Review: Hi-Tec Eurotrek Walking Boots
For over a decade, the Hi-Tec Eurotrek range have been our main workhorse boots for testing the iWalk Cornwall walks, primarily because they are reliable and affordable.
The upper parts of the boots are made from leather and have good waterproofing. They don't need excessive amounts of "breaking in" but are a little rigid at first. After the first couple of walks they start to become more flexible.There have been a few different versions of Eurotrek boots over the years but the latest is called Eurotrek Lite Wp (there is no non-lite version so you can read "Lite Wp" as "Version 4").
The first and second versions of Eurotrek had eyelets for the laces that broke off really easily. This was improved in version 3 and in the new 4th generation Lite model. However, the eyelet rivet broke after only a week on my latest pair of 4th gen Lite boots so it still seems to be a quality control issue.
We literally test our boots to destruction. With very heavy use in the wet, the way these boots usually eventually fail after many months of abuse is in one of two ways:
- the damp causes mould to attack the leather and then they lose their waterproofing and/or crack
- the eyelets can corrode and are then prone to snap off
If you are not using them every day, you can prolong their life by making sure you dry them out in between uses when they are damp.
Pros
- Affordable
- Reliably waterproof
- Comfortable and good ankle protection
Cons
- Grip not brilliant on slippery surfaces. Still the case for the 4th generation Lite model.
- Eyelets for the laces prone to breaking off
- Prone to attack by mould if left damp (true for all leather boots)
- Not a trendy brand name if you care about that sort of thing (we don't)
Overall, at the price they are good value and can be replaced 2-3 times for the cost of a more expensive pair of boots (a more expensive boot may last a bit longer but is very unlikely to last twice as long). However, as things stand with the eyelet reliability and poor grip, at the moment I'd probably go for Northern Territory Inuvik or Regatta Burrell which are a similar price point and currently better in both these areas.