Aku NS 564 Navy Seal - Black
[AKU-NS564]

I have a pair of the AKU's in black, purchased in early September this year and so far have been very impressed. I needed a non-goretex, lightweight boot specifically suited for desert and dry mountain conditions and the AKU really delivers on this with the mesh upper - apparently '10 times more breathable than standard mesh' - coming close to delivering on all the marketing hype. Even with temperatures pushing above 35 degrees my feet were comfortable. I haven't tried them in damp/wet environments and imagine even heavy rain would soak through fast, but they probably dry quickly as well. The soles are much thinner than I'm used to, but are also strong enough to protect your soles over broken and rocky terrain, with the benefit of good feel for edging and scambling in the mountains as the sole doesn't stick out wider than the boot (you can see this from the picture). Breaking in time was nothing and the inner sole feels strange at first (like a sort of loose cloth on the bottom of your foot) but no blisters even 30km+ with gear. Build quality looks good despite being incredibily light, so even with the price tag as long as they continue to perform I'd recommend them thoroughly.

RVOps get a special mention for keeping me up to date on waiting times regularly and they delivered in time just as promised - nobody can ask for more. Brilliant job guys, keep it up!

Date Added: 20/10/2011 by Arrse Reviews