I really like these boots. The lace loops at the bottom of the boot give a really clean design and it means that there's nothing to snag and rip off when you're scrambling. The boots aren't designed as a scrambling boot but I would suggest that that's where they will excell.
The 2 eyelets on the ankle flex point give better flexibility as the laces can move more freely. Lace lockers next so you can change the tension in the laces from top to bottom. Then 4 standard lace hooks to finish off with.
The boots are nice and stiff to give good support on softer ground and means you get better control on small rock holds when scrambling.
Fit wise they are quite a narrow fit with a low volume and a narrow heel which aims to keep the heel in place. The footbeds that come with the boots are better than most with a half decent heal cup/cradle which is designed to keep the heel in a neutral position when it hits the ground so that the rest of the foot follows in a neutral position. This in turn is supposed to be good for the ankles, knees, hips and back. There's also a foam panel under the ball of the feet to ease the pressure when walking.
They've not been on the market long enough to be able to talk about long-term durability but I fit them to a fair number of people in the shop and we've not had any back yet (touch wood).
Posted: 04/01/2013 at 21:54
