Finding the right pair of hiking boots for your feet is like looking for a needle in a haystack. After 6 years of intense use in the Alps, Kilimanjaro, the Rocky Mountains and the Scottish Highlands, I had to say goodbye to my well-trusted, but now falling-apart hiking boots. It was just before my journey on the West Highland Way and I knew what better way to test my new pair of Zamberlan hiking boots than a long-distance trail. If my feet would survive 50 miles in these boots, they could also walk 500.
This post contains affiliate links which I may make a commission from. Find out more here. Zamberlan gifted me the boots for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.
The Zamberlan model I tested is the Ultra Lite GTX WNS. I chose this boot over others for its sleek look, its specific fit for women and its versatility on mixed terrains and conditions. Like all Zamberlan hiking boots, it was handcrafted in Italy by experts to ensure the highest quality and value. And indeed, the finishing on the boots aisflawless and I felt perfectly safe taking the boots out on the West Highland Way. Here are some facts:
- Zamberlan is an Italian family-owned mountain boot manufacturer that has been handcrafting high-quality hiking boots since 1929. It is a brand that stands for tradition as well as the newest technology.
- The Ultra Lite boot is fitted with high-quality upper leather which receives a special treatment to maximise its water resistance, extremely waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex lining and a quick-drying anatomically shaped footbed. The sole has been developed with Vibram to give additional protection on any terrain. I might sound like a catalogue here, but all these features really are important to look out for in a good pair of hiking boots!
- The boots come in a special ‘Ladies’ fit, which means that they are specifically designed to fit female foot anatomy. It features better-wrapped ankles, more supported insteps, narrower heel pockets and higher arches.
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What I liked about the Zamberlan hiking boots
What can I say – I loved the boots! Here are a few reasons why:
THE FIT
I was really worried about taking a new pair of hiking boots onto the West Highland Way, as I barely had the opportunity to break them in in advance. My busy calendar allowed for only two little hikes in them, so I braced myself for blisters all the way. Alas, I brought the blister plasters in vain – I might as well have left them at home. Despite that the boots felt a bit hard on my feet in the beginning, they softened to the shape of my feet really quickly and I was blister-free even on day 4!
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WEIGHT & SOLES
Much of the West Highland Way follows an old military road which is made up of uneven rocks half-way buried in the ground. They are not necessarily nice to walk on. The hard and heavy soles however, seemed to protect my feet from the worst, and most of the day I walked without noticing the spiky rocks under my feet – and the grip was great, even on lose ground. Despite that however, my Zamberlan hiking boots are really light – only 550grams. They give me full protection without weighing my feet down.
STYLE
Surely not the most important factor when choosing a new pair of outdoor shoes, but an awesome add-on. I love how my Zamberlan hiking boots look! They are dark brown with a smooth surface. By default, they come with brown shoelaces, but a quick Amazon session later, and I had suitable shoelaces in bright red. As a travel blogger, I am particularly excited that I now have hiking boots that serve their purpose and look great on Instagram!
Read more about which shoes to pack for your Scotland trip.
What I disliked about my Zamberkan hiking boots
There were not many things that I disliked about the hiking boots as I was testing them, but here are a few things to consider before making the purchase:
SIZE
Italian sizes are usually slightly smaller than standard European shoe sizes. I actually had to send back a pair of boots as I ordered them in my regular size and they were way too tight. I sized up one entire size (to a EU 40), ordered another pair and then they finally fit.
FIT AROUND MY ANKLES
In the beginning, certainly during those first few short walks, I did in these boots, I felt that they were still too tight around my ankles. I had to loosen and loosen the shoelaces to feel comfortable but feared that my ankles would lack protection. However, I think that was simply a matter of breaking in the boots, as now I feel that the leather has softened to perfectly fit the shape of my feet.
Which brings me to…
THE FACT THAT THEY’RE LEATHER
As you might know, I recently switched to a vegan diet; mostly for environmental reasons, but animals rights also play into that. The fact that my new Zamberlan hiking boots are leather, does not really fit into that philosophy…
However, I appreciate that Zamberlan only uses high-quality materials, produces in Italy and is committed to an ethical treatment of their skilled staff members and suppliers. Finding vegan hiking boots of similar quality and performance is not easy, as the problem is not only the upper material like leather but also the glues used in many shoes. Zamberlan boots are produced fairly and made to last a lifetime; it is a brand owned by people with a passion for mountains and the outdoors who are devoted to enabling other people to experience them in the best way possible.
A lot of craftsmanship goes into each pair of boots produced by Zamberlan. Instead of producing cheaply somewhere overseas, they keep their entire production process on Italian ground and in the hand of highly values workers. The fact that the boots are leather is not ideal, but I feel that the production circumstances and brand statement outweigh that.
Are Zamberlan hiking boots for you?
If you ask me, the Zamberlan Ultra Lite boots are a great pair of hiking boots for anyone looking for a versatile pair of outdoor shoes with maximum protection and performance.
Zamberlan is a trusted brand that is used by many professional mountaineers, so you know you’re in for a reliable product.
They don’t come cheap at £175, but if you plan to use them again and again, in the Scottish Highlands or the Rocky Mountains, they are definitely worth the investment! Cheap hiking boots never are…
The Zamberlan Ultra Lite is produced exclusively for the UK market and therefore cannot be bought directly from their website. However, there are a number of retailers who sell the Ultra Lites online. For more information on these stockists or to order a pair directly (and I can’t recommend them enough) please give Zamberlan UK a call on 0044 1665 510660!
For more Zamberlan hiking boots check out their website!
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Hello Kathi,
Great reviews and travelling, keep it up. My ancestors came to Western Australia from around North Berwick area in 1908, so have often been back packing inScotlad. I travel a lot around the world and first bought my Zamberlan Flexi- STM boots to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. Worn them eevr since. The mid sole rubber cushion layer has come adrift. I paid over $150 to have the inlay middle sole replaced, the boot maker put a new treat sole on. t is solid rubber and so useless I cannot walk in them. There is no cushion or spring in the step. Where can I get them repaired to normal specifications. I cant use them as they are.
Cheers,
Donald Cochrane.
Western Australia
Hi Donald, I’m happy to hear you also love your Zamberlan boots! Unfortunately, I can’t advise on getting them repaired – if I was in your shoes (no pun intended), I’d contact Zamberlan directly or find another boot maker who can do a better job. Cheers, Kathi
I’ve had mine for three years and have just had them resoled. They have remained waterproof and were comfortable from day 1. I agree that they come up small and ordered one size up. Definitely recommend these boots. I live and walk in the Scottish Highlands.
Glad to hear you’re happy with your Zamberlans too!! 🙂
Hi kathi I have just came across your review good job. I have just ordered these boots and are normally a size 9 UK euro 43 so ordered them in euro 44 and not sure now if I should have ordered a 45 in stead now. When you said you ordered a full size up do you mean you went up one euro size or did you jump up two.
Thanks
Hi Steven, I assume you’ve got your boots already, but I ordered one euro size up. Normally a 39, but I wear them in 40. I hope the boots fit and bring you lots of joy!
Hey, Im looking to maybe buy a pair of Zamberlan hiking boots and came across this article. I was just wondering 2 years later are you still as happy with these boots?
Yes, absolutely! I just took them out over the weekend and still love how they feel. Can’t recommend them enough – I feel like I will have them for many more years!
I have owned a pair of 996 VOIZ GTX for the past 7-8 months and they are the most comfortable walking boot I have ever had and I have had many makes and pairs over the years. The first time I wore them I was expecting some rubbing or even blistering but was pleasantly surprised that after 20 miles in rough terrain
there was no discomfort at all. No breaking in required, just shear comfort straight out of the box.
My only complaint is that they are quite simply the worst boot I have ever had for their lack of ability to keep out the water. In heavy rain they soak up water like a sponge. This was the case when they were brand new and after having been treated as suggested with Hydrobloc there was no improvement. Then again after trying Nicwax as an alternative to Hydrobloc the same lack of ability to keep out the water. Despite their extremely poor waterproof qualities they remain my favourite boot for comfort but they are not recommended for days with any prolonged spells of rain. Your feet will be soaked! However, having said that there is still no rubbing experienced even when the boots are saturated throughout.
Hi Paul, happy to hear you’re finding them so comfortable, but what a shame you can’t seem to get them waterproof – that wouldn’t work at all here in Scotland! I find mine to be very waterproof to a point – one day in the Hebrides, when it was raining and I was walking through bog for hours at end, they eventually gave in… Other than that they keep up really well. Have you spoken to Zamberlan about this? Surely, they’d want to make their boots waterproof?
I have have had my Zamberlan Flex-stm boots for 10 years, I am from Scotland, most of my hill walking is done in Scotland. I have had no problems with them and have walked in streams and in bad weather, never a leak. I apply HS12 Cream for footwear before every walk.
Great review and really helpful, thanks. I went to try on a pair locally after struggling to find a pair of replacement boots (my old ones were down to bare leather at the heal). They are so comfortable and look great. The only downside is that you can’t buy the red laces anymore. They would have looked great!
Hi Paul, I’m glad you like Zamberlan boots too! I bought the red laces on Amazon actually – the boots came with brown laces. I love mixing it up a little every now and then!
Those boots do look great ? I hear you on the ethically produced products. I feel that cheap human labour is something too few of us are willing to really address and it sounds like these boots a produced in an ethical way. Enjoy hiking in them!
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Hah! I swear I was just about getting ready to ask about the leather thing before reading on to see you’d covered the issue anyway! I’ve noticed that some things really do need leather, unfortunately (even though I’m nowhere near vegan), and hiking boots seem to fall into that category. These boots look great, and aren’t pricey for proper hiking boots either.
I only recently got over my life-long hatred of hiking boots, oddly with a pair I emergency bought from Mountain Warehouse ? As a previous non-hiker who only got into this whole walking around thing because of the dog, I wanted something quite a bit cheaper than £175. But they’re also made of leather, have a Vibram sole, and they took me exactly 0 minutes to break in. I was extremely surprised by that! Still expect them to turn on me somehow even 4 months later, waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak ?
Yeah, it’s a downside with a lot of outdoor clothing – the use of leather, down, wool and so on is very popular, but not many companies are transparent as to where they get these materials from. I try to buy without wool and down, which is fairly easy, but without leather is really tricky… Often the price doesn’t necessarily indicate too much either – even cheap products can be really good, they might just not last as long. I hope to walk in my Zamberlans for many years to come 🙂
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I find the ankles do often need a bit of breaking in with hiking boots, but tough ankle support is really awesome when you’re on rocks and difficult trails. Very useful review!
So true! The boots were definitely great for that too – the West Highland Way is not always the smoothest trail, so it was definitely helpful to have good sturdy boots protecting my ankles!
It is so important to have the right shoes as you dont want to get blisters and then not be able to walk. Great tip about sizing up.
Zamberlan looks perfect for hiking, and quite heavy duty too! However I think you need this for going on long hikes like you do. Leather always stretches in the end, you just need to break into them!
Totally – doing a long hike in anything less than proper hiking boots is essentially asking for blisters or worse… Love how fast I broke them in, can’t wait for our next adventure!
I’ve been looking for a new pair of lightweight hiking boots for our upcoming trip to Europe as we plan to do some serious trekking. These look awesome. Too bad you can’t buy them in North America. Maybe I will ahve to wait until arriving in the UK is September.
Hi Sarah, this particular model is for the UK-market only, but you can get Zamberlan in the States too: https://www.zamberlanusa.com/storelocator I’d definitely recommend getting your boots in advance of your hiking trips so you can break them in properly! 🙂
Those boots do look great 🙂 I hear you on the ethically produced products. I feel that cheap human labour is something too few of us are willing to really address and it sounds like these boots a produced in an ethical way. Enjoy hiking in them!
Loved your hones review. Boots are probably the most important thing during treks and hikes, and this post is great help. Loved the pictures as well!
Thanks! They are a great pair of boots – really happy with them 🙂