www.jack-wolfskin.com | £85
German brand Jack Wolfskin has been manufacturing quality outdoor gear since 1981 and I can remember wearing their clothing when I was a little lad – my first pair of proper outdoor boots were Jack Wolfskins and they took me to the top of Snowdon. A few years on and I’m testing the Jack Wolfskin Mountain Attack hiking shoes. They’re not the sexiest shoes I’ve seen, but they use a tried and tested Texapore O3 membrane and Jack Wolfskin’s own Traillock sole which has a nice, deep tread for off-road use.
The midsole of the Mountain Attack offers a moderate amount of rigidity, allowing a comfortable amount of forward flex while providing enough lateral support to stabilise the foot on uneven ground. This means that the shoe’s comfortable enough to wear on long hiking days, and supportive enough to use over technical, rocky terrain.
The shoe features a protective rand over the toecap which helps protect from bumps and scrapes, and the heel has a solid-feeling cup that helps to hold the foot in place. There’s also a comfortable amount of padding around the ankle, but for the first few hours it did feel as though the ankle cuff was a bit too raised and was digging in. The feeling went after a while though, with either my feet getting used to the shoes, or the shoe positioning sorting itself out.
The Jack Wolfskin Mountain Attack hiking shoes offer enough protection and support to be used while scrambling, hiking over rough, rocky terrain or even on via ferratas, and they’re comfortable enough that I’d have no problems wearing them on long distance hikes – a great compromise between comfort and protection.
Jack Wolfskin Mountain Attack Verdict
A great compromise between comfort and protection.