More up-to-date styling marks the Brasher Fellmaster GTX boots

Brasher Fellmaster GTX hiking boot
£130
Weight per pair (size 9) 1,348g; (size 5) 1,147g
Three season
Crampon rating B0 (not crampon compatible)
Material: Nubuck leather with Gore-Tex lining
Country of manufacture: China

Brasher’s Hillmaster boot has been around for more than a decade and has set the standard for traditional leather hillwalking footwear.

The Fellmaster GTX, introduced this spring, is the brand’s pitch at a slightly less traditional boot still offering hillwalkers that reassuringly solid feeling with, dare we say it, a little more style.

The Fellmaster GTX weighs in actually a few grams heavier than the Hillmaster and, whereas the latter is made from full-grain leather, the Fellmaster GTX is constructed from 2.2mm-2.4mm oiled Nubuck leather, with a high moulded toe bumper for added protection.

The boots have waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex Performance Footwear lining and the collar and tongue have memory foam, for enhanced comfort.

The sole is Brasher’s own Trek unit – a change from the ubiquitous Vibram brand found on so many other manufacturers’ footwear, and is a three-part unit with high-density moulded midsole, a torsional support shank and a lug pattern Brasher says offers excellent grip.

The boots have Brasher's own Trek sole unit

The men’s model is in an earth and espresso colourway, with sizes available between 7 and 12, including half sizes; women’s boots come in brown, in sizes 4 to 8, also with half sizes.

Brasher prides its products on offering ‘out of the box’ comfort and the Fellmaster GTX certainly slips on to the feet nicely. The foam padding on tongue and collar give a nice snug feel but the forefoot is very roomy.

In fact, for my feet it felt a little too roomy. My feet are usually to be found in a different brand which has a decidedly narrow front section, but some judicious tight lacing on the fourth loop kept the boot snug enough.

The sole is moderately stiff, both laterally and longitudinally, without giving the boot that clunky ungiving feel found on some mountain footwear.

On the foot, the boots feel instantly comfortable and surprisingly light for a leather boot.

Brasher said the Nubuck, which has the feel of suede but is more durable, has been treated during tanning to repel 95 per cent of water. The Gore-Tex lining should take care of the rest.

The Fellmaster GTXs kept out the water

We put the boots to an extended test in a variety of weather on different terrains, including a short yomp around the South Pennine moors; a rocky ascent of Blencathra via Halls Fell Ridge; an extended expedition in the Brecon Beacons including a day of blizzards on Pen y Fan; a trip up Yorkshire’s second highest fell in the Dales; and a long meander to the top of Scafell using a mixture of paths, cross-country tussocks, scrambling and scree.

I guess the Fellmaster GTXs are aimed at the hillwalker who is likely to stick mainly to mountain paths and valley walks, but with an odd excursion into more adventurous terrain.

The boots didn’t let me down. Although when pushed hard up the mountain, my feet got warm in the Gore-Tex lined footwear, at the end of almost two months’ testing, the boots had kept out the water and coped with some tough terrain.

On steep ground the deep lugs of the sole held my feet well. On rock, the adhesion was at least comparable with other brands of sole I have tried.

The heel section is slightly cut away at the very rear and conventional wisdom might say this could inhibit the ability to dig in when descending steep ground, but there was no sense of this happening.

The heel is slightly cut-away

On the first long outing, the voluminous fore-section of the boot tended to fold into the foot and induce a little discomfort, particularly when contouring on steep slopes, but this resolved itself after a couple more trips as the leather softened slightly.

The days of having to break in boots over an extended period are thankfully gone.

The midsole cushions the impact of each footstep well and on hard south Wales forest tracks and the rocky ground of the Lake District, the Fellmaster GTXs felt particularly glove-like.

After a seven-hour, 3,000ft ascent day in the Lake District, my feet felt fine, even if the rest of my body didn’t.

I’m used to wearing a heavier boot in serious mountain terrain, and I was sceptical as to how well this lighter weight pair would stand up to sections of scrambling and scree descents.

The Fellmaster GTX boots coped with a variety of terrain

But the Fellmaster GTXs survived some fair punishment relatively unscathed though there was some minor scuffing of the soft outer edge of that midsole that provides the welcome cushioning.

All in all, the Brashers performed well. The Fellmaster GTX is an ideal boot for the walker who navigates Britain’s mountain paths and moorlands and who occasionally steps off the beaten track to taste some more adventurous routes.

Brasher supplied grough with the Fellmaster GTX boots, along with a pair of Three Season Unisex socks.

As with all outdoor footwear, I recommend making sure the boot fits the foot before making the purchase.

More details and stockists are on the Brasher website.