Product Reviews
MAMMUT DUCAN MID GTX BOOTS
As we all know getting that perfect fit for a hiking boot isn’t always easy. Hiking boots have to deal with large, small, wide or narrow feet. Neutral, high or low arches (flat feet) and the multitude of different toe patterns.
How your foot rolls is also extremely important classified as: pronator, neutral, or supinator. Rolling an ankle at anytime is bad, however during a hike it’s the worst. Hence knowing what support you’ll require is extremely important.
The pronator type of foot rolls inward during the weight-bearing phase and is generally found in people with low or flat arches. Heavier people often have feet in this category as well. The supinator type of foot creates an outward lean, so your weight rolls to the outer edges of your feet. This is often due to a very high, rigid arch.
The neutral type of foot is between the pronator and supinator types and is the most common foot type. Hikers with a neutral type of foot lands on the heel and rolls forward during the gait cycle until the impact is distributed evenly across the foot.
I have size 9 US, neutral arch and neutral foot roll and my foot is relatively narrow. So this review is going to be about the boot, not sizing. I always wear a new boot at home for a few days to break them in before a hike however after a few hours I took the Ducan’s off, mainly because they already felt comfortable and weren’t causing discomfort in any places.
One of the first few things I liked straight away about the Ducan Mid GTX boots was the location of the elastic Goretex tongue which works as a side tongue flap, making it a lot easier to put on the boots. This feature is great for anyone who has had any previous ankle problems/injuries. Combined with great heel and ankle support I think anyone worried about ankle injuries would be impressed.
Second was the weight which has a Claimed Weight of only 510g making it a very light hiking boot. Plus I liked the look of the boot in the Black/dark titanium. I do prefer mid height boots. If the ankle support is sufficient I’ll always go mid. But understand higher or lower may be your style.
These boots come with Vibram Flextron outsole. I’ve always preferred Vibram soles as they have never let me down. And these soles are chunky with a deep tread which gave great grip. The trial hike was wet, slippery, and had lots of narrow steps on mossy rocks but I never lost my footing once. If you look closely at the Vibram sole you can see a small window were you can actually see part of the orange Flextron Technology inside the shoe which is a cool feature.
Mammut’s description: “The core of the Ducan Mid GTX is the Mammut Flextron technology which integrates a spring-steel sole as a midsole in the shoe. This prevents deflection of the foot while at the same time providing improved vertical support. The result: more efficient use of energy on hikes and climbs. The integrated spring-steel sole offering improved flexibility and stability, encourages the correct rolling of the foot. Natural movements, improved performance”.