Mammut Comfort High GTX Surround Boots

MAMMUT make some awesome gear, agreed?

The connotation of quality with Mammut was the final selling point when I was looking for new boots.

Now some of you loyal Fellists may recall a previous gear review when we looked at the Adidas Terrex Fast R GTX boots. In fact I am considering doing a where are they now article as they are still in good nick.

Why then do I have new boots I hear you ask!

Having Viggo means I’m out walking daily and I don’t just do a mile here and ten minutes there. My working hours allow me to be doing around 3-4 miles a day minimum.

Still with me?

This resulted in me destroying a pair of Hunter wellingtons through winter and making excessive use of the Terrex’s.

My Adidas’s are still fully waterproof and intact, they have been looked after in terms of cleaning and re-proofing. All I have had to do is re-lace them.

But the slipping point so to speak is on the soles. I have given them so much hammer that they have started to smooth out. This is not a problem at this time of year on my dog walks. But do I want to be sliding down Loft Crag in torrential rain?

No do I heck as like!

I’ve digressed slightly, this is supposed to be all about the Mammuts!

Those long winded names from the manufacturers sometimes leave you pondering what it’s all about.

In this case the last part of these boot’s title refers to the newer updated type of Gore-Tex that has been used.

So what’s different about this Surround variant as opposed to the standard Gore-Tex?

It’s all about breathability.

You still get that all important waterproofing that we have come to take for granted from Gore-Tex but now the Surround variant offers enhanced all-around breathability.

These models that include GTX Surround are ideal for warmer conditions as the construction of the of this membrane releases more warmth and moisture.

From my previous boot review you may know that I like lightweight footwear, now had I come from a bigger, full leather boot and gone straight into the Mammuts I would have noticed a difference instantly. But in relative comparison with my Adidas Terrexs the difference is more subtle.

Basically after a full days hike your feet aren’t so sweaty!

Lovely eh!

Now what do I like about these boots?

Well they too are lightweight, my pair of size elevens clock in at approximately 1100 grams. That’s pretty good considering the high cut you get with them. So far I haven’t had any falls in them due to an ankle giving way.

The pick-up is fantastic because the deceiving big, high and chunky aesthetic kids you into expecting far more weight.

When on the lacing system and high cut combine to wrap your ankle up in a cloud of protection.

The toe band is made from a really tough rubber compound and the texture that it’s finished in is such a texture that it never looks any different. This is ideal after a load of rocky scuffs.

The grips are good. A harder rubber than on the Terrexs gives me the impression that these will be up to much more arduous treatment.

The styling on these boots is epic if you like a modern twist. The red flashes stand out nicely but are not overpowering. This model also comes in blue.

Summary time?

These boots are expensive, there’s no kidding there. They are retailing at around the £140 mark and around £125 in blue here.  (Not sure why blue is cheaper)

These boots have featured in Trail Magazine and the funny thing was, I’d had my pair about a month when they were in an issue.

I purchased my pair from the German site BergFreunde and wondered whether, due to them being imported I got them prior to UK release.

They are exactly what I expected and are performing really well.

Any surprises?

A couple I suppose…

The weight is an amazing feature and twinned with their toughness you know that these have been superbly built and expertly designed.

That’s left me happy with a pair of hard core boots and good looking ones at that.

Quickly, thank you for all your continuous support!

Cheers,

#TeamFell

Adidas Terrex Fast R Mid Gore-Tex Boot Review

TO begin, these are my everyday boots, they have done plenty of miles so this review is full of real life information.

Just an overview of the Adidas Terrex Fast R's.

These Terrex boots out of the box promise to be waterproof, lightweight, supportive and comfortable. And to give a small preview of what is to come, in my experience they have met all those promises and more.

The most important feature for me in these boots were the waterproof qualities, after my previous boots fell short of this requirement. The Adidas Terrex Fast R’s have a Gore-Tex membrane lining which suggests that it will keep out the water, protect you from the elements and keep you comfortable. I can vouch for the waterproofness of these shoes as I have relied on them in about half a dozen heavy wash out days of varying severity and in every case they stayed fully dry. From straight down saturating deluges to cross wind fuelled fell top cloudburst, I really can’t complain with regards to their weather resistance. 

After previously owning a glorified pair of rubber clogs, I really liked the lightweight attributes of these walking boots, the numbers given for a UK size 8.5 boot weighted in at 405 grams. Adidas achieve this by using innovative materials such as the abrasion-resistant air mesh upper and the lightweight EVA midsole. I have to confess that when trying on these boots in Blacks in Ambleside, I recall telling Claire that is was like having clouds on my feet! These are ace for long days walking as in my experience you don’t find yourself dragging your feet in these.

In the past I have had a few fatigued tumbles due to my ankles involuntarily deciding they had done enough. But since changing into these it hasn't happened. The key features that offer such support are in abundance on this shoe. The nice mid cut comfortably wraps my ankle and the Formotion heel unit inspires confidence at any gradient. Both these features when used in conjunction with the lacing system add up to a fantastic design. The snug fit throughout the heel, fore-foot and ankle mean that you have sterling support across the whole foot. The boots work hard for you and keep the foot in comfortable, healthy shape, overall the cut and heel unit are game changing for my feet.

That tyre rubber showing!

Closely linked to the support offered by these walking boots is the comfort. The moulded Ortholite sock liner welcomes you into the boots and keeps you tucked in all day, the insole does feel moulded to you. The Adiprene+ cushioning adds another degree of comfort to this shoe as on trails your feet feel as though there are no imperfections to the paths you walk.

Now coming onto protection and durability, you would expect a lightweight pair of sport hybrid walking boots to show it’s weakest hand here. Well, so far, there is no sign of damage to the boots as you can see from the photos and video and they have kept me in good nick too! The toe bar is a god send on this product, this area as you know takes the brunt of the hits and the addition of this to the Terrex’s adds years onto their life expectancy. The synthetic overlays on the air mesh upper also adds to the structural rigidity and all round 360 degree protection of the shoe. The solid Formotion heel unit stops any accidental rear knocks from doing yourself a mischief and stands up to really tough tests!

The eye catching modern appearance is a head turner
for sure!

Apart from the previous fairly generic aims of a boot, there are a few features on this shoe that make it stand out from the crowd. The first is the brand, a few people will say: “oh, Adidas they just make sports kit and football boots.” In my experience the Terrex range is really fit for purpose. 

Another thing that stands out is the looks and styling and this was one of the main reasons I went for this boot. Yes your traditional outdoor brands produce boots fit for purpose, of course they do, but the styling of these in relation to the price point made the decision easy. 

The grips show very little sign
of wear.

Other boots that I looked into prior to purchase were colourful examples such as: 

The North Face Verbena II’s at £140

The Salomon Wings Sky GTX 2’s at £139.99

And La Sportiva’s Trango S Evo GTX’s at £200+

All these other modern, fresh boots are a fair bit more and as the Adidas Terrex Fast R Mid’s were just £95 on sale at Blacks, I made the leap so to speak.

The grip of these boots is certainly noticeable in comparison to my previous shoes and Adidas would say that it is down to the Continental tyre rubber that the soles are formed from that give great grip, especially in wet conditions. 

The lacing system is a nice touch too. The speed lacing works with a connected loop of lacing being tightened by a one directional toggle, with a release catch for loosening. This means no more stopping to tie soggy untied laces, should you need to re-tighten them, it needn’t slow you down, just a quick pull on the toggle and away you go. The system seems successful as my boots hardly ever need tightening even after a full days walk, and the aesthetic of the system adds to the overall modern appearance.

The instep of my UK size 11's.

Finally this product from Adidas is suited for someone who is fairly fast paced. Whether this comes in the form of a fell runner in need of a little more support or just a walker who likes the light minimal feel to these shoes, they still have enough grunt to protect you from the elements and keep you going all day. 

These are boots that can keep up with you!

The Terrex range offers many different cuts of boot and also have a ladies range too. I have been amazingly impressed by mine so I have to recommend them to you! Be sure to check them out!

If you havent watched it already be sure to go watch our video review of the boot, go on, do it now! 

Thank you to all the supporters we have, all the Twitter retweets don't go unnoticed so thank you! As always, get your email in the sub box and follow us on Twitter @TeamFell Check out our Youtube channel and spread shirt shop too!

Cheers

#TeamFell