Reef Rover Low XT. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

Price: men’s £70; women’s £60
Country of manufacture: China
Weight: 664g/pair
Colour: brown/navy blue
Sizes: men’s 7-12; women’s 4-8

When you’ve finished that long walk on the hills, it’s nice to have a good pair of comfortable shoes to change into. Or maybe you want something not too technical for those strolls along easy trails.

Step forward the Reef Rover Low.

The Reef Rover is what Americans call a sneaker. The uppers are soft canvas and textile mesh, and the outsole is rubber, with a sawtooth pattern.

Grip was good in the dry but less so in the wet. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

There’s a soft foam insole and the Rover uses Reef’s new Swellular technology, with a medium density moulded foam midsole which provides both support and underfoot cushioning when walking. The shoe is part of a range from the surf brand that includes sandals using the same Swellular system.

The combination of all these makes for a very comfortable walking experience. Hard surfaces and gravel paths present no problems, and the rubber outsole gives reasonable traction and braking in the dry, though performance is not so good in the wet, with some slipping on damp rock.

Breathability is very good and there’s a little extra protection for the toe with a raised rand, and at the heel with a reinforced section. The heel cup also has a tough rigid lower section that holds the foot well.

On everything from the High Street to woodland tracks and easy footpaths, the Reef Rover Low provided very good comfort. Combined with the cool styling, this makes the shoe an ideal alternative to trails shoes for everyday use when you’re not tackling too technical a route.

They’re not so great in the wet, due to their canvas upper construction and the less assured traction, but on warm summer days, these stylish Reef shoes are unbeatable for comfort.

Performance 19/30
Comfort 37/40
Style 8/10
Quality 8/10
Value for money 7/10
Total score: 79/100