I'm not normally one for reviewing kit, but I've liked these so much I thought I'd share it! For years I've used the same brand of boots (brahma) but since I couldn't find them in the UK anymore, after accidentally melting my old set, I decided on trying these out.
First and foremost, they're a safety boot. I tend to favour an armoured toecap, but trudging through water with a steel toe makes obvious problems ie they rust. These boots by ambler get around that problem by having a polycarbonate cap, much lighter than steel and apparently rated to 3 tonnes static load and 200 joule impact. Not that you're ever likely to come up against that, but it's nice to know if you drop an axe or log you're not going home with a broken foot or missing toes.
The soles seem very robust, they have a shanked sole and impact absorbing heels, again useful if you're stomping a log to snap it etc. The slip resistant design also seems to work quite nicely, rated for soap and ceramic or steel contaminated with glycerol, while I'm not sure about that they certainly work on wet mossy wood very well.
They're a lightweight breathable water "resistant" upper, I did a bit of field testing with water up to my ankles walking through swampy ground and they didn't let a drop in, feat stayed warm and dry all the way. That said I think if you where to spend major time with them submerged in water they would start to leak. Great for trudging through the odd area of marshy ground or a stream.
The actual boot itself is very comfortable, first time out of the box I did almost 6 miles in them and they honestly felt comfortable from the start. That also come half way up the calf and support your ankle really well, important for me as some of you know I fairly recently had ankle surgery.
After the walk the boots where easy to clean, soles weren't caked in mud and the the mesh of the upper came clean with a rinse. I can only assume that are coated.
One of the best parts about them is the price, around £40, and I'm sure if you shop around they might be cheaper still. Amblers Safety FS009C Safety Boot / Mens Boots (13 UK) (Black) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G15GZOI/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_asKqwbY0AGJC7
They also do up to a size 14, I'm a size 14 and sometimes have trouble finding boots (although they're out of stock in 14 on Amazon it would seem) and they're a really capable boot for the money, weather you're a newbie, an expert, or somewhere in between like me, they'll do you fine. Arrived in 3 days with standard delivery.
I will say, probably not great if you're a hiker, but then I'm not and they worked fine for a day walk involving hill climbs and everything from soft sandy soil to marsh to walking on paths.
To sum up.
Pro's:
-Lightweight
-Comfortable
-Protective
-Water resistant
-Cheap
-well made and sturdy
Cons:
-Laces are pap, replace them with paracord as soon as they arrive
-Slightly tactifail/military look. Won't bother some, might encourage others.
-Eyelets are plastic, again doesn't bother me, some kinds of plastic are much tougher than brass but it is a consideration
First and foremost, they're a safety boot. I tend to favour an armoured toecap, but trudging through water with a steel toe makes obvious problems ie they rust. These boots by ambler get around that problem by having a polycarbonate cap, much lighter than steel and apparently rated to 3 tonnes static load and 200 joule impact. Not that you're ever likely to come up against that, but it's nice to know if you drop an axe or log you're not going home with a broken foot or missing toes.
The soles seem very robust, they have a shanked sole and impact absorbing heels, again useful if you're stomping a log to snap it etc. The slip resistant design also seems to work quite nicely, rated for soap and ceramic or steel contaminated with glycerol, while I'm not sure about that they certainly work on wet mossy wood very well.
They're a lightweight breathable water "resistant" upper, I did a bit of field testing with water up to my ankles walking through swampy ground and they didn't let a drop in, feat stayed warm and dry all the way. That said I think if you where to spend major time with them submerged in water they would start to leak. Great for trudging through the odd area of marshy ground or a stream.
The actual boot itself is very comfortable, first time out of the box I did almost 6 miles in them and they honestly felt comfortable from the start. That also come half way up the calf and support your ankle really well, important for me as some of you know I fairly recently had ankle surgery.
After the walk the boots where easy to clean, soles weren't caked in mud and the the mesh of the upper came clean with a rinse. I can only assume that are coated.
One of the best parts about them is the price, around £40, and I'm sure if you shop around they might be cheaper still. Amblers Safety FS009C Safety Boot / Mens Boots (13 UK) (Black) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G15GZOI/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_asKqwbY0AGJC7
They also do up to a size 14, I'm a size 14 and sometimes have trouble finding boots (although they're out of stock in 14 on Amazon it would seem) and they're a really capable boot for the money, weather you're a newbie, an expert, or somewhere in between like me, they'll do you fine. Arrived in 3 days with standard delivery.
I will say, probably not great if you're a hiker, but then I'm not and they worked fine for a day walk involving hill climbs and everything from soft sandy soil to marsh to walking on paths.
To sum up.
Pro's:
-Lightweight
-Comfortable
-Protective
-Water resistant
-Cheap
-well made and sturdy
Cons:
-Laces are pap, replace them with paracord as soon as they arrive
-Slightly tactifail/military look. Won't bother some, might encourage others.
-Eyelets are plastic, again doesn't bother me, some kinds of plastic are much tougher than brass but it is a consideration
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