Weight: 1218g (m), 1040g (w)

Best for: Occasional tramping with lighter loads or moderate days. 

Overview

Lippi’s Bravo Evo is an affordable, lightweight trekking boot. The upper is a combination of  nubuck leather, textile and rubberised fabric. It’s reinforced with synthetic overlays, a rubber forefoot rand and a plastic heel cradle, which offer foot protection too. The Vibram Tsavo XS Trek sole has an EVA midsole in the heel only and low-to-moderate stiffness.

Performance

This medium-width boot sizes large (I had to go down a full size) and the lacing was fiddly to tension, with sharp lace hooks. They have a firm hold in the heel and a supportive cuff, but overall the fit felt somewhat unrefined with pressure points and dead spots.The soft heel foam is forgiving of trail shock, but the midsole padding stops there, making for a harsh forefoot strike and an unbalanced rocker. When scrambling over river boulders or using the boot edge, the hard sole provides predictable traction, but they don’t have the overall stiffness for confident footing on steep terrain. The XS Trek sole is a moderately soft compound with excellent grip on rock, wet or dry and the pronounced heel brake holds well in soft ground. But this boot’s range and durability is limited by the lack of foot protection in the upper, along with vulnerable stitching and gouge-prone heel foam.

What we like

Low price, grippy outsole, reasonably light.

Limitations

Minimal midsole cushioning, excessive flex, durability.

Why buy the Bravo Evo Mid?

While this boot lacks the well-tuned fit, stiffness, foot protection or durability of higher-end footwear, it’s an affordable entry-level option suited to day or overnight trips in moderate terrain. 

Overall score: 70%