Drom Mid

Fit is king and the forefoot of the Boreal Drom Mid fits my feet a treat, the heal is great too. So I'm already onto a winner as I have notoriously fussy feet; straight to asymmetric along the inside, my big toe often gets pushed off to one-side in footwear making my feet feel much wider than they actually are. They are wide enough for my little toe to sit comfortably and boxey enough at the front for my second and third toes which are almost as long as my big toe not to get crushed. But that's not the only reason why I love the Boreal Drom Mid so much.

Most of my hill walking is day walks in the 5 to 10 mile range on a variety of hilly terrains; Bannau Brycheiniog, Eryri and Lakeland, but I like my kit to be light, I like my feet to be dry, but I think of myself first and foremost as a climber/mountaineer. So I want something with a climbing/scrambling zone on the sole, enough support for small edges and maybe take a flexi-crampon for non-technical winter hill-walking, but enough flex to pad up a granite slab. Not much of an ask, but there's not much out there that fits this bill.

Boreal have come up with my perfect boot by making something that is around the weight of a supportive shoe, but with the ankle and water protection that I want from a boot, by taking a design of low ankle boot classically seen on post-war climbing boots. But this is no heavy thick leather lump beloved of Gaston and Riccardo, it uses light modern fabrics alongside the right amount of leather for great durability and it looks fresh and modern too.

I've worn my Drom Mid's on all types of terrain from wet coastal path walks, through boggy trots in Mid Wales, mountain walks in North Wales, scrambles and multi-pitch rock routes in the Lakes, to multi-day mountain routes in Norway and have regularly been the envy of my partners. They have never felt heavy or my feet hurt or been tired even after seriously long hours on the go.

If I have any complaints it is the initial feel around the ankle bones. For my first few walks I found them a little aggressive so I padded them out with the top part of an old sock over my ankle bones. After a few ventures out I have dispensed with these and no longer need or use them. I have encountered the same issue with two other customers, where the fit of the rest of the boot was amazing, to whom I made the same recommendation. In each case it has solved the issue, in one case I got my first ever hug from a customer in 25 years of boot fitting, so they must be good.

Pricewise they are pretty tempting too, so if they fit your foot they would be a great option for anyone that has just one or two of my criteria in mind. We have sold them to young lads doing Duke of Edinburgh treks through to people climbing and trekking in the Alps and feedback has always been positive.