New this spring is an entire footwear collection from mega-budget brand Regatta. We checked out their top of the range hiking boot, the Treadway.
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Regatta Treadway Boot
Tested
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Price:
£60.00
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Weight: 1512 grammes (pair size
43)
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Features: Leather
and mesh upper, Isotex waterproof a breathable inner liner,
speed lacing system, wicking lining, deep padded collar and
tongue, shock absorbing ergo contoured footbed, lightweight
hiking rubber outside, protective toe and heel bumpers. Also
available as women's specific Lady Treadway
version.
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Good value, built on British last.
Lacing system not quite right, a tad flexible.
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The Concept Regatta is one of the biggest selling brands in
outdoor clothing and equipment so it made commercial sense for them
to add footwear to the rails of fleece and shell clothing and this is
the result. The Treadway is the company's top of the range hiking
boot designed to offer a UK-friendly, two-season(ish) walking boot at
a reasonable price. No more, no less.
The footwear project was headed up by an ex Hi-Tec boot guru,
which will also give you some idea of where the boot is aimed in the
market. Let's be honest, we're talking about something aimed
primarily at lowland walkers and newbies rather than more experienced
mountain walkers. Never the less, that's no reason to skimp on
features or quality.
Features We have dim memories of being plied with drink and
handed various Regatta boot components. Unfortunately the details are
a dim and distant dream however it does underline that Regatta has
put a lot of thought into their footwear.
The Treadway, along with other boots in the 'hiking' line-up uses
a combination of a carbon rubber outsole with an EVA cushioning inset
inside at the heel and forefoot. EVA is thec cushioning usually used
in running shoes. It gives great shock absorption but tends to lose
its cushioning over time. Walkers don't strike the ground as hard as
runners though, so we'd expect them to last okay.
The boot also follows in the modern vogue by having a waterproof
breathable liner which uses Regatta's Isotex 5000 plus the upper
meshes and fabrics are water repellent and non-wicking threads are
used.
Finally the boot has a 'speed-lacing' system with a locking second
lace hood allowing differential lacing.
In Action We're not over enamoured with season ratings for
boots, but the Treadway would probably be something like two and
quarter season rated... It's very flexible lengthways and torsional
rigidity is decent but not outstanding. We'd expect it to be used
mostly for low level hill walking rather than on rocky mountain
trails, though we're not saying that you couldn't venture out of the
valleys.
The boot has a nice, solid, quality feel to it and feels
immediately comfortable thanks to decent internal padding. Regatta
has used its own last to suit the British foot, so the shape is a
large-ish volume, classically British one with plenty of space for
broad feet - think Scarpa.
The speed lacing system looks impressive at first glance and
offers you the chance to lace the upper and lower parts of the boot
at different tensions, however while the lock-off hook worked well,
the laces didn't quite move smoothly enough through the lower lace
hooks, meaning yit was easy to leave slack low down then have to
re-tension the laces later. That's not a major criticism, but it does
give some idea of why these boots are considerably cheaper than most
mainstream boot brands - the lace furniture simply isn't as good.
Once on though, the boot felt comfortable and stable with plenty
of volume. The sole grips well on most surfaces and seems well suited
to softer terrain, though you could feel rocky surfaces through the
sole of the boot, so stay off the cobbles...
Finally, the waterproof lining kept our feet dry during numerous
puddle crossings, but did make for a sweaty feel in warmer
conditions, so probably not a good choice during a heatwave.
