It was a sad day when I had to bid farewell to my old hiking boots. They’d seen me through some amazing treks – nothing especially glamorous, you understand – but ones that meant a lot to me, and they’d covered the miles. But the relationship had run its course. They were leaky and creaky and it wasn’t working for me any more. With a heavy heart I had to acknowledge it was all over between us.
So worn were they that I couldn’t even tell what make they were, but I didn’t care. Because just as I’d consigned them to my past, along came Merrell, offering to send me a pair of extremely swanky hikers that captured my heart from the first moment.
I mean, look at them. This is a goodlooking bit of footwear.
What you can’t tell from the picture is just how light they are. They weigh in at a featherweight 326g, which is less than my Converse All Stars (I know this as I weighed both when I was trying to make weight for Ryanair’s oppressive baggage restrictions).
They are wonderfully, awesomely comfortable. I kept “breaking them in” at home, which was just an excuse to wear them all the time, because from the word go they were like old friends. They have a nice bit of “give” in them – perhaps it’s the Vibram soles – and are brilliantly grippy. I tried them out on the slipperiest slope and they held fast.
So yes, it’s love. I haven’t even given the old pair a passing thought. Who, them? It’s all over between us.
£125
Note: these hikers were a gift from Merrell, but my opinions are always independent and honest.