Hanwag Ancash II GTX

I'm reviewing the Hanwag Ancash II GTX which are Gore-Tex lined boots, and in their StraightFit Extra fitting.

I got these to replace my 1-year old Altberg Kisdon boots as the tread has worn down and are now slippy in the mud. Not worth getting re-soled as although still waterproof they have a couple splits developing one external by my toe bend and one internal back of the heel.

Fit: plenty of toe room either side of the big toes and little toes and good volume. They feel similar in fit to my last boots the Altberg Kisdon G fit. The Hanwag having a little more room still especially in front of the big toe.

They are taller boots this time by about 2 inches so extra waterproofing depth in streams and deep puddles.

The Vibram trekking sole is very grippy and I'm finding great traction on downhill mud and grass slopes and pretty much everywhere else.

Lace locks and 3 sets of upper hooks although I only use 2 sets as that allows more spare lace to tie off and quicker lacing up.

They feel like slippers when you put them on.

New boots to replace my old boots. This time Hanwags. They fit me well. I chanced buying them online from Denmark to the UK after doing some reading up, decided they should fit me and they do. Not so many options in a wide fit boot that had everything in feature wise I was looking for.

I do have a list of about 6 suitable boot options though that I'd purchase next.  These are similar to my old boots except these are Gore-tex lined instead of Sympatex and are a few inches taller. They are a stiff boot with a bit of roll built in although I'm used to walking in this type of boot now. I actually like how they don't crease and fold at the toe bend atleast not until they wear in and even then it's minimal. The Vibram tread feels super grippy on these boots.

They are slightly longer in the toe than my old boots although it's only a little but worth noting as it's something I had noticed straight away, which for me is a good thing as you don't want your toes touching the ends inside. Occasionally in my old boots my big toes would touch the end inside but it was never a problem though. 

Only minor thing to note is the tounge can get creases in and may appear different on either boot. The tounge is stitched right down but on my Altberg Kisdon the tounge is fully part of the upper. Not many boots have the tounge like on the Altbergs which would help with keeping them waterproof as the less seems the better.

I haven't tested them for waterproofness yet by walking in a shallow stream as well I haven't been past that way and I don't want to put unnecessary wear and tear on them just yet. I highly doubt they'd leak though as they are well made without many seems and the Nubuck is quite thick I'm not sure exactly but I'd say it's 2.4mm to 2.8mm.

I would say if you know of the Altberg GFit last fitting then the Hanwag straight fit extra should also fit no worries.

Price-wise, they retail for £295 but I've actually seen them as low as £160 although not in my size 9 and that's without import tax and handling fees. I paid £243 for my pair in a size 9 from Denmark but that included all fees. The price was reduced twice after I'd ordered which was a bit annoying but I did get the last pair they had in a 9.  I saw the price drop from £243 to £226 to £218 literally within the 2 days after I'd ordered but anyway they were still a reasonable price and about expected price for this type of boot.

Background

1 year experience walking in hiking boots