Walking Boots

Ecco Exohike Walking Boot | Review

Lightweight and with some impressive ‘ingredients’, there’s a lot to like about the Exohike

Why We Chose The Ecco Exohike: Excellent leather, innovative sole, sock-like fit

We’ve never featured anything from Ecco on Outdoors Magic before. To be honest, we’d never really seen the brand as being ‘outdoorsy’ enough – more so the kind of brand we’d go to if we needed shoes to wear to a wedding. We’ve changed our minds now though. Why? Because, these are some very decent walking boots.

Upper Materials

What we hadn’t realised about Ecco under will did a bit of research is that all of the leather they use comes from their own tannery which they first set up in 1985. In fact, on their website Ecco say that they are the only major shoe brand to own and operate its own production and retail facilities. The main advantage of this, from a consumer perspective, is that they can have full control of the production quality and the environmental standards.

“It’s got a very supple feel to it, in fact it’s some of the smoothest leather you’ll see on a walking boot.”

That means when you buy a product from them, you can be sure that it meets all the right criteria set by the Leather Working Group, an audit control agency that assesses the environmental performance of leather manufacturers all over the world. They look at things like energy required to produce a square foot of leather, the impact on water supplies and the proportion of waste that is recycled.

A quality Continental rubber sole. Photo: Mike Brindley

So what about the leather on the Exohike then? This, according, to Ecco has been tanned in a way that reduces the amount of water and chemicals that are required (by how much, we’re not sure). It’s got a very supple feel to it, in fact it’s some of the smoothest leather you’ll see on a walking boot. It still feels durable though – enough to cope with any big days in the hills. It is a shame, however, that there’s only a protective rand for the leather on the heel and not on the toes. We can see some damage being inflicted there eventually. Another potential concern we have is in the amount of stitching; there are a lot of overlapping panels here and therefore a lot of potential for things to start coming apart.

Amazingly smooth leather. Photo: Mike Brindley

The back heel lock – a feature that'll really help when you're contouring. Photo: Mike Brindley

The sock-like upper is comfortable and keeps out debris well. Photo: Mike Brindley

The elasticated ankle cuff gets a thumbs up from us though. It gives a lovely, sock-like fit while also providing a good level support and helping to keep out any dirt and debris. It’s great that they’ve integrated the Gore-Tex membrane into this as well.

Sole Construction

The sole is noticeably cushioned, more so than most other walking boots (those from Hoka One One being the main exception). This is mainly thanks to the stuff they’ve put in the midsole. Called Phorene, it’s a PU that supposedly gives 50% more energy return compared to normal PU. There’s a nice ergonomically-shaped removable insole as well.

“With the likes of Gore-tex and Continental, it boasts an impressive ingredient list.”

The design of outsole is another impressive thing about the Exohike. It’s made from the same rubber used by Continental in their winter tires. So expect a decent amount of grip, even on some wet rock. The lugs are 5mm deep – not too aggressive but not weak either.

Conclusion

We were pleasantly surprised by these boots, enough to feel guilty for not testing anything from Ecco sooner. The sock-like fit to the upper and the whole sole unit get big ticks from us and, with the likes of Gore-tex and Continental, it boasts an impressive ingredient list. As we mentioned, we do have concerns about the lifespan of the upper, especially with that lack of any toe bumper, but we’ll have to wait and see there.

One final thing to mention is the weight. It’s a light boot, so it’ll suit anyone who wants something nimble but still supportive and protective.