Asolo Power Matic 200 GV Boot | Performance

Asolo makes plenty of lighter, more flexible boots – check out the Falcon GV or the classic, no-nonsense Fugitive GTX if you want something less stiff – but the stomping Power Matic 200 GV is all about combining bomb-proof build with plenty of underfoot stiffness combined with all-day comfort and cushion for mountain walking and backpacking.

The all-leather uppers with cunningly engineered ankle-cuff shout ‘serious’, but the amount of development that’s gone into the sole unit is less visually apparently. That specially-developed Asolo/Vibram sole unit mixes three different densities of PU cushioning injected and molded together.

The idea is that a high-density front section gives stability, a medium density cushioned heel offers comfort, but without squidge, while four distinctive light-hued pillars add extra strategic comfort – they’re the light grey dots in the sole unit above.

Other refinements include the neat Micro Pulley lace-hooks. They might sound gimmicky, but they mean the laces flow easily through the lace-hooks making it easy to precisely control lace tension for comfort. If you’ve ever battled with snaggy lace-hooks, you’ll know that’s a huge boon.

Fit is medium volume, but there’s also a wide fit option if you need it. Once on and snugged up, there’s no avoiding the solid underfoot feel, but there’s also decent shock-absorption on hard surfaces and, most importantly, the uppers feel immediately comfortable in a way that’s not always the case with more traditional mountain boots.

They wouldn’t be our first choice for a moorland saunter or lowland footpath wander, but if you’re toting big loads on rough mountain paths, the support from the sole combined with easy ankle flex and mobility makes them reassuring and, arguably, less tiring over the course of a long day.

The pay-off is that they are heavier than we’d like, but northern Italian artisan build standards – they’re made in Asolo’s Romanian factory however – suggest they should last well. There’s no rubber rand however, just a toe-cap.