Meindl Magic 2.0 Shoe - First Look

Meindl Magic Men 2.0 - First Look

Price: £59.95

Weight: 988 grammes (pair size 43)

Features: Nubuck leather andn ylon mesh uppers, Clima lining, Meindl double density Magic semi-stiffened sole with Kevlar and carbon fibre reinforcement, wired lacing system for mid-foot support,proetctive rubber toe-cap, Gore XCR-lined version also available for £75.00.

Good sole unit and looks fab. Wide, high volume fit won't suit everyone.

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The Concept The Magic 2.0 - also available as a ladies' shoe - is a development of an existing shoe but with a bunch of improvements including a hard-nosed new sole unit with techy Kevalr / carbon fibre stiffening strut and more mesh for the uppers to aid cooling.

It's touted as a multi-activity shoe which realistically means that for every one skipping around the tops or out mountain biking, there'll be a couple more in the pub, at the caff or simply down the high street. We tested it for real though with a series of frenzied yomps across Kinder and Bleaklow incorporating mud and rock sections for good measure with the odd fast-moving jog thrown in.

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Features First the Magic's look great. with a chunky sole unit and clean lines and some ostentatiously technical touches like the exposed Kevlar / carbon strip in the well-lugged sole unit and wire lace eyelets that spread the fastening loads across the mid-foot.

That sole unit also incorporates a running-style cushioned EVA mid-sole which gives great shock absorption on hard surfaces particularly when compared to , say, Scarpa's excellent, but less forgiving Helium shoe.

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In Action The first thing we'd stress is that the Magic won't suit everyone. The volume of the shoe is high as is the width and the heel was a little wide for the OM test foot which made it a little looser that we'd have liked. In an ideal world, we'd also have liked a slightly stiffer heel cup.

Having said that, once we'd used those wire hawser lace loops to cinch down the mid-foot, the shoe felt good. Not as firm and boot-like as, say, the Helium, but stiffer than most running shoes and the extra flexibity and lightness makes them feel very nimble and agile, particularly if you're used to boots.

There's enough lateral rigidity in the sole unit to cope okay with uneven ground and even with the heel fit being a bit roomy for us, we still felt stable and secure hopping across gritstone boulders on the Kinder edges.

Comfort is slipper-like, even when well laced up and the mesh makes for good breathability - if waterproofing is a factor for you, check out the £75 Gore-Tex XCR -lined version, but we managed in medium soggy ground conditions without getting wet feet, so they're not that bad as standard.

We were also very impressed with the grip from the heavily-lugged sole unit on soft, cow-churned ground and skipping down a damp, grassy descent path. That combines with good feel and tack on rock for highly acceptable all-round security.

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Initial Verdict

It's a credit to the shoe that we still felt secure in the Magics despite a fit that was looser than we'd ideally have liked. Some of that is down to the secure lacing system that cinches down across the mid-foot, some to the good all-round grip from the sole unit which we found grippy and reliable on both soft and hard surfaces.

The end result is a light, nimble feel, that allows you to move faster and more precisely on the hill. The cushing of the mid-sole unit makes them above average cushy for hard tracks too.

The Magic is slipper-comfortable straight out of the box and gives every sign of being put together with Meindl's usual attention to detail and quality. They look good too, with the orange detailing sitting nicely with the grey nubuck leather and dark mesh of the uppers.

We're not sure why the fit should feel so much more generous than Meindl's boots, but if your feet are on the wide, high volume end of things, check these out.

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Meindl web site

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