Hi Tec Rainier Event

The splendid gent known to us all as PTC* sorted me out with a pair of these for the February testing weekend. I’ll admit it, I didn’t wear them. I’d tried them on in the house and found the tongue on the left boot pressed against my ankle quite painfully, so went with an old trusted pair instead.

I’m never one to look a gift horse in the mouth though, so I persevered. I figured that getting them outdoors and muddy is the only way to really test, so I’ve worn them for the last half-dozen times I’ve been out and I have to say my opinion has changed dramatically.

The first time I took them out I felt the same pressure when leaving the car and prepared for pain on the hill, but after a couple of hundred yards they started to warm up and mould to my feet. Once fully warmed the tongue issue disappeared and I could focus on how they performed.

First up, for a leather boot, they are light. I’ve been keeping an eye out for a pair of fabric mids, but now I have these I’m not sure I need them. Some of the mids I looked at weigh more than these. There’s a degree of flex so you don’t feel like a deep sea diver and there is a bit of movement allowed for your ankle, which I like.

The heel cup held my foot in place nicely, and the toe box is the roomiest I’ve ever had in a boot. It’s like a cathedral for your toes. Even when heading down steep ground, my toes still had plenty room and the was no pressure up front. In fact my toes were lounging on the pews and kicking back while the minister droned on.

Another point of note is grip. The sole unit is Vibram like so many others, but for some reason but it sticks like nothing else I’ve had. My Salomons stick on wet grass like Nick Clegg sticks to his principles, but these HiTecs are like magnets on any surface. The best test of grip for me is well worn schist; in rain and it’s like trying to get grip on a bar of soap. These boots handled it very well, with only a couple of minor slips rather than the usual dancing-on-ice like shenanigans.

I’ve been doubtful of the hype around Ion Mask, it just seems like a fancy name for a DWR treatment to me, but so far it’s working. I’ll keep wearing them to see how it lasts in the long term.

So despite initial misgivings these have migrated to be first in the pile at the back door. Me liking leather boots again? Life’s full of surprises.  I’ll be back in trainers soon enough, but for winter and wet days, these will do just fine.

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4 Comments

  1. Yeah I’m well impressed with the sole unit. I must get more background from Petesy on the tech involved.

  2. just bought a pair of these on sale, thanks to your review! as soon as I tried them in the shop I knew I’d get them. Can’t wait to wear them on my next hike (I’ll report back)… and the best thing: they only cost €90! (down from €200 last year!)

  3. Good stuff, that’s a good price you go it there, for a very decent pair of boots. Irish and Bavarian eh? That’s a bit of a combo!

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