Now that your boots are done up properly stand up on your tiptoes and walk on the spot on the balls of your feet as if you are walking up a steep hill. If your heels lift more than approximately 5mm from the footbed you may need to pull the laces tighter, or the boots may just be the wrong shape for you. You should now be able to see approximately 2 cm (about an index fingers width) of the footbed poking out in front of your toes. Though the Boreal shoes are designed for technical terrain and use in the mountains, their design made for good comfort too, so they can be used for everyday trips and walking on less onerous routes. A higher tongue gusset would prevent water entering the shoes on boggier ground. The main features of the TX5 are mostly in the fabulous construction, but there are a couple of clever technologies that are worth a mention.

Super grippy Vibram MegaGrip compound with Impact Brake System and differentiated lugs that enhance traction uphill and provide a sure grip downhill Lining:Lined with Gore-Tex, the TX5 is completely waterproof and breathable, which makes them perfect for our typically wet UK mountain conditions. Garments engineered with GORE-TEX® product technology are durably waterproof and windproof combined with optimised breathability. Gore invests heavily in field testing to understand end user needs which allows Gore to provide the GORE-TEX® GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY™ promise.The TX5 GTX is equipped with a Vibram Megagrip rubber sole. This is designed to repel dirt and provide good grip in both dry and wet conditions. A big advantage of this model is the Gore-Tex weather protection membrane; it also makes the La Sportiva boot waterproof and breathable. The Extended Comfort version of the membrane is designed for high temperatures. Your feet are therefore always well ventilated and dry. High Price for Champion Performance The lacing extends to the toe section, allowing a good snug fit to be obtained. The forefoot is fairly wide and there was no pinching of the foot and toes. The insole has a good amount of foam padding too, and the shoe has breathable Moisture-Tech lining. Comfort around the ankle and heel were good too. The Boreal shoe has a short inbuilt gaiter as the rear section of the ankle padding, which gave good flexibility for the ankle. The tongue had just the right amount of padding, but the gusset is quite thin and had a tendency to wrinkle a little if the shoe wasn’t laced carefully, introducing a little discomfort on the side of the foot. The gusset only comes half-way up the lacing, which allowed water to get into the shoe on deeper bogs and puddles. The main part of the uppers is made from polyamide, and there are suede sections at the toe, rand, heel and tongue areas. The toe box has an added rubberised overlay, with a small outsole extension at the very front of the shoe. The Danner shoes have good underfoot cushioning, with an EVA midsole and an insole with extra foam at the heel and forefoot area. There’s a TPU shank which gave good torsional stiffness and added stability on technical routes.

Stand on the A4 paper with your heel pressed firmly against the wall and your foot pointed forward with the edge of your big toe aligned with the edge of the paper. Follow our mate, Zoe as she heads up to Scotland in La Sportiva’s Mid-cut, approach boot and gives her thoughts. The Salewa shoes felt very robust, stable and protective and worked well on technical routes, while tipping the scales at less than a kilo a pair, making them good on longer walks. Feet remained fairly cool on warmer days thanks to the venting in the uppers. Although there’s no waterproof membrane, the suede uppers did resist rain and splashes quite well.

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Best use: technical terrain, scrambling, via ferrata, mountain paths, maintained trails, urban walks.