Ad. Press Products Featured. Currently in England we are in lockdown Mark 3 and it’s not the best but a necessity for now. What that means is that we are allowed to take walks and exercise outside ideally just once a day. Turns out I actually like walking now it’s the only thing I can really do without the use of Zoom! Not one to splash out on clothes for the occasion (who am I kidding, course I am!) I wanted to get some hiker boots that look stylish and can handle a bit of a woodland walk in autumn/winter so I’m not just wearing them a few times then abandoning them. I’m looking at you boots I bought for our Iceland trip ! So with that said I amassed a collection quite quickly and here they are!
Now hiker boots aren’t new to the scene but as we turn to more practical footwear this season they are available far and wide! The classic, fashionable, hiker boots come from Grenson shoes. Those are the ones Holly Willoughby wears in the jungle on the programme I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! At £285 a pair for the Nanette style they aren’t the most affordable and the Women’s range only go up to a UK8. I tried a pair and length wise they were okay. But they were super tight across my feet at the top. So I’ve searched for similar pairs that accommodate my wide and big feet
The Black Leather Hiker Boots
The closest I’ve found to the Grenson’s that Holly shared in 2018 are from another of Holly’s brands she loves, Marks and Spencer*. At £59 they are much more affordable and you know you’re getting that fab M&S quality too. Sad news again for those wide footed amongst us, these only come in standard width. They can be a little tighter around the top and sides where the laces stop due to this. Where the laces are they loosen off fine and have a side zip to ace you faffing getting them to fit right every time.
I’ve found a thin sock and a few hours wear has loosened these off but they are most suited for a half hour stroll around the block, rather than a good ole walk. They go up to a size 8 which for my size 8/9 feet, fit really well aside from the width. I love the style of these and am already eyeing up the dark tan leather version too thinking I can wear them in too surely!
The Faur Fur Trim Hiker Boots
When I spied these George at Asda Hiker Boots I snapped them up! I love a bit of a faux fur trim and these called to me! They do look lighter on the site and it says they are a stone colour, but in reality they are more of a mink or taupe colour I would say. They go up to a size 9 which is fab. The first time I wore them I did some steep walking and so butted my toes a little at the ends of the Hiker Boots as they are probably half a size too big. On the second wear the back of one started to rub. So based on that I’m opting for thick socks and blister plasters just in case next time! Again I do think they will wear in a bit too which should stop the rubbing at least.
The faux suede goes darker when wet as I found walking through misty grass. So if you want to do some walking in these then bear that in mind as I don’t think mud would clean up well off the fabric either. Again definitely more of a lighter winter walk contender!
The Classic Brown Hiker Boot
There’s something that says year 6 orienteering trip to Hathersage when it comes to brown Hiker Boots. But because these have the faux fur detail they don’t looks like your traditional pair. These are another size 9 pair AND they are wide fit! Downside is I bought them in the Dorothy Perkins Sale before pandemic became part of our regular vocabulary. Therefore they aren’t available anymore. I had to include them though, as they are the comfiest of the three so far and I can walk wherever and know they won’t hurt. Again though they aren’t waterproof so only a mild and dry country walk is good for these.
The Comfy Contender
Those that know me well know I love a pair of Hotter sandals in the summer. I’ve been looking for a pair of boots from there for a few years now. There’s a fine line between shoes my gran would wear and ones I would! But they’ve nailed it with the more fashionable styles this year.
I ordered a few pairs but these Regan Style ones ended up being the keepers. A beautiful burgundy shade and real, soft, leather these are like walking on air! At £119 they were the most expensive but are now in the sale. Look out for extra 20% off sale voucher codes too for a bigger bargain! I picked them up in black for under £50. The only downside to these ones is they don’t have an amazing grip like a traditional hiker boot. Which makes them not so not great for walking in and around muddy fields!
So you can see I’ve invested in a fair few pairs of boots to try and walk in! I have to say the Hotters currently are the comfiest and driest to wear, I just have to avoid super muddy walks. Not so much of a bad thing really!
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