Walking Boot Review: MEIDNL RESPOND MID GTX HIKING BOOT | The Yorkshire Dad of 4

Walking Boot Review: MEIDNL RESPOND MID GTX HIKING BOOT

I love being outdoors and walking is a favourite pastime of mine. Of course, a good pair of walking boots is vital if this is an activity you want to take up. But, a good pair of walking boots can be just as useful if you are a regular dog walker too – like me. I was recently sent a pair of Meindl boots to try out. This was advantageous as my previous pair of boots had sprung a leak – owing to a sub-standard sole developing a hole.

Walking Boot Review: MEIDNL RESPOND MID GTX HIKING BOOT | The Yorkshire Dad of 4

Meindl Respond Mid GTX Hiking Boot

Features

  • Lightweight
  • Waterproof
  • GORE-TEX® lined for complete peace of mind that you will stay dry
  • Toe protection with a reinforced TPU Cap
  • Breathable
  • Comfortable
  • Technology concept rubber sole for extra traction and stability

Specifications

  • Weight: 900g
  • Upper: Suede/mesh
  • Lining: GORE-TEX® Extended comfort footwear
  • Footbed: AIR-ACTIVE
  • Sole: Meindl Contagrip® Trail
  • TPU Toecap

The upper boot

This is a fabric boot with the upper made from both suede and synthetic materials, with the Gortex lining this means the boot is both waterproof and breathable. When it comes to choosing a walking boot the choice between fabric and leather is very much personal, but I’ve always preferred fabric.

There’s a first rubber toe-capt at the front that offers your foot great protection and the heal section is also very firm and solid offering excellent support.

The structure of the boot and the lacing system is designed to ensure a snug fit for your foot in the boots and this works very well indeed. The tongue is stitched in which contributes further to the waterproof nature of the boot. With the double hook on eyelets for the laces, you can open up the entry point of the boot nice and wide so you the boot is easy to get on and off again.

Walking Boot Review: MEIDNL RESPOND MID GTX HIKING BOOT | The Yorkshire Dad of 4
The Meindl Respond are great all-round boots, from hiking to walking the dogs

The boot sole

On the first inspection of the sole, I was a little underwhelmed by the appearance of the grip. But, what I’ve found is that it is designed such that the sole flexes with your foot and walking style and the grip adapts with that. On trying the boot on some sketchy surfaces I have actually found the grip to be excellent.

The Contagrip® outsole technology increases traction and adds walking comfort by filtering shocks from the terrain. Contagrip® is made of a robust rubber formulation that is very abrasion resistant, and it provides grip and durability on all mountain surfaces.

The Meindl Air Active inner-sole supplied with the boot has a moisture management system for temperature and moisture control. On using the boot I have found that the sole of my foot does stay nice and dry and doesn’t seem to overheat, which is a problem I’ve had with other boots.

My thoughts on trying the boots

I’ve found these Meindl boots to be extremely comfortable to wear, whilst at the same time being incredibly supportive. Often, stiff and supportive walking boots can actually not be very comfortable but that’s not the case with the Meindl Respond. From the moment I first slipped my feet into them, they felt fantastic.

Having worn them for numerous walks and even days at work in the office I have been amazed by the fact my feet haven’t overheated at all. They feel very light to wear as each boot weighs just 450g and I’m not in a rush to take them off following a walk.

As a budge conscious buyer the £154.99 RRP price tag may well have put me off. However, in 12 months I’ve gone through 2 pairs of high street outdoors shop own brand boots. They simply weren’t good enough and together they cost £100. Paying for a quality boot will pay for itself in the long run – a costly lesson to have learnt.

Watch the video

The guys at Simply Hike have a great YouTube channel with plenty of videos about the products they offer. Here’s the one where the Meindl Respond is looked at more closely.

I hope you’ve found this review of the Meindl Respond Mid GTX Hiking Boot useful.

Thanks for reading.

Dave


* Simply Hike provided the boots for this review, however my opinions and words are very much my own.

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