Regatta Formation X-LT

Regatta Formation X-LT review

Author: Bryn Davies

www.regatta.com | £70

The Regatta Formation X-LT is a hiking shoe designed for low-level hill walks and moderate hiking trips, with X-LT standing for X-ert Lightweight Technology. The shoe features a mesh and suede upper that’s been treated with a durable water repellent and it uses Regatta’s own Isotex waterproof membrane to keep your feet dry.

Because it’s been designed with moderate hiking in mind, the sole of the shoe is very flexible, making the Formation X-LT comfortable to wear straight from the box and on gentle terrain. But if you’re going to be using them on rugged trails, scree slopes and via ferratas you could end with pretty battered feet by the end of the day.

The sole of the shoe has a good tread that will provide you with enough grip in wet and muddy conditions and there’s an interesting feature called an ‘ankle torsion bar’ which is designed to keep your foot in place to prevent ankle injuries. I’m not convinced it would stop injuries, but it did seem to offer some additional support.

The shoe’s got a protective toecap that’s covered by a hard-wearing fabric. It’s a nice touch and it would protect from scrapes and abrasion damage, but I’d have to question its effectiveness on rocky slopes. We’ve come to expect great things from Regatta’s shoes, but these didn’t quite live up to our expectations in terms of finishing – some of the stitching is coming undone, and the two shoes in the pair are slightly different colours to one another. Other than that they perform well in the looks department: they pass the jeans test making them great value for money as they can double up as your normal day shoes.

The Regatta Formation X-LT is a good shoe for low-level, moderate walking. It’s not really suited for use on difficult terrain and we wouldn’t want to use it on a via ferrata, but for rambling around the UK, or easier trail walking around the Alps, it’ll do the job.

Regatta Formation X-LT Verdict

Good budget shoe for easy hiking.

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