Selecting a new pair of boots can involve a fair bit of personal preference, as everyone’s feet are different, so just because something has worked well for my foot shape doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the right fit for you.

I’ve used the Andrew Antelao now for a number of years, predominantly for my alpine hunts where the stiffer sole unit is a must for sidling in steeper terrain, and with crampon use.

Andrew like most of the best manufacturers is based the in small Italian city of Montebelluna in northern Italy, which is famous for its footwear and ski boot manufacturing. The construction of the Antelao uses a blend of traditional handcraft techniques with modern materials, with the time honoured stitched Norwegian Welt construction.

The upper is made from pampas oil 2.8/3.0mm full grain leather, which is renowned for being tough and highly waterproof, but also very pliable. This becomes pretty obvious overtime when you see how the boots really mould to your feet, and the result is a really comfy boot once you get past that break in period.

The lining is made from Sympatex, which is chosen for its breathability and moisture management abilities. And the Vibram soles provide a good balance between grip and durability, when a softer more grippy compound would wear out to fast, and a harder compound would be too slippery. With the PU midsole providing good shock absorption, these boots are basically a master class in both construction and materials. Making for a boot that really lasts.

A stiffer boot like this has some obvious advantages in steeper country, and I find them actually more efficient than climbing up hill in a softer boot, especially so with a heavy load. The trade-off here is they can seem less efficient in flatter country or for that long drag up valley before you start climbing.

Overall, these boots have lasted me extremely well and have been ideal for my intended purpose, being alpine hunting. If you are looking for a, do it all boot for all types of hunting the Antelo probably isn’t it, as it’s much too stiff for bush hunting for example, and there are better options such as the Andrew Dunstan, or the Crispi Nevada.

But if you’re after a more alpine focussed boot that has outlasted everything I’ve seen so far, then you can’t really go wrong with the Antelao

Shop for ANDREW ANTELAO BOOTS HERE