I was asked to write this review about the Musto HPX Leather Boots with Outdry® a while back, but I wanted to make sure that I wore
them a lot before giving my opinion. So use them I have. I used them in Annapolis’
warm weather, on the Bermuda Ocean Race, up at the NYYC Regatta, on rainy days,
and most recently while teaching little kids how to sail at the U.S. Boat show
on the tiny and very wet Bug Boat Demos. Inclement weather (rain and big waves)
shouldn’t dictate when I can or can’t do an offshore delivery, tough race or
casual cruise, which is why high end boots are a must for me. Long story short, I made the right call and got
great, comfy, Outdry® dry, stylish leather boots for sailing.
They are made out of a durable waterproof leather outer, a
rubber GripDeck outsole, a removable anatomically shaped foot bread and an
Outdry® lining. Highly breathable, quick-drying, grippy, comfy, stylish and
really waterproof is all anyone ever really wants out of their boots. A tall
order, but these ¾ HPX’s have it all in abundance.
A quick note on this Outdry® that I keep referring to over
and over again. Musto has been a proven frontrunner in pushing cool new
technology that really works. They replaced the
Gore-Tex® in their boots with this new Outdry®. With Outdry® the external layer
and membrane are one unique bonded structure, water penetration is blocked with
no weight increase from absorption, while maintaining a space of dry air
between the skin and the membrane, reducing the risk of dew condensation.
(Basically my feet feel lighter and less clammy.)
The Good
I wore them on the Bermuda Ocean Race during my night
watches and felt sure footed, warm, and light on my feet (read: not clunky).
I wore them on a delivery aboard Night Town, a J/42, through
the El Derecho Storm (we saw gusts of up to 52 kts) while sailing through Cape
May. After helming and getting pelted by sideways rain and pushed along
downwind by 8 foot swells for two exhilarating, lightning filled hours, I was
tired and went below. Once below I got that wonderful feeling. You
know the one. The one where you realize, as you’re taking off the layers and
salopettes and boots all in one go: “Man it’s nasty outside and now that I want
to rack out in my warm dry bunk, I happily find that my socks are as dry as can
be (Read: These boots are totally worth it! Dry!!!).”
 | |||
| Fast Drying HPX vs comparable boot |
Two weeks later while racing at the New York Yacht Club
Regatta aboard a fast new J111, I was again wearing my Musto HPX Outdry®Boots. A wet, rainy, swelly Atlantic morning left the leather on my boots
looking drenched, even though my feet and socks were dry. About two hours
later, shortly after our race, one of the crew noticed my boots and said with a
slightly shocked tone, “Wow, your boots are really dry.” It took me a second to
realize that he was referring to the outside of my boots, which had dried
quicker than most everything else. This quick-drying explained why they
didn’t feel weighed down and clunky after the downpour. Similar
experience happened on the rainy Sunday while instructing 8 year olds all day
long at the Boat Show. I was wearing my HPX’s and my coworker was
wearing her Dubarry Ultima Stretch Sea Boots. The rain had stopped and we
both looked down and saw that my boots were dry while the leather on hers took
another hour to dry.
The Bad
I wore them the first time one hot Thursday evening race on
Dragonfly, a J80 (HAD to try out my new SWAG). I had to wear them with
shorts because it was that hot. It was a tough way to test that yes, indeed
they have a good grip, feel light and are comfy while moving about. But they
are still boots and unfortunately don’t come with air conditioning (wishful I
know. The other down side to these or any
other brown leather boots is that they are prone to experience some scuffing,
but they’re still good, rugged boots. (After 4 months of decent use, my boots
still look great.)
Overall
100% waterproof, rugged material, great traction,
lightweight, warm, and fashionable on and off the boat… I love my boots and
consider them to be a very valuable asset in my arsenal to keep the cold and
wetness away. Check them out here
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