Why We Chose It: Functional, comfortable, cool vintage styling.

Is there a finer sight in this life than a modern day walking boot with an old school aesthetic? We’d argue that there is not. And so, cutting straight to it, this is the Lowa Wendelstein; a vintage-style walking boot that we think looks, well, rather sharp..

Digging a little deeper than the shallow, “does it look nice,” stuff, here on the Outdoor100 Team we were genuinely impressed by this boot’s all-round performance. It may bring to mind old sepia photos of mountaineers doing their things in the Alps, wearing knickerbockers and the like, but the boot itself is technical and modern in all the ways it needs to be.

The upper material, made from good old-fashioned leather which is chromium-free, has the perfect toughness-flexibility balance, while the carefully designed seams reduce the risk of friction and serve to enhance the Wendelstein’s extremely durable nature.

“Is there a finer sight in this life than a modern day walking boot with an old school aesthetic?”

Unlike the hobnailed boots of the past, the sole of the Wendelstein obviously has a much more forward-thinking setup underfoot. Suitable for a variety of terrain, the outsole has fairly aggressive lugs of about 4mm and a useful climbing zone (a slightly narrowed toe that allows precise edging), so as well as your standard rolling green hills it can also handle the rocky stuff – it is after all the useful Mulaz Approach design by Vibram.

So as well as looking incredibly stylish wearing these, it’s clear that the Lowa Wendelsteins are also more than functional enough to be practical whether you’re hillwalking, trekking, doing approach bits or just travelling. A real fusion of new and old here. We like it.