Rogue RB-2 Light Trail Boots

  1 of 19

  Hmmm, these boots are an interesting one! Having worn them for 10 months, and being blessed to live just off the Pennines, I feel I'm in a position to objectively review these boots from the perspective of someone in the North of the UK. I was under no illusions when purchasing that these bad boys wouldn't be waterproof - and props to Woodlore for their transparency in that regard. These really are boots that are crafted (and they are crafted rather than made or produced) with a warm clime in mind. The downside of that is that in a more temperate zone they struggle in terms of practicality - a particularly dew laden field will leave you squelching! With these qualifiers considered, I'd still recommend these boots, and especially if you're planning to use them for the purpose they're designed rather than exposing them to the varied Yorkshire climate! I've knocked a star off for two reasons. Most significantly, the sizing is just atrocious - I normally wear a 9.5, and even the 8.5 is a bit baggy on me, with insoles. The second point is the wear in factor, which I'm sure most potential purchasers would be aware of with any leather boot, but some rough finishing on my example exacerbated the issue - these are not a pair of boots you can buy and go put 20 miles into without breaking them in first, which is worth considering if you are used to man-made materials. I've also seen some signs that these may struggle in terms of longevity- already there are some glue marks evident above seems, but I will reserve judgement on that until they have another few months use! The stitching seems really robust, so I could well be worrying unnecessarily, particularly given that these are in no way a waterproof construction. So, the short version would be: if you're looking for a pair of boots that are going to be robust enough to survive anything in a dry environment then you've found your new footwear. Nb: once broken in these are the most comfortable boots I've ever worn.  

  Ryan

  2 of 19

  Boots are spot on and everything I had hoped they would be. Arrived really quickly in a day or two.  

  Ian H Blair

  3 of 19

  These boots do look great but, when I initially received them there was a seam where the tongue is attached to the main body that was very uncomfortable. I was hoping it would settle down with wearing but, it was difficult to go very far as it made my feet sore. I did make them good by inserting a long anvil into the boot and hitting the seam with a hammer to 'tenderise' it. Not what I was expecting to do after reading the write ups. I was contacted by the Bushcraft team to leave feedback, I replied to the email asking for help with my issue but never received a reply, that was over three weeks ago. I am sure not everybody has an issue with these, and they are great now they have been worked on and feel as good as they look. But if you do have the same problem as me then hopefully this has helped.  

  John Tildesley

  4 of 19

  Just received my boots, thank you to all at Woodlore. Straight out of the box and onto my feet. The leather feels great, very, very comfortable, looking forward to trying them out this weekend. The leather feels very soft and the shape of the boot fits my feet really well. Compared to my old Mendl boots, which are well past their sell by date now, these feel very light on my feet. Once I've giving them a good run in I shall send another review. This may be a small concern but I love the appearance and the quality. Oh, talking about quality, again, thank you for your prompt and reliable service.  

  Mark Adam Armley

  5 of 19

  Well constructed, consistant strong leather for the whole boot, will require a good breaking in period. Excellent.  

  Nigel Hylands-white

  6 of 19

  As comfy as your favorite pair of slippers, unfortunately the soles fell off after 15 months. I'm going to get them repaired however.  

  Jason Hutchinson

  7 of 19

  First impressions are excellent. The boots are stiff as some other reviewers said, but I think this is a great sign that they haven't gone through any artificial wearing process during manufacture. Aesthetically the boots look good too, good colour and shape and quite clearly very high quality. This is my first day with them, so I don't know how they will do in the long run, but first impressions are very good. The sizing is slightly big, I normally fit 10, and bought the 9 1/2 for these boots on the advice of other reviews, which is pretty much perfect, if not still slightly long around the toes. But I have pretty stubby toes anyway, so not a big issue. Finally, as usual, customer service has been top quality with woodlore, they got the product to my door with next day delivery, no problem at all.  

  Thomas Staniforth

  8 of 19

  Very nicely made boots from lovely leather but the shape of them did not suit my feet. They were very flat soles and the front of the boot dig into my toes making them really uncomfortable to wear. I think is partly due to the shape of my feet and partly due to the shoe design particularly of the toe cap.  

  Andrew Hull

  9 of 19

  Very comfy and a great day-to -day boot, but require some serious breaking in. The leather is very thick and they certainly seem very robust and hard wearing because of this, however it does mean that there is nearly no ankle flexibility until softened. This was a particular issue around the tongue where, because of the bellows tongue, there is at least 6mm of folded leather between the laces and your foot. They are also very roomy so excellent for wearing thick socks, which are almost a necessity. I'm size 10 and the size 9.5s are, if anything, slightly too big.  

  Arthur Mazzey

  10 of 19

  I've had these for nearly a month now and have worn them every day. They were bought to replace a pair of lightweight Berghaus walking boots I'd had for a couple of years. Firstly, the usual first class service from Woodlore make buying stuff from them so easy. 36 hours from ordering to putting them on! On opening the box I was impressed by the ruggedness and strength of the leather and design. These are 'proper' outdoor leather boots! At first they seemed a little 'clumpy' when walking round. The leather, being fairly thick, was quite stiff and it took a couple of days for them to soften and 'bend' when walking. I can't say I'd be happy doing a long multi mile/day walk straight from the box because of that. But after a day or two of local walking, for a good hour or two they were much better. The full bellows tongue is very soft and comfortable and doesn't dig in to the top of your foot. They do leak! But it doesn't flood in like some boots. The absence of a 'Gore-Tex' type lining is the main issue with that I think. But the upshot, and I'm now a convert to non 'Gore-Tex' boots, is they dry out quickly and by the time I've walked home, assuming its not raining!, they were virtually dry. By the end of the day, just with them sat in the boot cupboard, they were dry again inside and out. I rinse them off under a tap after walks and wash them with saddle soap weekly, then apply a dubbin to them to help the moisture reduction. That and a pair of waterproof socks and it's happy days! Three and a half weeks later they are comfy and pliable and are some of the nicest walking boots I've owned. I did buy some gel inserts before I bought them, after reading a couple of the reviews, but so far haven't used them, and I don't think I will be doing. Why add something that will trap any moisture and prevent them drying? And for me they're not needed as an insole, the boots are fine without. The next tests will be my Journeyman Course in October and Namibia in November with Ray. At least then if they fail there I've got someone to complain too! But seriously I don't think I will be doing. A very happy customer all round!  

  Stephen Tomlinson