Magnum Jungle Boots

Those who know me, know that pretty much every year I end up leading youth expeditions to foreign parts. This year I will be going into the rain forests and mountains of Thailand for a month, and so I needed to find some decent jungle boots to provide suitable support, comfort and performance in the difficult conditions I expect to meet.

Being something of a Magnum Boots fan, I had a look at what they have to offer and found they produce a purpose-designed jungle version of the Magnum.  During testing I found these boots handled the conditions found in parts of rural Britain very well, as I anticipate they will in tropical rain forests!

The Magnum Jungle Boots are solidly built with a substantial leather forefoot and heel, unpadded nylon side panels and “leg” for extra breathability and quick drying uppers.  A padded webbing collar and an “ankle brace” give comfort, support and structure to the upper, while a deep stiffened toe box and strong heel give protection and support, and a full sewn-in “bellows tongue” helps keep foreign objects/insects/leeches from accessing your feet. 

The tongue is unpadded to assist the boots’ drying and for coolness and, in the instep of each boot, there are two mesh drain vents to enable the boots to dry more quickly.  The sole unit is a dual density vulcanised rubber “panama” design, famous for shedding mud easily, giving good grip in testing surfaces and also giving good traction on hard surfaces.

The boots also boast a steel midsole plate that not only provides protection from penetration through the sole unit, but also aids foot support, and for extra comfort and shock absorption, a Magnum PU “3D2” footbed.

The lacing system comprises 2 sets of eyelets and 5 pairs of “through tube” type speed lacing for maximum support and swift lacing.

With up to 3 rows of stitching to a seam, these boots are strongly made, and if I did not find them as immediately comfortable “straight from the box” as some Magnum variants, they have worn in well and fairly quickly during assessment.

The only concession I made to it being European forests in the rain, as opposed to tropical rain forests, was to wear waterproof socks inside the boots as well as thick woolly socks to keep my feet warm; the mud, roots, water, mosses etc. testing the boots for their jungle role quite happily!

The Magnum Jungle Boots have become very comfortable, are supportive and give good grip on disparate surfaces and will, without a doubt, be going with me to Thailand as my main footwear for my month-long expedition this summer!

Costing around £70, the Magnum Jungle Boots are available in sizes 7-12 in black only and are, in my opinion, well suited to use in rain(y) forests - tropical and British alike!