If you’ve taken any sort of day hike in the past couple years, you’ve probably noticed that the footwear people wear has been changing. The clunky hiking boots have been replaced with trail runners or light weight hiking shoes. The Propulsion is Hi-Tec’s version of this shoe.
The genius of the Propulsion is that it isn’t restricted to the trail. The Propulsion doesn’t scream hiking boot, and thus can be worn as every day shoes. If you have a more casual office, you can even wear the Propulsion to work. Considering the cost of most hiking equipment these days, it’s nice to see gear that can do double duty.
The materials Hi-Tec chose to construct this shoe are pretty typical for hiking footwear. The upper is mostly swede with mesh to vent moisture. The lining of the shoe is a fairly soft fabric that wicks moisture away from the sock well. The sole is constructed of rubber with a hiking lug pattern.
On the trail, the Propulsion performed well. The shoes easily handled everything one would normally see on a day hike. Durability doesn’t look like it will be an issue in the long run as the points that normally get scraped hiking are covered with hard rubber that can handle a beating. If you’re looking for a pair of shoes for some light hiking and daily use, take a look at the Propulsion.
In the days of $140 trail runners, it’s refreshing to see a company producing quality shoes at an affordable price. At around $70 per pair, the Propulsion is a relative bargain when compared to the competition. While I could ramble on about how I’d like to see a Vibram sole or ion-mask, the bottom line is that the Propulsion uses high quality materials at a very low price.
Product sample provided by the manufacturer for review purposes.
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