Trail and Scramble Shoes

Timberland Garrison Trail Shoe | Review

This environmentally friendly low-hiker is as home in the city as it is in the countryside

Why We Chose The Timberland Garrison Trail Shoe: Environmentally friendly, comfortable, and versatile

In recent years, the American brand Timberland has had something of a resurgence in the mainstream. Say their stuff is ‘cool’, say their stuff is ‘on trend’, say they’re ‘having a moment’; however you want to describe them, there’s no denying that Timberland is right back amongst it on the hipster front.

Of course, it takes much more than being merely fashionable for a brand to bag itself inclusion in the Outdoor 100. Timberland have had to step up and deliver the goods on the quality gear front, and this is something they’ve undoubtedly done with the excellent and environmentally friendly Garrison Trail shoe.

Who Is The Timberland Garrison Trail Shoe For?

The Garrison Trail shoe is primarily aimed at city folk looking for a shoe that can do it all. Walks in the park, walks to the Brokedown Palace in Shoreditch, walks in Epping Forest, walks in your local hills, walks to the countryside pub after getting an early morning train from Waterloo, walks to your nearest, urban-based, bouldering centre; name a place an outdoor enthusiast living in the metropolis might go, and there’s a chance they might have a pair of these on their feet.

Materials

Made eco-consciously with ReBOTL recycled fabric, we’re a fan of this shoe’s environmental credentials. The durable ReBOTL fabric lining is made with at least 40% recycled plastic bottles.

“The durable ReBOTL fabric lining is made with at least 40% recycled plastic bottles”

Elsewhere on the shoe, while we’re discussing its ‘green’ rating, the TimberGrip technology is worthy of a shoutout. It’s made with C50% bio-based content including 3% resins derived from paper pulp. According to Timberland, it provides their “stickiest and best gripping traction ever.”

The premium suede leather is from a silver-rated sustainable tannery.

As at home in the city, as it is on the trail. Photo: Mike Brindley

The premium suede leather comes from a sustainable tannery. Photo: Mike Brindley

The Garrison Trail has good eco-friendly credentials. Photo: Mike Brindley

Features

First things first on the features front, a mention for the Timberland Garrison’s Dynamic SensorFlex – a clever and comfort-enhancing three-layer system that provides support, suspension, and flexibility underfoot. This smart approach to design is one of the main reasons the shoe does that whole versatile, everyday usability, thing so well.

“A clever and comfort-enhancing three-layer system that provides support, suspension, and flexibility underfoot”

The comforting nature of the Timberland Garrison is enhanced further by the cushioning, and user-friendly, OrthoLite footbed. While we’re discussing this particular region of the shoe, we’ll also shine a torchlight on its compression-moulded EVA midsole.

The rubber lugged outsole on the Garrison will keep you gripped on tricky trails. It’s by no means an appropriate piece of footwear for Himalayan assaults but for the weekend warrior, who wants genuine grip on hilly paths, it’ll more than hold its own.

Conclusion

The Timberland Garrison has an RRP of £115. It’s a trendy, environmentally friendly, low hiker that comes in an array of personality-suiting colourways. If you’ve got some travelling planned, or want a trainer that you can wear in the streets and in the wild camping (bivy) sheets, we think you’ll like what this comfortable versatile, semi-trainer brings to the party.

It’s a similar product, in many respects, to the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker Parley Hiking Shoe. The Free Hiker, which like the Garrison uses plastic bottles in its construction, has an RRP of £169.95. While we’d argue the Free Hiker looks better and is a superior walking shoe, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth forking out the extra £45 on. Both products are good.