The brasher Hillmaster II GTX
It was the year Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government won its second term and cruise missiles arrived at Greenham Common sparking huge protests.
And 1983 also saw the appearance of the brasher Hillmaster boot, which has been pounding the country’s fells and countryside ever since.
On the 30th anniversary of its launch the Hillmaster II GTX will hit the shops, after a 10-point improvement plan by the brand which carries the name of Olympic gold medallist Chris Brasher.
The original boot was developed by Brasher, a keen walker and mountaineer, who posed the question: “Why can’t walking boots be as comfortable as trainers?”
At a time when walkers had to suffer boots made from thick leather, incorporating steel or wooden shanks to make them stiff for climbing, the Hillmaster broke new ground.
The new Hillmaster II GTX still incorporates many aspects of the original design and 30-year heritage, but with increased performance and better comfort.
The key changes in the new boot are:
- Gender-specific comfort fit for both men and women, tried and tested for all day walking comfort
- Fabric lining for enhanced comfort
- New lightweight and hardwearing Hillmaster sole unit with cushioned comfort and reduced lug depth which brasher say offers anti-clogging, superb grip and durability
- PU midsole and rand offering shock absorption and protection for all day walking
- Soft, supple and abrasion resistant luxurious full grain leather upper 2.2 to 2.4mm for men and 2.0 to 2.2mm for women.
- Revised collar and tongue pattern for enhanced comfort
- Repositioned locking hook for extra heel hold
- Memory foam in the collar and tongue, plus additional ankle foam pads, for added comfort.
brasher has stuck to its traditional styling for the Hillmaster II GTX, with both the men’s and women’s available in chocolate colour. Weight per pair for size nines is 1,482g and the boots, which are due in the shops from early 2013, are set to retail at £150 a pair.
The women's brasher Supalite Active GTX
A completely new addition to the company’s range is the Supalite Active GTX, weighing a fraction over 1kg a pair, and aimed at low-level walkers.
As with all brasher footwear, the company claims its customary ‘comfortable straight from the box’ properties, after rigorous testing by Ken Ledward and his team at KLETS.
Mr Ledward, who has been involved in brasher testing since the early 1980s described the new boots as being ‘as comfortable as a pair of trainers’. The company said Chris Brasher would be proud.
Key features include:
- 1.4mm to 1.6mm lightweight, breathable and abrasion resistant Wolverine pigskin suede upper with fabric panels
- Bi-flex cushioned insole board for flexibility and trainer-like feel
- Lightweight Supalite sole unit with shock absorbing EVA midsole for excellent grip
- Engineered tongue system for enhanced comfort
- Rubberised toe and heel print for extra protection
- Gore-Tex Extended Comfort Footwear waterproof and breathable lining
Weighing 1,048g per pair size 9, Supalite Active GTX is available in men’s and women’s specific sizes and colours are Military/Black for men and Carbon/Grey for women. It will be available in store from March 2013 with a retail price of £130.
sarah
13 August 2012I have worn a pair of Brasher Hillmaster for a few years now and need to be thinking about a new pair of boots. Overall I have found them to be excellent with one area for improvement - the grip. I walk a lot on limestone which can be very slippery and the combination of the Brasher sole and local conditions have been challenging at times. Does the new improvement to the sole suggest that the grip may have been improved too?
Jonesy
15 August 2012i bought my brasher hillmasters years ago and they have seen some tough action and yep definately straight from the box comfort. They were like slippers. So when i needed a new pair, imagine my horror when brasher, rather curtly in an email, told me they had stopped making womens Size 3 and No, they wouldn't make me a pair. I had to go elsewhere and whilst i found some nice Italian ones, which took me a couple of hard months to wear in, they certainly arent the quality and comfort of brasher. Please please brasher if you are reading this, make your new boots with a size 3 womens boots in the range.
Pictish Halfling
02 November 2012Yup, like Jonesy above, I'm a size 3.
I have been wearing Brasher Hillmasters for over ten years, every day at work, plus hiking in India, Syria, Canada and Iran as well as in the UK, replacing them regularly and strongly recommending them to many friends who ask me for advice.
Now, however, I'm wearing an inferior alternative.
Why? Because despite their website saying the Hillmaster is available in sizes 3-9, Brasher have in fact abandoned their Size 3 customers, presumably because we don't purchase enough of them to be sufficiently profitable, and stopped manufacturing them in that size some years ago.
PLEASE Brasher, do reconsider this policy.
At least for the Hillmaster II they are honest and describe available sizes as 4-8.
Yes Brasher do kids boots in Size 3, yes I'm sure they're good enough for children who might grow out of them quickly, but frankly after wearing Hillmasters for so many years they're not in the same league.
Seeing this article about the great new Hillmasters just makes me rather sad....
Meanwhile, if ANYONE knows of any old stock Hillmasters in Size 3, I'd be very grateful for details.
Pictish Halfling
02 November 2012NOTE - I've realised I'm wrong, Brasher's website is quoting size 3-9 on both their Hillmasters and Hillmaster IIs - no idea what the Hillmaster II situation is, but Brasher have told me themselves that they stopped manufacturing Hillmasters in Size 3 years ago, so dare I really hope that the Hillmaster II will be available in my size???
Em
18 November 2012I too have been wearing Brasher Fellmaster GTX in a women's size 3 for over 10years. I'd better make them last then as it seems I'll not be able to find another pair of walking boots to fit!
Soon I won't have any shoes to wear at all and will have to walk around bare foot it seems. If anyone can recommend another make of walking boot I would appreciate it.
Richard F
27 December 2012my feet hate synthetic materials -even goretex. Basically synthetic linings 'cook' my feet. I hope the original brashers with the soft leather lining will still be available?
alasdair lowe
18 January 2014walked the last 11 years in hillmaster leather-lined boots,mainly low-level paths trails+occasional munros. magic no wet feet no blistersand no ghastly odours. must bang on about the omission of leather-liningon gtx 11what a mistake just the same az the rest+made in china . sad.
upside just manage to find a new original pair,bought two pairs magic.