Meindl Women's Air Revolution Boot: A Personal Review

To start, I would like to point out that I am a beginner hiker and have only recently made my very first long distance hike to the highest point of the Lake District (also known as the Jacobs Ladder trail in Kinder Scout) so therefore I am purely reviewing the Meindl Air Revolution as a novice. So please ignore if my terminology is a little sketchy! So firstly, I can honestly say that these boots were really put through their paces over the 3 day hike(as you will see in the images below), in which we covered over 20 miles. Not only are they amazingly durable, with not even a scratch on the leather but also they are unbelievably lightweight making them incredibly easy to move around in. I was advised by some of the specialists at Simply Hike to purchase a pair of boots with the Gore-Tex technology incorporated, for those of you who are not familiar with this tech, Gore-Tex is a system incorporated into the membrane of the core material which is both breathable and waterproof. These boots not only had the Gore-Tex lining but also a fantastic Airflow system, which kept my feet dry and cool whilst on the move –brilliant! On our journey there were a number of times that we had to walk through streams and rivers and these boots were completely waterproof. Even when the boots were up to the brim with water not once did I get soggy feet – which was definitely down to the Gore-Tex lining. The Vibram Sole is thick, durable and a brilliant shock absorber. There were times when we went off trail and ended up on some rocky terrain and I felt safe knowing that the sole was designed to help me bounce back up from the rocks and bumps of the uneven ground. Also the high ankles were a blessing in disguise, I really didn't think much of it at first and to be honest I naively wondered why they even bothered putting that sort of thing on a pair of boots – well was I wrong! As we started scrambling up the rocky terrains, I could feel my ankles bending here there and everywhere and only when this happened did I then stop and realise that if I didn't have the high ankle support my ankles would have been seriously damaged. I do only have one word of advice; definitely wear these boots in before you set off on any long distance adventure! I made a classic mistake of only wearing them for a couple of hours the night before we went which made my descents a little uncomfortable – rookie error! Also for beginners – a good pair of socks to go with these boots is a must, the Bridgedales are great if you would like an extra bit of cushioning in the heel area or maybe take a look at the SmartWool range if you're more interested in breathability. Overall for the price, all of this high tech mentioned above is to be expected and believe me, it is totally worth it! If you’re a beginner hiker like myself, a pair of boots that are reliable and durable like these are exactly what you need if you are travelling long distances. The sole gives you stability and the Gore-Tex lining protects your feet from all the elements! I really couldn’t imagine a hike without them now, a definite 10/10.