Zamberlan Vioz GTX WMNS
+ full leather upper; chunky, deep-lugged sole; close fit; soft but robust ankle support
– no rubber rand; sole is great for walking but less sensitive for more technical work
Thick full-grain leather upper, with minimal stitching and Zamberlan’s Hydrobloc treatment to increase water repellency, plus a Gore-Tex lining. The Vibram sole is chunky with deep lugs (some corrugated) and a pronounced heel, which helps braking on downhills. Softer material around the ankle moves with the lower leg to improve comfort and support free movement. No rand, but a lick of rubber protects the toe. 4/5
This boot is built around a woman’s last designed with backpacking in mind. It has lower overall volume, a tighter heel and roomy toe box. It fitted me almost perfectly: snug around the midfoot, supportive of the arch, with only a shade of heel lift. The toe box is roomier in some others, but there’s wiggle room. Women‘s sizes 36-43, 40-48 for men (both with some half sizes). 5/5
Thanks partly to the good fit, these were comfortable from the off – impressive as they are fairly stiff, tough boots. Soft, breathable padding protects the ankle when you’re traversing or covering steep ground, while the lacing and thickness of the leather provide support. So you get good freedom of movement with the security of a robust pair of boots. This also helps with carrying a heavy pack. 5/5
Designed for long backpacking treks, on which they excel, they feel properly solid. While you can scramble in them, they’re not as sensitive as others and that chunky, protective sole is best for straightforward walking on rough ground. Then it really does roll along, with a rocker profile that gives good momentum and a pronounced heel that helps with downhill braking. 4/5
Not inexpensive; but you get a hard-wearing, full-grain leather upper, and build quality is good so that with care these could last years. 3/5
Fantastic for straightforward hillwalking and backpacking. Less ideal for scrambling, but overall 4.2/5 a quality mountain boot.