When I was a lad, if you wore Hi-Tec trainers to school you got bullied, plain and simple. But 25+ years later it seems like Hi-Tec have made a name for themselves in the outdoor footwear genre. They've won several awards and after reading many a positive review I decided that Hi-Tec could offer everything I wanted without spending a fortune. They were my footwear of choice.
That's not to say I didn't try out other (more expensive) brands as well; I did- but they did little to convince me they were worth the extra expense. And so I bought the Hi-Tec's- not one pair but three- and here is my review of two of them:
Hi-Tec Venture
I first walked into the local Hi-Tec retailer looking for some Jura's- a more-or-less full leather boot. The salesperson recommended I also try the Venture, so I did while she went way to fetch the Jura in my size. Before she had returned my mind was made up- these were the boots for me. I paid for them and was out the door without ever trying the Jura's.
The Venture is a hybrid boot made from a mixture of synthetic and leather (nubuck/suede), with a Vibram sole. It also offers a steel shank for support. The inner is exceptionally-well padded, and right from the off these were extremely comfortable.
Now its worth mentioning that in my day-to-day life, I love trainers. I love trainers like women love shoes, and I'm not going to list how many pairs I own but its more than a normal person needs. My favourite- my most comfortable- are a pair of Nike Air Max 360's (the ones with the full-length air soles). So its no small statement when I say that the Hi-Tec Venture are not only my most comfortable walking boot, but my most comfortable footwear full stop. They are that good.
In terms of use, these have been hammered. Rain wasn't a problem, they were fully waterproof as should be expected. The poor things got some special abuse in the peat bogs atop kinder scout, and until one leg went knee-deep in bog, they were laughing off the water and mud (though they needed a good clean afterwards!).
On the downside, cleaning and re-proofing them is a chore; the number of individual panels- and more so the different materials of these panels- make the cleaning process cumbersome. Re-proofing can be tiresome if using a specific proofer for each material type, i.e. a leather proofer for the leather parts and a synthetic proofer for the synthetic parts. A general one-for-all proofer makes this process easier, though personally I prefer to use a wax for leather areas.
I can't not recommend these boots; they do what they are supposed to do; be comfortable to walk in and keep your feet dry. That they are the most comfortable piece of footwear I own, and possibly have ever owned, is a real bonus.
Hi-Tec Jura
It was after the Kinder Scout bog incident, and noticing how clean Bob's full-leather boots were (you wouldn't think he'd even stood in a puddle, never mind been shin-deep in peat bog), that I thought again to the boots I didn't buy; the Jura's.
This time around I considered many an option, albeit all within the Hi-Tec range after my positive experience with the Venture's (and also the SPHike's in between), though for some reason I kept returning to the Jura's.
Again with a Vibram sole, these mostly-leather boots feature a re-enforced toe-box and heel. The main boot is made of a 2/3rds leather section, spanning from the rear quarter of the outer to a half-way round the inner foot. I'm not sure if the tongue and rear are leather or synthetic, though Hi-Tec's suggestion is that they're leather. The insole is Ortholite and is removable. While these haven't been tested in the rain as yet, all the stitching looks sound and is double-stitched throughout, unlike the Venture.
There are still too many individual panels for my liking, but this is not uncommon at their price-point. Hi-Tec's own Lakeland boot uses less panels, with a full leather panel extending right round to the rear of the outer foot, though has a butt-stitch on the inner foot that looks less waterproof and durable than overlapping panels (it was this fact alone that made me choose the Jura's over the Lakeland's).
I must say that the fit is totally different to the Venture's; while the latter were supremely comfortable straight out of the box, the Jura's initially felt tight to the point I thought I might return them. A slackening-off of the laces and a short walk in them made all the difference, and I would have no qualms about trialling them over a day's hike.
Conclusion
Both these boots are great for relatively little outlay. Of the two, the Venture has the edge on comfort- not just over the Jura but over most trainers, shoes and boots I have ever owned- it is my go-to boot whenever I can justify wearing it, which often includes walking where really a trainer would suffice.
The Jura is a respectable boot in its own right, easier to clean than the Venture and arguably more water-tight thanks to its less individual panels and double-stitching (although I have yet to prove this to be the case), but may take some adjustment and/or breaking in.
Footwear fit is a very personal and subjective thing. Bob and the wife have Salomon's and they love them. I tried a pair of Salomon's and I found them very uncomfortable. It seems like an obvious statement but don't buy footwear without trying them on first. All my Hi-Tec's are in my native shoe size- that is to say I didn't have to buy a size above as many recommend to do.
Hi-Tec Venture
Hi-Tec Jura
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