This was my first experience of Oboz footwear and I put them to good use exploring a full range of terrain in the hills around Wellington, including seal, gravel track, mud, slippery clay, rock scrambling, wet vegetation, sand and coastal bouldering – everything except snow and river crossings.

The boots are well-constructed with a full nubuck leather upper and fully enclosed tongue. They also have a full, immaculately tailored lining that feels like it has come from a ski boot, and a nicely-shaped insole.  They are described as waterproof, using a proprietary ‘BDry’ lining and give every impression of fulfilling this promise.

The uppers are protected by dual heel and toe rands – the high abrasion points. The rand and soles are glued on, as seems to be the standard in boot construction these days. The outsole offers plenty of tread, sensibly distributed, that kept me securely on my feet on Wellington’s somewhat testing surfaces.

The boot has plenty of flex in the toe and includes a dual-density EVA midsole with a three-quarter length nylon shank, making them an option for easy-grade off-track travel.  

They are light (920g; m: 1080g) but with enough weight to suggest robust materials have been used. The version I tested was an eye-catching raspberry colour and was smart enough to wear to a bar afterwards.

Good on Oboz for joining the environmental bandwagon, planting a tree for every pair of boots sold.

These boots show great promise at a good price point.

– Beth Masser