Mammut Redburn Review
While Boston has the Green Monster at Fenway Park, Mammut has its own green monster in the Redburn hiking shoe line. The Redburn is a hiking/approach shoe that is perfect for someone looking for a low cut hiking/approach shoe. I personally like a low cut shoe as I don’t need a ton of ankle support, but I still like a firm supportive shoe that can hold up to the punishment I often put shoes through.
In recent times, I’ve taken the Mammut Redburn shoes out hiking on trails with; dry dirt, wet mud, tree roots, sharp rocks, steep ascents and steep descents. On almost all surfaces, I found the shoes to hold up very well. While hiking in the wet conditions, the shoes absorbed water pretty fast through the suede leather outer, but the inner fabric did a great job at wicking away the moisture and keeping my foot dry. On one of my hikes I accidently slipped into a stream while crossing on a wet log. My foot and shoe became totally immersed with water. After 20 minutes of hiking in temperatures of 50 degrees, the inside of the shoe felt dry and back to normal. The outside of the shoe remained wet for a little while, but that did not bother me. As you can imagine, having a shoe that properly wicks moisture away from your foot is important whether you are hiking, running, or participating in any other activity.
For dry log crossings and steep uphill bouldering, the grip on the sole on the Mammut Redburn held up very nice. There were a few times when I was on a wet rock and a wet log and the shoes didn’t grip all that great, but that was partially expected and I find that to be pretty standard in almost all hiking shoes. Some Vibram rubber soles do well in wet conditions, but you typically sacrifice in other areas. The inside of the Mammut Redburn has a sock like molded fabric that keeps your foot very snug in the shoe. I greatly enjoyed this as every step I took in the shoe was very stable and secure. While hiking uphill, the heel cup of the Redburn did an excellent job at keeping my foot in the shoe. Typically in hiking shoes or trail running shoes, the heel often slips out a little while going uphill.
For toe protection, Mammut uses an abrasion resistant rubber that holds up great while playing footsie with the rocks on the trails and also gives you a little protection if you mistake some of the rocks on the trail for a soccer ball. The EVA used in the midsole is lightweight, yet it does a good job at keeping sharp rocks from pushing up through the shoe. On a long hike, this comes in very handy. As for the Mammut Redburn’s stiffness from heel to toe, I would give the shoe a 7 out of 10. In my mind, the stiffness of this shoe is just right for hiking as I don’t like hiking shoes that are too flexible. A stiffer shoe allows your feet to work less and helps keep them from getting fatigued, allowing you to hike longer in comfort.
The Mammut Redburn comes in 3 colors options; green, red, and gray. I tested out the green color theme and while they were pretty loud when I opened the shoe box, I warmed up to them very fast. In the end, I am super happy with the performance of the Mammut Redburn hiking shoes and I plan to use these shoes for years to come. For more information, please visit Mammut.com
MSRP $119
