Boatilus Childrens Hybrid 3 Trail Boot Review

Reviewed by Amanda Hayes

My son absolutely loves the outdoors, and you will find him outside, whatever the weather, doing something in nature whether its walking, climbing trees or jumping in muddy puddles. Being a nature loving family, we also love to do our bit to help the planet and that’s why I was so pleased to be able to review the Boatilus range of eco-friendly footwear for kids.

A quick look at the website before they arrived led me to find out more about the founders of Boatilus, why & how the brand was born. It’s a long-standing Company who have been making footwear since 1810 and very importantly to me the founders are both parents, so they know what children like and need. The Boatilus range of footwear is attractive to look at, with its combination of French & Italian styling, two main players in the world of fashion, yet hardwearing and practical.

But how does their footwear become eco friendly? Their shoes and boots are all free from phthalates, phenols or latex, manufactured using either recyclable or biodegradable raw materials and then stored and sold in Boatilus branded recycled cardboard boxes. They are made in Europe too, so for us in the UK, we can be reassured that the products haven’t travelled thousands of miles before they reach us as the consumer.

We were lucky enough to be sent a pair of Hybrid 3 Trail boots to test out which come in two colours, pink & navy and the colour we were sent, cobalt & grey. The boots arrived in a sturdy plain colour recycled box with the eye catching Boatilus navy dog face branding on the front. Inside there isn’t any unnecessary packing, no bags or wrapping, just the boots sitting snug in the box. We loved the colour of the bottom part of the boot, my son thought it was a lovely bright blue, and the grey base and fabric upper part worked well with it. He also really liked the Boatilus dog emblem who on the boots is wearing a woolly hat in black set against the grey fabric. The boots are in snow boot style with a hard waterproof welly type base and a material upper. The top can be tightened with a toggle if wished. Inside the boots have a lovely soft fleece type lining which my 9 year old found really comfortable. They have a great grip on the bottom, with a deep tread suitable for walking on mud or snow and weren’t slippery at all. The Hybrid 3 is a great play boot, snow boot and general all rounder. It is super warm for the colder months with a thermal mid sole and for comfort and support whilst walking it has the patented Airflex system sole, it really is a great boot and my son really liked it.

Boatilus also do a more traditional wellington style boot and some fabulously bright coloured sandals, which I thought were great value for £15.00, perfect for the summer months, take a look at their website for some great children’s footwear inspiration.

Rating: Highly recommended 5 out of 5

RRP: £35.00 per pair.

Can be purchased from Boatilus here.