It is something that is drilled into me from my Army days and carried on into my hiking day. ‘Look after your feet and they will look after you’! Above all my outdoor clothing I must admit that I give my footwear top thought.
I do miles and miles per week over all terrains. Dog walks, muddy walks, day rambles and dry rugged mountains home and abroad. The boots I wear get hammered so I am not able to get just any old pair for any price. I was kindly offered a pair of Hi-Tec Ravine Waterproof boots to put to the test, and they are doing a remarkable job.
To start with, something I have noticed in a few of the Hi-Tec boots I have owned, is that breaking in is very easy. very easy in fact. Please make sure you get the right size for your feet, remembering you may wear thicker socks for hiking. I personally like a leather boot so they do not look out of place in an urban environment either. The leather upper is great for cleaning taking care of them too.
They have Dri-Tec waterproof technology and to be honest I have not had to worry about getting my feet wet in any situation to this date. Another feature I found excellent was the lacing system. Quick and easy but allowed varying degrees of tightness and differing lacing points at ease.
I found these to be great ‘on and go boots’, no stiffness or rubbing from the outset. These were to be tested through the Winter too so I was going to give them a good testing that is for sure.
Ok, they went through streams, over the Yorkshire 3 peaks, up mountains and on as many dog walks that makes me lose count. Plenty of them muddy and wet. These boots are still going strong after a full season and still wear them daily in the great outdoors.
For their price they are excellent quality and if you are looking for a good boot for hiking Britain in all weathers I cannot fail to recommend them. It is very difficult to find a boot that is comfortable without rubbing from the outset, full marks to Hi-Tec for this.
They are not entry level boots for the price, but, for the price I find them comparable and just as great as some brands charge a lot more for.
