Boreal "DROM" Walking/Approach Shoes, Mid calf boots
Choosing a boot can be a tough call these days as there are literally hundreds of models to choose from from hundreds of manufacturer's globally however out of those "hundreds" only several manufacturers stand out as far as I'm concerned.
I'm after durability, wearability/comfort and looks/ appearance is at the lower end when it comes to me making a decision of what to purchase . I want functionality and no BS marketing.
Real leather still THE best main construction material of choice for the expert cobbler, combined with modern rubber compounds, metal parts and high tech engineering polymers.
Synthetic leather simply can not go the distance IMHO. Anything with mesh is a waste of money and if your feet get so hot and sweaty better to be wearing some sort of outdoor sandal type footwear and or invest in high quality breathable socks and inners.
Stay away from lacing lugs which are solely composed of webbing and or other "cordage" because lacing material rubbing against such similar surfaces in key points, will eventually abrade through and the worst thing is that the actual shoe part fails, not the laces, i mean laces can be replaced. This type of shoe/boot construction is not meant to last more than one season of serious hiking/walking/exploring etc., trust me been there done that and learnt the expensive way.
The Boreal DROM Mid Calf Approach Boot. (also available in a shoe type design)
Now let's looks at what makes a good lightweight boot. But before we go any further, it's like anything, one gets what they pay for!
If you have ever climbed seriously or partaken in via ferrata adventures then you either used Boreal products or have encountered this famous Spanish shoe manufacturer's name., and therefore they need no further introduction.
However, if you are new to this name and are also looking for great outdoor footwear then read on!
Brief introduction
Boreal is a world renowned Spanish shoe and boot company, based in Villena, Alicante Spain. As they say, 100% of their footwear is produced in this factory. They are making everything from mountaineering footwear to trail running shoes.
As the shoe label says: Made in Spain. I've worn this brand since 1983, and they were a pair of climbing shoes which got a lot of heavy usage and at least one resoling! However of the last 2.5 years, I've owned a pair of Boreal Brenta via ferrata and mountaineering boots and they have been given a good testing with everything from hiking solo in snowy covered mountains to scrambling over extremely rocky terrain, crawling over muddy slopes, water logged earth etc. etc. in pursuit of geology madness!
The tough rubber rands they use, akin to car tyre durability add a great deal of confidence that the shoes I'm wearing are not going to be falling apart the moment I clean off the mud and grime.. In other words their construction is fantastic.
This super thick rubber rand is what makes these mid calf boots excel in durability (along with the Vibram sole of course). Yes, there are other manufacturers doing similar, like my extremely durable and comfortable Fitwell Big Wall boots, which BTW (on to my second pair after over 1000km of daily wearing) and are being replaced, or rather I'm trying out the Boreal Drom because my shop could not get a pair of fitwell in my sizing before I need to travel where there will be no boots for sale!
In the above image we can see a generous amount of "sticky type rubber" enclosing this region. I know, based upon 35 plus years of experience that this sort of construction is basically bomb proof. After all it is used by all reputable climbing shoe manufacturer's in the construction of climbing shoes. This type of apparel encounters the harshest of harsh treatments of all shoes, and that is to be in constant contact with super abrasive rocky surfaces as part of "normal use" and not fall apart. Plus not just be in contact but to be purposely rubbed against! (in order not to fall off the cliff).
In the above image one can clearly see how the rand covers the 2mm thick leather.
Also lets look here at part of the EVA shock absorbing foam. which forms part of the boots comfortable nature.
The Toe Box region
How about the "Toe box region"? If we take this region to include all that is "enclosing our toes" both inner and outer, this is of course a vital area of shoe/boot construction which, other than the requirement to fit the individual's feet perfectly, it must be able to sustain long lasting durability over the years of harsh usage (but not abuse).
The first region where the laces cross the toe box, they pass through a section of webbing. What is the purpose here? There are many. One that comes to mind instantly is there is less chance of a "lace snag up"when traversing bushy terrain with small projecting sticks that could get caught under the first lace cross over and hence either trip one up or possibly damage the shoe.
Secondly, this arrangement can aid in securing a better fit when the laces are pulled tight.
Now note that two lacing holes back from the end of the shoe, these holes are now reinforced with sturdy metal rivets and we see this from here all the way to the metal lugs with the exception being the webbing for adjusting a perfect fit across the wearer's instep area (see image directly below).
Lacing holes in key stress areas are reinforced with metal inserts. Super high stress areas such as the upper adjustment lugs, are made from metal, not plastic nor are they made of webbing. Now i know that there are very, very strong engineering plastics that can be found used in lugs for boot lacings, however, they are never as strong nor as abrasion resistant as metal lugs. This was one of my deciding factors (there were 2) for not purchasing a similar boot made by Garmont.
BTW I should say that this blog is not sponsored in anyway from Boreal or any other shoe/retailer and are my own independent views and opinions.
Metal lacing lugs.
Vibram Pepe sole, compound Mega Grip by Vibram, THE most grippy rubber compound from Vibram. Goes without saying Vibram is KING for the quality and durability of long hard wearing soles for footwear. On that note I see Michelin is making some inroads into soles, who knows how good they will be, only time will tell? They don't need to prove themselves with rubber technologies.
Are the Boreal DROM approach mid calf boots Waterproof/Water resistant?
Well's let start by saying no boot is 100%waterproof because despite any such claims, once the wearer places his or her foot below the water line at the ankle level then your boot or shoe is definitely going to take on water. However, if we are now talking about, does water, as in fluid water (not vapour) pass across the leather and into these boots then the answer is no*, because they are lined with Sympatex, a breathable "oneway" membrane, been around for almost as long as Gortex and in my humble opinion far better than Gortex, especially in footwear. The proprietary form of this Sympatex membrane Boreal are calling "Dry-Line"
I have also found that the factory leather treatment is very good at repelling water and can be kept this way by the application of their waterproofing product (see my review on the Boreal Brenta mountaineering and via ferrata boots. Note, do not use any "grease" type waterproofing agents on this type of boot.
So what is this type of footwear good for?
Mountain approaches
Scrambling
trail walking
Hiking 2-3 days 4 season (but not deep snow-there are better boots for this purpose)
Daily urban combat!
Look basically i'm wearing approach type shoes/boots daily, ok if you work in an office and there is some strict dress code then obviously not for the office, at least that "kind of office" LOL but i'm wearing mine fishing, rock scrambling, hunting etc etc. I'm not wearing them caving but i do wear them hiking to caves.
If you're not going to hike in full winter then these types of boots are great. You can doo better with a heavier construction boot for trekking but then again i don't believe I'd have any problems using these boots for trekking outside of snowy conditions.
Basically these boots will handle rough rocky terrain, that is their forte.
Because they not only tough but light weight and breathable they will be just great for warmer climes of the tropics where one is better off wearing at least mid calf boots to full on boots for negotiating rough jungle terrain.
Anyway you will presently see me wearing them in all videos coming soon to the channel.
One year warranty but usually various retail outlets might give you 2 years on them. Depends upon the relationship you have with your favourite retailer and as you can now see, yes, I buy my footwear from physical stores that I trust the staff and NOT over the internet. The staff usually give me good customer feedback upon which I also base some of my purchases on.
On a final note, why didn't I go for a pair of Garmont's? Well they are def good boots but this years models, I don't like the softer materials used for the base of the boots because these are exposed to environment and they can be prone to be easily damaged whilst "bush bashing" from small sticks etc. having pretty much full** rubber rands the Boreal Drom is abetter choice for my activities in the outdoors.
BCT
Caveats
(when it comes to footwear)
* All breathable membranes found in all the best footwear, will only be good at resisting water (dependent upon usage) but should be good to around 2.5 to 3 thousand km usage in my experience, then the footwear will no longer be as waterproof as it was when new and or not waterproof at all but the condition of the uppers (dependent upon the abuse from the wearer could still be in very good condition if not the soles now showing considerable signs of wear.
**if they were indeed full rubber rands this type of footwear would be too stiff for walking purposes and thus come under the banner of a different type of boot, ie a mountain or serious hiking boot/footwear.
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