Helly Hansen Switchback Trail Low-Cut Helly Tech hiking boots review: lightweight, rugged and multitasking

Helly Hansen Switchback Trail Low-Cut Helly Tech hiking boots: first impressions

Good looking and comfortable straight out of the box, Helly Hansen Switchback Trail Low-Cut Helly Tech hiking boots benefit from high-quality (and apparently responsibly sourced) soft suede used in the construction of the upper (see also: Leather vs synthetic hiking boots: which is better?)

For better breathability and improved weight saving, the main leather chassis is interspersed with dense mesh fabric sections, and the whole upper is wrapped in a Helly Tech waterproof membrane to keep rain and trail juice firmly on the outside. 

The EVA midsole offers ample cushioning and the rubber outsole has a HellyGrip pattern featuring various shaped chevrons, lugs and ridges to supply an effective mixture of traction and control in most conditions.

The tongue is integrated with the upper, to keep grit out, and there are four pairs of lace loops, plus an eyelet at the top, which facilitate a firm foot hold, complemented by a good secure heel cup, to keep your feet from moving around. There’s no surround rand, but the heel cup and toe bumper provide good protection in those crucial areas.

So my initial reaction to the Switchbacks was that they’re a well-designed, handsome hiking hoof, and the build quality seemed solid – but would they rank among the best walking shoes currently available? I took them out on the trails across winter, spring and summer to find out.

Helly Hansen Switchback Trail Low-Cut Helly Tech hiking boots: on the trails

I first field tested these Helly Hansen Switchback Trail Low-Cut Helly Tech hiking boots while hiking in the high hills and peaks of the Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales, on assignment with the Western Beacons Mountain Rescue team and my advnture colleague Julia, who wrote this brilliant piece about the experience.

It was November, and conditions were, of course, wet across the notoriously exposed Beacons. Less predictably, the temperature was unseasonably warm and we were also expected to do some work and assist the excellent WBMR volunteers with things like running around with stretchers over slippery rocks and uneven terrain while performing rescue drills. I am now of the opinion that all hiking shoes should be tested in these exact conditions, which certainly separated the wheat from the chaff.

And the HH Switchbacks were definitely wheat quality. Although the lugs are not especially aggressive, the outsole provided really good grip on the rocks and boulders, and filled me with confidence during technical descents, even when I was carrying quite a bit of weight (those stretchers are not light, especially when you have a casualty on them). I was particularly happy with the robust heel and toe protection, which saved my precious pinkies from bruising after several clumsy foot-stubbing incidents as I was playing at being a mountain rescuer.

The rain was only intermittent, but there was plenty of water on the ground from the day before, when it had been torrential, and the Switchbacks kept my socks dry all day. The shoes allowed my feet to breathe too, which was very much appreciated as we worked up a sweat transporting equipment up steep terrain.

I’ve also worn Switchbacks on multiple other occasions over the last six months in a whole mixture of conditions and across a range of terrain, and have found them to be a very versatile and capable hiking shoe.

In more muddy conditions the closely clustered lugs do accumulate dirt, as does the mesh on the upper, which is one downside. And you obviously need to be conscious of the fact that the low-cut design does not provide any ankle support, so the Switchbacks are best suited to day-long adventures rather than multi-day escapades with a heavy pack. But used correctly, they’re a really solid choice for hikers looking for a three-season walking shoe.

The Switchbacks are very robust, and while there are some midcut hiking boots that do offer ankle support while being marginally lighter than these shoes – such as the Salomon Cross Hike Mid GTX and the Keen NXIS EVO Mid boots – in my opinion you’ll get more miles from the Hellys, which are built to last longer, making them excellent value.

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