Owner Review: Boreal Bulnes Boot

 

Owner: Andrew Seiffert
Gender: Male   
Height: 6’6” (1.98 meters)
Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
Email address: ibntaweel@yahoo.com
City, State, Country: Bethesda, Maryland, USA  
Date: 8/6/04
Backpacking Background:

I have been backpacking for almost 20 years, having been introduced to it through my backpacking parents and then broadening my experience while a Boy Scout. Now I try to create a mix of weekend overnights, week+ expedition-type trips, and more varied non-backpacking ‘adventure’ trips ranging from canoeing to trekking to diving. I’m always looking for new spots to check out on the map, and am planning a trip to Glacier National Park for the fall using an ultralight approach. I've accumulated a vast equipment collection and found my choices for a particular activity to vary greatly depending on mood— heavy vs. ultralight, etc.

 

Manufacturer: Calzados Boreal SLP, Alicante, Spain

Model Year: 1999

Website: http://www.e-boreal.com

Weight Listed: 1756 g/ 3 lb 14 oz (size 7 UK/ size 8 US)

Actual Weight (without footbeds): 1928 g/ 4 lb 4 oz (size 11.5 UK/ size 12.5 US)

MSRP: $215

Color: Brown with grey trim

 

Description:

 

The Bulnes is a large, substantial boot described by Boreal as being suited for “Rapid high mountain winter ascents. Long mountain traverses. Technical trekking. Ideal 3-4 season mountain boot.” My Bulnes stands nearly 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) tall, with a sole nearly 2 inches (5.1 cm) thick in parts. The upper is constructed from a single piece of 2.6 mm (0.10 in) silicone-impregnated split-grain leather, reinforced in the heel area by an additional layer. The leather has a “rough out” appearance. The collar and gusset portions of the upper are lined with soft, brushed leather. The entire upper features a layer of thin foam padding. Boreal’s own “Dry-Line” waterproof/breathable membrane adds additional waterproofing to the boot. This is a modified version of Sympatex featuring a microfiber lining claimed to speed evaporation. The midsole is Boreal’s proprietary PGB 650, which I understand to be some sort of polycarbonate or plastic shank. They consider it to be “rigid,” and I have found it to be quite stiff. The outsole is Boreal’s proprietary Mount FDS-3 triple density rubber sole that includes a medium-height rand to protect the toe and heel areas, as well as step-in crampon compatibility. The outsole is joined to the upper via glue and hidden Littleway welting. Between the midsole and outsoles lies 10 mm (0.40 in) of EVA material for shock distribution.

Additional boot features include brass D-ring lacing hardware with two lace hooks on each side of the upper ankle area. The flexing portion of the ankle features the thinner brushed leather and low-profile tubular webbing lace loops, with reflexive thread woven in.

The Bulnes came with nondescript stock insoles that I discarded as part of the fitting process in favor of the Superfeet brand. A sample of silicone spray for re-waterproofing the boots was also included.

 

First Impressions:

 

I concur with Boreal’s usage description of the boot. The Bulnes are very well made and much sturdier than my previous boots, the venerable Vasque Sundowners. I decided to upgrade my boots because of increasing pain and numbness in the balls of my feet while using the Sundowners on long distance hikes and in off-trail situations. Modifications to the lacing pattern and a variety of insole experiments did not bring relief, so I decided that a more substantial boot would be the best solution. Also, I anticipated even more off-trail usage, including light crampon use in snowfield environments. It made sense for me to seek out the lightest possible boot that could handle such situations because I knew that serious mountaineering and extended alpine use was unlikely.

I had the Bulnes special-ordered from Boreal’s North American distributor, SW Partners in California. It’s unclear whether they are still in business. Their internet link from the Boreal website now appears to be down.

 

Fit & Function:

 

I believe that describing the fit is somewhat irrelevant because it’s very subjective. However, I have a long, relatively low volume foot that has a high, athletic arch. I prefer a boot with plenty of lateral room in the toe box and a snug, narrow heel. I have found that many boots have excess volume, resulting in fabric buckling along the sides of the midfoot area. My boots were fitted by a Phil Oren-Fit System bootfitter, and we tried a variety of sizes and shims before settling on a 12.5 US size, slightly smaller than my standard size 13 Nike, coupled with a Superfeet insole. The fitter pointed out that by raising the rear of the foot and decreasing interior volume, the Superfeet served to shorten my foot length and position it in a tauter, athletic position. I found the fit superb, and continue to enjoy it even though these boots are smaller than I would normally wear, especially considering typical foot swelling in long distance backpacking. I am pleased to report that there is no leather buckling due to excess volume.

The heel portion of the sole is quite narrow, owing to mountaineering foot placement concerns. At first I was concerned that this, coupled with the height of the sole, might make the boot prone to rolling. However, I discovered that this was not a problem. The boot is a capable edger, in terms of climbing utility.

The stiffness of the sole was another concern. Compared to a light/mid-weight boots like the Sundowners, the Bulnes have much less flex in the sole. The boots remains quite stiff after considerable usage—in fact, you can stand comfortable on a ledge supported only by the toes of the boots. Because I am mostly a backpacker, this sent up some red flags. However, I have come to appreciate the stiffness even for backpacking and determined that, for me, the added support and protection of the forefoot nerves is worth the loss of flexibility. Around the same time as I purchased my Bulnes, though, I was beginning to see a correlation between stiffness and performance in other footwear I owned. As a basketball player I had come to discern the difference between stiffer shoes and more flexible ones. I realized that considerable energy was wasted when wearing flexible soles, which while comfortable at rest, provided little support or energy transfer when stressing them severely. My feet would almost certainly be fatigued after wearing softer shoes during a game.  I decided that backpacking put similarly severe stresses on the boots—in the form of uneven terrain, consistent pressure, added pack weight, and overall heavier loads. A stiffer sole made more sense and I now find myself adding very stiff insoles to all my other shoes.

My only other concern was the split-grain leather, which I always had assumed was of lesser quality. After some research though, I determined that split grain can be an advantage in that it's lighter and sometimes more flexible. As long as the thickness suits the activity, it should be fine. It has the added benefit of having the "rough out" side, which can be placed on the exterior and thereby keeps the smooth, waterproof skin of the leather protected from scrapes and bumps. Finally, because the smooth side is hidden,
blemished pieces of leather can be employed, saving cost when aesthetics are not heavily valued.

 

Field Testing Excerpts:

 

Because I have used the Bulnes extensively over the years, I thought I would provide information about my first trip with the boots, and a more recent trip to provide perspective. For these trips I always wore Smartwool Expedition Trekking and Wigwam Ultimax liner socks.

 

Presidential Range, August 1999 (w/ Outdoor Research Croc gaiters):

            My first trip with the Bulnes was taken without any real break-in time. My concerns about blisters were unfounded, though, and during a week long traverse of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire the boots performed to my liking. Rain was infrequent, but the conditions were harsh. Rocky trails, extended periods of exposure above timberline, and harsh vertical ascents were common. In the valley portions of the hike moisture increased dramatically, leading to long stretches of mud. Temperature ranges during the day were between about 65 F and 85 F (18-29 C). The Bulnes performed well, especially when asked to climb steep trails and on descents. Rocky trail hiking and rock-hopping were aided by the stiffness of the soles. Little impact was felt through the soles. Traction was excellent on dry rock and steep dirt sections, and about average in slick conditions. Waterproofness was excellent, but that was to be expected for such a new boot.

 

Olympic National Park, Third Beach to Oil City, March 2003 (w/ Outdoor Research Croc gaiters & trekking poles):

A more trip I took with the Bulnes occurred approximately 3.5 years after purchase. I had replaced the Superfeet insoles and conditioned the leather as needed in that period. The only significant damage to the boots is a portion of the left interior heel lining that has frayed and partially opened. It does not affect the comfort of the boot when wearing my hiking socks, but it is a concern.

The Olympic coastline provides a markedly different setting than the Presidenials. Most of the hike is completed along the sandy beach—usually packed or wet sand—with treacherous hikes up and over headlands that will test any boots. The latter, in fact, is more like mountaineering than backpacking.

Conditions for my trip were rain, rain, and more rain, with temperatures in the day in the 60s F and occasional low 70s F (15-21 C). Along the beach, slippery logs and salt water were primary hurdles to the boot. The headlands featured knee-high mud, soaking wet foliage, near vertical rocky trails, and shale.

The Bulnes performed well again even after several years of use. The exteriors quickly wetted-out under the conditions and surging breakers soaked my boots on several occasions. Out of frustration, I also forged one creek without taking my boots off—a bad idea. Much of the hike was completed in wet boots, though I never found myself complaining about fit or function.

The boots best showed their merit in the horrible climbs to and from the beach, many of which were several hundred feet (100+ m) up through rock gaps full of freezing cold running water. Climbing was aided by make-shift ropes. Descents were often through knee-high mud slides oozing into the Pacific. My partner frequently worried about his mid-weight boots being sucked off, something I had the leisure of not thinking about. He also had to pour the accumulated water out of his boots each night, whereas I simply sponged the Bulnes out with my PacTowl. The boot’s traction gave out a few times in such conditions, but I doubt any boot could provide protection from slips and falls in wet, steep conditions over a period of days. It is a testament that the boot survived at all, frankly. Compared to other situations in which I had to dry my boots out at night, this trip was a challenge. Relative humidity was so high that everything remained wet for the duration of the trip. In normal humidity in the past, I’ve found the Bulnes’ interiors dry relatively quickly, but remain heavier than normal, suggesting moisture remains trapped inside.

 

Reflections & Summary:

 

            Overall durability of the boot has been excellent. The rough-out leather exterior does not show wear nearly as much as smooth full-grain, which I see as a plus. The durability of the outsole & midsole has also been good, with only normal rounding and decay of the rubber at the toe and heel. The thinner leather around the tongue gusset and collar has held up very well considering my length of usage; it has discolored a bit from lace chaffing, but shows no sign of wearing out. The Dry-Line Sympatex liner is as good as the Gore-Tex booties I’ve had in other boots.

The Bulnes are beautiful boots, exceptionally well made, that provides incredible value for the money. While it has a few shortcomings—notably wet traction and heel lining durability—they are arguably common to most boots, many of which are more expensive. Still, you’d think a company like Boreal with a reputation for climbing shoe  innovative could come up with a grippier sole that still stands up to tough mountaineering and backpacking conditions. Similarly, I don’t see why boot makers don’t simply add leather heel sections into their boots—a well known weak point for all makers. A leather heel is much cheaper than full leather lining and many buyers might be attracted to such a feature.

These boots, and a few other Boreal models, appear to predate the recent trend toward lighter mountaineering boots designed for summer alpinism and light winter use. This category of boots seems better suited to the needs of most users who do not engage in extreme mountaineering, but rather forays of a less technical variety. Newer boots in the trend are even lighter, but that can be attributed to their heavy reliance on artificial fabrics, often without a waterproof/breathable membrane, and more athletic cut. The Bulnes, on the other hand, are essentially traditionally crafted boots on diet, and fill the middle ground between hardcore mountain boots and backpacking boots. Their great waterproofness and support have suited my rough- and off-trail backpacking needs very well, while their relatively light weight, stiffness and crampon readiness provide the utility to solve occasional snowfields or peak bagging.

 

Andrew Seiffert