If you’ve followed any of my previous reviews, you’ll know that not only do I take my footwear seriously, but I also really enjoy test-driving a new pair of shoes. If you’ve read my shoe reviews in the past, you’ll also know that I’m really fussy where shoes are concerned. What you may not know is that I’m an avid hiker and during my summer travels, we regularly hike hundreds of miles on some of the most serious trails in the U.S.
So naturally I was excited to not only get a peek at some of the new boots coming from Georgia Boot for Fall 2023 in their media presentations last week, but also even more excited to see the new hiking shoes they are adding. With that in mind, Georgia Boot was kind enough to send me a pair of their new hikers, so today you get an early peek.
I’m talking about the Georgia Boot Durablend Sport Composite Toe Waterproof Work Hiker, and today I’ll be reporting on my test results. If you’re not familiar, here are some of the details for these hiking boots:
- Georgia waterproof system - Don't sweat it. Air gets in, even though water can't. Water can try to flow past this obstacle, but there's a 100% guarantee it won't. The Georgia Waterproof system comes equipped with a heavily fortified defense against water, because dry feet are happy feet.
- Flexible strobel construction
- ASTM F2413 protective toe classification - Impact testing determines the amount of protection to the toe under various foot pounds of force. Compression testing determines the amount of static pressure a steel/composite toe cap can withstand. Our boots are I75/C75
- ASTM F2413 electrical hazard standard
- Fiberglass shank
- 5 Inches in height
- High performance mesh lining
- Ergo-Fit safety toe designed to match contours of feet, providing superior comfort and flexibility
- Weight: 2.6 pounds per pair for a size 10
- Quick Response Polyurethane foam removable insole
- Two sets of shoe laces
- Heat, chemical, abrasion, and slip-resisting dual-density EVA and Carbo-Tec rubber outsole
- Abrasion-resistant DuraBlend midsole
- Nano Composite Safety Toe
- Full-grain leather vamp with rubberized print
- Combo eyelet/hook hardware with D-Rings
I’m pretty tough on my shoes and pretty picky with comfort in footwear, so lets see how the Georgia Boot Hiker does.
Up first we should talk comfort. Right out of the gate these boots had one of the most comfortable insoles I’ve ever hiked on. The ergo fit is simply comfortable and just feels good on your feet…and the boots also feel stable and ready to take on anything. I also anticipate that as I break them in more, they will become even more comfortable. I loved how the Polyurethane foam removeable insoles felt right out of the box and I can’t wait to see how they feel after even more miles.
Next, let’s talk features and durability. While it may not come into play while hiking, these boots feature a Carbo-Tec rubber outer sole that is heat & chemical resistant and a composite toe that not only protects your toes, but also offers better cold weather performance than a traditional steel toe. For hiking, I found that the boots felt really durable and bulletproof. The uppers are sturdy but responsive, the 5-inch ankle height was really supportive and best of all, the sole was really good on slipper surfaces. I tried out muddy terrain, moss covered rocks, wet rocks and even a bit of ice and found the boots to be really good in a variety of conditions. I also found that after putting the boots through some punishing terrain and conditions, they held up really well and even managed to continue looking great.
Of course I also tested the boots in wet conditions and I found the boots to be seriously waterproof keeping my feet dry over long wet and muddy hikes. This is critical because wet feet make for blisters and cold toes, neither of which happened in the Georgia Boot Hikers.
Up next, these boots weigh in at approximately 1-pound 7-ounces per shoe (Men’s U.S. 10.5) which would place them about in the upper-middle between really lightweight and really heavy hikers. When you add in the features this boot has that others do not, I think you’ll find the weight to be completely reasonable.
I should also mention that the boots look great. The pair I tested were black & brown with red laces so they had a modern retro look that I really liked.
Overall I think Georgia Boot has a real winner here with the Durablend Sport Composite Toe Waterproof Work Hiker. The shoes start out with a really comfortable fit, they perform well in a variety of hiking conditions and they were very durable in some really tough conditions. The waterproofing system was as good as any other waterproof hikers I’ve owned and the fact that they look great makes for a winning combination.
Be sure to try out the Georgia Boot Durablend Sport Composite Toe Waterproof Work Hiker for yourself, and when you do test-drive them, be sure to let us know what YOU think. zzubreebym
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