Zamberlan 1006 Vioz Plus GTX Boot | Performance

The Vioz Plus is another of those northern Italian full-leather, high-ankled boots described as suitable for ‘backpacking’. And with the Asolo Power Matic that means a stiff, solid sole unit to cope with clumsy foot placement on uneven ground and the pressures of heavy loads.

In other words, a traditional, stiff-soled mountain walking boot, albeit with modern refinements like internal padding, flexible ankle cuff and a Gore-Tex lining.

The Vioz Plus hits that target nicely. It’s a well-made, solid mountain citizen complete with a bespoke Vibram sole unit and masses of leather. It gets a nearly full rand too as an encouragement to longevity and a rocker sole to allow for relatively smooth walking progress.

Intriguingly, Zamberlan has used a last wider than it’s normal, narrower fit to give ‘better comfort and room on the front part of the foot’, so even if the brand’s normal boots are little snug for you, the Vioz Plus may fit.

It is a bit of a heavy lump, something we could feel over the course of a day out, but the padding and flexible ankle cuff design means that like the Asolo, it’s surprisingly comfortable in a supportive, high-ankled way.

The rand’s an odd one: it stops short of the heel, which could be an issue if you’re plunging heel-first into crystalline snow we guess, but overall it feels like the boot is built to last.