ECCO EXOSTRIKE BOOTS: THE TOUGHEST LEATHER BOOTS EVER
Ecco is releasing the EXOSTRIKE, a Dyneema Leather Boot they’re billing using the “World’s Toughest Leather.” We see featured brands make big claims like that all the time, but often fail to live up to their claim. So is Ecco’s claim about the Exostrike true, or is it a marketing strategy? We are curious to find out, and thus we’re always ready to do a bit of investigating and see how their claims stack up.
ECCO Exostrike: Best Hiking Shoes for Men and Women
The Exostrike is a mix of urban-style shoes with premium lace and rugged build quality. It combines the best of “street-smart sneaker styling” and “technical outdoor attributes” and represents them in one futuristic-looking shoe. In Ecco’s own words, with a look that is sharp, sleek, and rugged all at once. The Ecco Exostrike boots resemble some Nike hi-tops, but they indeed retain the rugged classicism of all hiking boots.
The last thing you want is a torn-out pair of boots when you’re out hiking. As you’ll have no option to replace or fix the boots, you’re in for a hectic journey if you don’t have another pair. ECCO Exostrike Boots claims to help you out in such cases, as they are more durable than any other available options.
Visually, the Eco Exo Strike takes the win in all bonded departments. You can use it daily, because of its modern looks. You can also use it for your outdoor program as camping, hiking, and other activities as they have all the necessary features and looks for it. Overall, there is no complaint about the looks of the Eco Exostrike since they are filled with functional features.
Looks are not the only thing the Exostrike has to offer, and it is not the only thing why Ecco put so much effort into making these. Ecco did not make their claim of the toughest leather boots with no grounds. They have designed the Exostrike shoes to be the strongest, lightest boots on the planet. For that, they took a different approach from other shoe manufacturers.
Ecco took Dyneema as the base material for the Exostrike boots. Dyneema is known as the world’s strongest fiber. How strong? It is 15 times stronger than steel. Ecco blended this strong fiber with 100% premium leather and used it in making the Exostrike boots. It makes the Exostrike boot almost indestructible to any force, and the obstacle it will counter outdoors.
On the other hand, the Dyneema leather used in the Exostrike boot is ultra-thin. Ecco claims their ultra-thin leather cut is five times stronger than other leathers. This leather is supposed to make the Exostrike boots insanely tear-resistant, especially around stress points like D-ring eyelets.
But at the same time, the Dyneema leathers are pretty thin, making them pliable, comfortable, and lightweight, but without sacrificing durability. It makes the Exostrike boot almost like old military jungle boots, in both look and feels. They can tank any damage and obstacle you put them through, and they will protect your feet. Rock-impact, sharp-knife attacks, the Exostrike bots will rule them all.
The Ecco Exostrike boots, with all their durable features, do not weigh more than 1 pound. That makes each boot 8 ounces. Unbelievable, right? But it is all thanks to the midsole and heel cup, and the lightweight Dyneema leather material used in the Exostrike boot. The Exostrike boot is also proven to be incredibly shock absorbent.
The Ecco Exostrike is equipped with Polyurethane PHORENE Midsole, instead of PU materials. It is Ecco’s brand new design, and a wise choice indeed. The Polyurethane PHORENE Midsole, made by ECCO, is designed to provide the best combination of shock absorption and springiness in every step, even more than PU materials. But it also has a PU heel cup, which looks cool and adds stiffness, support, and protection. Plus, the rubbery outsole will provide more cushioning on every single step.
Here is an idea of what the Phorene midsole is like compared to a normal PU midsole. When a normal PU piece is dropped, it will make a thud sound. On the other hand, when a Phorene ball is dropped, it will make a lighter sound and bounce much higher. It means that the Phorene midsole will provide more cushioning and make your footsteps less noisy.
You can imagine jumping down from great heights with these Exostrike boots on the trail. The soles of the shoe will absorb most of the shock as they fit perfectly. But be advised not to jump from lethal heights even with these shoes because it can cause severe damage to the bones of your leg and body.
The outsole is a grippy rubber with solid traction. Because of the rubber outsole and pattern, you don’t need to worry about where you walk. They can provide extreme traction for your feet on all terrains. You can use them to go hiking on muddy terrain, walk on the sandy beach, or any other terrain, you can imagine(rocks, maybe?). The rubber cleats on the outsole are strategically placed to provide the wearer with an Omnidirectional grip. The three soles’ layers combine to keep your feet in comfort. They also make up part of the shoe’s visual, which is no less incredible and futuristic.
Speaking of futuristic, do you think the hyper color should be a thing for shoes? Well, Ecco thinks it should. The Ecco Exostrike has limited edition hyper color boots. They change color according to when they start freezing. The functionality aspect of the hyper color feature is none. However, they bring back a retro vibe to the boots and can be a cool visual effect. But the regular single-color Exostrike boots are no less impressive either.
Now let us talk about the comfort of the Ecco Exostrike boots. You may have understood its comfort from discussing the soles of the Exostrike boots. Using PHORENE Midsole instead of PU leather midsole makes your feet very comfortable on every terrain. The shoe also comes with decent inside coverings for your upper feet. The Dyneema-leather will keep your feet protected from any sharp and piercing obstacle. So overall, there is no complaint to be made about the comfort of the Ecco Exostrike boots.
The branding of the Ecco Exostrike boots is subtle, and not too overdone. The Exostrike shoe has minimal branding on its front closure, and an Ecco logo on its back (on the sole). The branding blends very well with the shoe’s design and thus makes up for a better shoe for the public.
Overall, the Ecco Exostrike shoes may be the perfect shoe in the market. They have hit all the checkmarks for a perfect boot. Lightweight? Check. Good-looking? Check. Comfortable? Check. Durable? Check. The only check mark the Ecco Exstrike could not hit on our list is the waterproof checkmark. The Exostrike boot is water-resistant, but not waterproof.
You can walk in the mud, on watery terrains, etc., but you cannot submerge your shoes in water bodies(rivers). The inside of the shoes will get wet. It won’t be a comfortable experience. But we hope to see a waterproof version of the Ecco Exostrike boots soon.
If we sum up everything we have discussed with the Ecco Exostrike bots, we can say that it is one of a kind in the market. It has all the necessities and features you can ask for from a shoe(minus the waterproofing). This pair of boots can get you through all kinds of scenarios—camping, hiking, or even running a regular errand in your city. We think the Ecco Exostrike boots may be the next milestone other shoe manufacturers should aim to hit because there are no other shoes or boots that perform better in all departments.
Does the Ecco Exstrike live up to its claim of the toughest leather boots ever? Or was it all just a marketing strategy? The booths did live up to their claim of the world’s toughest leather boot. The Dyneema fiber combined with premium leather did the trick. It can stand against sharp knives, rock edges, sharp debris, and any other outdoor obstacles that you may counter. So yes, we have no complaint against Ecco’s claim about the Exostrike shoe, and the leather used in making them.
The Ecco Exostrike does not belong to one category of shoes because it can be used for all kinds of activities with care. We are not kidding or exaggerating. If you take a look at the design, you will understand. The shoe has excellent modern visuals to be worn anywhere. You can wear it to visit the mall, hang out with friends, or go to a party at a friend’s house. It has all the protection needed for outdoor activities like hiking, jogging, etc. And the grip strength of the shoe also makes it an excellent choice for sports like golf and soccer, or other kinds of sports that require footwork.
The Ecco Exostrike Dyneema deals are available in Black, White, and Gray. A special limited-time edition of the Ecco Exostrike boot was available with hyper coloring. Maybe we can see another launch of the hyper color edition in the future.
