Review: Hi-Tec Equilibrio Bellini Low I Waterproof

Do you have a pair of “will do anything” shoes by your front door that you can slip on any day of the week and for pretty much any activity? Well that’s what these Hi-Tec Equilibrio walking shoes have become for me; that pair of shoes that acts as a “catch all” – jobs in the garden, walks on local trails, trips to the shops, cycling to work, days out with family, and pretty much anything else when I need something casual and comfortable on my feet. 

Hi-Tec Equilibrio Bellini Low I Waterproof – as “modelled” by me 🙂

I’ve mentioned before how I always lean towards boots for hiking. But I certainly like shoes like this for lots of other activities. And I really like the look of these. The black suede uppers are accented with purple (hooray not pink!) stitching and laces, and the laces go all the way down to the toes which I think looks kinda cool. They come up quite narrow compared to other walking shoes I’ve had, but I ordered my usual size and they fit great.

Looks aside, I have been wearing these shoes a lot and have found them very comfortable. The insole is nicely shaped and the micro fleece lining keeps my feet warm on cool autumn days. The low profile means my ankle is free to move around, and the shaped out sole means I have plenty of grip when walking. Like I say, I wouldn’t hike up a mountain in these, but they work well for low level trails and walking through town.

They have, thankfully, lived up to their promise of being waterproof. I’ve been very happy meandering through long grass and along muddy leave-covered woodland paths this last couple of weeks for my One Hour Outside challenge, and they’ve been great. I did think the suede upper would show signs of wear almost instantly thanks to the mud (and my lack of grace on the trails meaning my shoes all end up scuffed within about half an hour of wearing them), but they have cleaned up nicely and still look great. Phew!

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, super comfortable pair of walking shoes then you’d do well to consider these. Head over to the Hi-Tec website for more info.

Thank you to Hi-Tec for sending me a pair of their new Equilibrio shoes to try out. As you know, I base everything on Splodz Blogz on my own thoughts and experiences, and receiving anything for free will not change that.