Recommended Price: £215 Weight: 1.98kg (pair, UK size 12) Raichle was a well respected manufacturer of rugged mountain boots for many decades, before being absorbed into parent brand Mammut in 2009, but these boots – which still have a Raichle logo on the tongue – show that their tough pedigree has been retained. The boots are constructed of full grain leather and have a high cut, with a softer Nappa leather on the cuff and tongue. The uppers feel very stiff when new, but do develop a flex after wear. The tough construction is softened with memo foam inside, which…

RRP: £199.99 Weight: 626g (per boot, size 5.5 wide) Fed up with wet cold feet and having long been a lightweight footwear devotee, I returned to all-leather heavier 3 season boots about 4 years ago and haven’t looked back. I still prefer the comfort of fabric shoes and boots in dry or warm conditions but with so many Scottish hillwalks featuring lengthy bog trots or wet and cold weather, the lightweight options – even if combined with waterproof socks – weren’t keeping my feet warm. To keep the chilblains at bay I opted for Alt-Berg’s Tethera boot. This is no…

Recommended Price: £121 Weight: 710g (Pair women’s size 5.5) Mens version available These traditional-looking trail shoes from Aku provide a more robust alternative to lighter, more flexible alternatives. The Montera Low GTX is made in Italy. The uppper is primarily seude with soft elasticated material at the cuff which should elimate rubbing on the achilles area and similar material for the tongue which helps the shoe flex without forming creases and pressure points. The gore-tex lining makes this a waterproof shoe great for muddy trails and wet grass but combined with the fairly thick upper material I found my feet…

Whilst these lightweight low-cut shoes are firmly aimed at trail runners – and ultra long distance ones at that – I’m always looking for comfortable and robust footwear that enables me to discard my heavier shoes and boots for summer Scottish routes. As with all footwear, fit is key. These were instantly very comfortable on my wide feet with no pinch points, the toe box is reasonably wide with plenty of give in the mesh uppers, they may be slightly on the short side as I fit a UK size 6 when a 5.5 is usually my choice (men’s version…

Recommended Price: £180 Weight: 670g AKU may be an unfamiliar brand name to UK walkers, but the Italian company has 30 years experience making boots. Although based in Treviso, Aku also have a second production base in Romania where these Alterra GTX boots are manufactured. AKU Alterra GTX boots are full-height boots that actually sit somewhere between the lightness and flexibility of trail shoes and the support of heavier boots. Much of the uppers are made from suede, with a stretchy synthetic material used for the ankle cuff and the tongue. This stretchiness means no tongue gusset is needed and…

Last month I looked at trail shoes and the best thing about doing that review was the comfort and flexibility for my feet during testing. The good news is that these are still qualities you can find in lightweight boots, even when wearing them right from the box. Although I’m a trail shoe wearer there are plenty times where boots are still the best choice, days where you want a better chance of keeping your feet dry or want a bit more protection on rough terrain. Boots may just be a better fit for you and feel right – you…

The old Inov-8 Terroc 330 trail shoes were the mainstay of my outdoor footwear quiver for many years until, amid outpourings of grief from the backpacking community, they were discontinued. After a period of mourning (and now that my stockpile has worn out) it’s time to source a replacement. Could it be the Trailroc 245? Inov-8 Trailroc 245 Price: £110 Weight: 298g (per shoe, size 11) weight, mesh upper, outsole toe protection I reverted to trail shoes for non-technical hillwalking many years ago. For multiday backpacking trips it made little sense to me to carry the extra weight of a…