Muck Boot's Outscape Lace-up shoes are designed to be all-rounders on the stable yard, in the garden, walking the dog, even going into work on very rainy days. They're made primarily of rubber and neoprene and are completely waterproof all over, with a ‘BioDewix’ footbed insert top cover for odour and moisture control. They’re reinforced at the toes without feeling heavy, and have a memory foam footbed. There's a 'shovel-ready' nylon shank underneath the sole to give extra protection against the edge of a spade or garden fork you might be digging into the ground with.
Their main drawback is that they wouldn't be much good in a muddy field – as soon as your foot squelches into more than 8cm mud, there's your ankle covered. So when else would you use lace-up wellington shoes?
Camping trips and dog walks – tick. These are perfect for striding through dewy grass, being completely waterproof. They come off easily enough with the pull tab, and because they're made of rubber so they're pretty stretchy. But if your main reason for buying is for getting in and out of the tent quickly on camping trips, slip-on rubber clogs are better suited to this and can be found much cheaper.
Beach trips – tick. There's a decent tread on the sole, so “rock-climbing” with my five-year-old was easy work, and I could move quickly over potentially slippery surfaces. The reinforced toes give extra protection in case of bumping against rocks.
Hiking – not really. On low-impact walks, such as walks with young children, these are comfortable enough to handle soggy hills and a bit of slippery ground. You won't have dry ankles, but at least you won't come a cropper trying to get over a wooden stile. Of course there are hiking shoes and boots made for more ambitious walks, but if you're just off to the shops and you're lucky enough to have an off-road walk there, these would be handy.
They're also urban-looking enough to wear into town for a rainy day shopping trip. In fact, compared to many short wellington shoes and boots, they're definitely bringing sexy back into the waterproof footwear genre.
Are they enough of an all-rounder to justify £125? For me, they'd have to tick quite a few more boxes. They're not particularly breathable, and if you get hot feet, these are not for you. But they are comfortable enough to wear for a few hours. If you just want to keep your feet dry, and you're planning some low-impact activities when it's set to rain – and you've got the money – these might just be for you.
For more shoe reviews check out our list of the best walking and hiking shoes.
Facts at a glance:
- RRP: £125
- Uppers: Flexible neoprene "Muckskin" with rubber coating
- Outsole: Durable rubber, with multi-surface traction
- Midsole: Lightweight ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)
- Waterproofing: 100%, due to rubber and rubber-coated neoprene
- Fitting: Standard
