Ecco Exostrike Dyneema Boots

Every once in a while you need a good pair of boots, and if you’re a fan of Ecco’s, you’re in luck. The brand has finally updated its Exostrike range with Dyneema bonded leather uppers, making them more durable and robust.

Their build quality is so excellent, in fact, that the pair won the 2018 OutDoor Industry Award for performance and design. Apparently, Dyneema leather is stronger than steel, yet the textile is amazingly lightweight and tear-resistant, which is great if you’re going to use them while trudging rugged terrain. Another highlight of these boots are the midsoles, which are made of Phorene. It’s yet another fancy fabric Ecco threw in there to reduce the overall boot weight and enhance bounce-back and cushioning.

If you want boots made with toughness in mind, but you don’t want to sacrifice style, these are definitely for you. They’re tough enough to withstand even the harshest of trails, but also sleek and sophisticated enough for your streetwear getups. It’s the ideal balance between tough-as-nails quality and eye-catching aesthetics — you don’t want a rugged pair of boots that stick out like a sore a thumb, but especially not cool-looking kicks that wear out after a few uses.

In effect, you get a perfect blend between outdoors-ish shoes, but ones with an urban feel to them. That pretty much sells it, but there’s so much to love here, including the ultra-strong materials, the molded heel cup that gives it added stability, the chunky rubber outsole ready for all kinds of terrain. They’re available in gray or black.