MEINDL Respond Mid GTX Men's Boot

I bought these boots recently and have to first applaud them for their very high comfort factor. I suffer quite badly from blisters and have been looking for some good, comfortable boots for absolutely ages. I've tried all sorts of boots, from your standard leather boot to more lightweight Gore-Tex style boots and all sorts of shapes and sizes. Again and again I ended up with blisters and had pretty much resolved myself to just having the kind of feet that are very susceptible to getting them.

I then went to my local shop and tried on a pair of these boots and immediately noticed a difference in comfort. Now it's important to stress here that you should make sure to get the right size for your feet. This is easier said than done but I would urge everyone to go to an outdoor shop and try on a pair before buying them (even if you plan on getting them from Amazon later). Unfortunately most walking boots differ quite a bit in size and fit and so one pair of boots that fits you in a size 8 may turn out to be a size 7 or 7.5 in another pair. Yes that half a size can make a huge difference when you go walking. If you're boots are too big then you will get foot movement in your boot and this can cause rubbing and the dreaded blisters (as in my case), on the other hand if the boots are too small then your toes may end up hitting the front of the boot every time you go downhill and cause severe pain.

Anyway, back to the review. These Meindl boots are very lightweight and quite flexible and so you will notice that you can feel stones under your feet a little more and the difference in terrain from going from paths to gravel etc. The boots themselves are midway between a trail running shoe and a boot and so you still get the support of a boot (albeit more limited than a more stout pair of boots) but the lightweight, breathable and comfort of a pair of running shoes.

Since wearing these boots I have not suffered any blisters at all! This to me is amazing as I have never, ever experienced this with any other boot. I was highly sceptical at first and took my usual blister kit of plasters and tape to patch my feet up on my walk, expecting the usual uncomfortable walking experience as usual but I was surprised when this didn't happen at all. Thanks to these boots and some good walking socks such as these Bridgedale Mens X-Hale Trailblaze - Gunmetal M, I felt comfortable all day and my feet were nice and cool (well relatively compared to the norm).

I have knocked a star off because despite them claiming to be waterproof (as all Gore-Tex boots do), they really aren't. They're probably splash/puddle proof at best. I wore them this weekend in the rain and my feet did get a little wet and I suspect if you submerged your foot a little when crossing a small stream or walking through peat bogs then you will get wet. I've never had a pair of Gore Tex boots that have lived up to their waterproof claims but these Meindl aren't as bad as others. Provided you additionally waterproof them with a spray then they will hold up somewhat but don't expect them to be on a par with none Gore Tex boots or your waterproof coat etc.

So to sum up my rather long review, these boots are very, very comfortable and if you've ever been walking and suffer blisters and thought "Why can't boots feel more like trainers?" then these boots are for you.

Lightweight, very comfortable and GORE-TEX; so they are completely waterproof.
Bought them recently and wore them on a climb that included walking through lots
of bog/marsh and over loose rock. They held up very well and my feet stayed completely dry.
I would recommend them!

A nice pair of boots, comfy from the box. I have mainly used these on flat walks and jaunts out on my mountain bike.