrower than past Brashers which minimises lift there and ups
stability. Nowt wrong with the lacing hardware either.
Which brings us back to the aesthetics and a couple of other minor
points. Our black/carbon versions pictured sported nasty bright
orange trim that we reckon looks naff, while the sole unit, for all
its performance, looks from side on, like something from a cheap
trainer. We're also bemused by the side-on reflective trim or more
specifically, the lack of reflective trim at the back of the
boot.
You've probably gathered that we were underwhelmed by the look
of the boot, but we have to eat humble pie and admit that so far at
least, we can't fault its performance if it fits your foot. It's
light, waterproof and offers great comfort combined with enough grip
and torsional rigidity to handle rough ground. And at the end of the
day that lightness adds up to less fatigue and a more enjoyable
walk.
Which leaves the aesthetics. Obviously that's a personal call.
Either you'll like them or not. We can see that Brasher is trying to
widen its market and appeal to younger walkers and those who don't go
for the traditional Brasher look, but we can't help feeling that a
more contemporary take on the classic lines - think new VW Beetle or
the BMW Mini - would have been a better call.
If you like the looks and they fit your feet, we reckon these are
a great buy for lightweight walking use.
Know more or want to?
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product check out our user review system and post your opinions to
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Discuss this story
I was a brasher fan for years until now. I bought the brasher supalite xcr boots and within 80 miles in total or 14 months the sole started coming off .the boots rub and cause blisters on my forefoot due to material overlap in the upper. They also are not waterproof. No more brasher boots for me AltBerg only from now on.
Posted: 27/02/2010 at 11:54
if the sole is coming off take them back. overlapping material occurs in all footwear - it's just a case if it affects you or not. it's not a manufacturing defect. 80 miles of what? straight forward walking?
Posted: 27/02/2010 at 15:41
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