Mountainlife Viper Walking Boots

I bought these boots and used them for one 150 mile continuous walk/ camping trip. Conditions were extremely tough, being water logged ground and mud for the majority of the way. The boots were comfortable, warm dry and provided good support for about half the way. Then 1 boot started letting in water, and not even deep puddles either.

They were used hard - eg I carried a very heavy rucksack , rough camping, all food for entire trip carried, etc.

I then re-waterproofed (putting down one boots failure to the tough conditions), and did a second camping/ walk part of penine way 120 miles. After a day, the same boot was waterlogged again, without even very deep puddles, afew days later, the other boot was the same. Again, carrying a lot of weight and dealing with some quite rocky sections, but even so. On the second walk, I found I had foot and ankle pain, as though the boots werent supporting properly.

On inspection after getting home, it turns out that the outer sole had come away from the inner structure and had become as soft and pliable as a trainer sole, and this being thin, had simply been sliced by sharp rock, etc and that is where the water is getting in. The exact same fault had happened to the other boot too! The two cuts are about 1 inch forward of the heel in the very centre of the sole.

Mountain Warehouse were very good and exchanged the boots for a new pair (they are guaranteed to be waterproof), however, I do not believe it was a one off fault. The thickness of the Vibram sole at the point where the cuts occurred appear to be about 2mm thick. That's ridiculous for any walking boot, and I'm seriously surprised there are not more reviews of this nature. It appears that once the sole becomes unstuck from the inner structure of the boot, the soles rigidity is lost, being as it is so thin.

Otherwise, I found the boots to be initially very good. What really lets down these budget boots is the poor Vibram sole, as surprising as that sounds.