ActiveHiking & WalkingThese Haglofs hiking boots transform into city shoes – I tried them on a weekend breakHere’s my verdict on the swappable-soled Haglofs Duality AT2 bootsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveHiking & WalkingThese Haglofs hiking boots transform into city shoes – I tried them on a weekend breakHere’s my verdict on the swappable-soled Haglofs Duality AT2 bootsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Here’s my verdict on the swappable-soled Haglofs Duality AT2 boots
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
The Haglofs Duality AT2 shoe is – at first sight – a relatively standard if slightly left-field design outdoor shoe. There’s a knitted tongue-area and internal sock-style upper, nubuck reinforcement around the toe, sides and rear, with a stiff TPU heel and a soft rubber sole. The design uses the sock as a tongue, but aside from the bright yellow laces, is otherwise unlikely to get many glances in the street or trail alike.
This boot is from the same line as the AT1 that appears in ourbest men’s hiking bootguide, and like that boot, it’s designed for extra versatility. The trickery really begins under the skin, and is where the ‘duality’ in the name comes in. The hidden trick of the Haglofs Duality AT2 is that it comes with two sets of insole-midsoles that enable you to take on different terrain in the same shoes. A softer red pair is intended for city streets and hard surfaces, the stiffer, harder compound greeny-black pair for more punishing pursuits and rocky trails. I took them on city breaks in Brighton and London to test them out.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
The soles are also unusual in that they’re essentially very large insoles, the midsole being bonded to the insole to create a single unit, making them convenient to swap around in almost any situation. Haglofs suggests you might want to try this mid-trail, which feels a touch too much, but would be possible.
The weird thing about this arrangement is that almost all the shoe’s rigidity is in the insole units. Without one fitted, there’s nothing but rubber outsole to stiffen the shoe, rather like awellington boot. The retail box comes with a robust velcro band, which lets you lash the spare pair of insoles together neatly, which when packing light is much appreciated.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
Strolling to the train station shod in the Haglofs Duality AT2 with the softer red sole unit, there’s very little to complain about. That slipper-softness extends to the density sole too, creating a pleasant footfeel, and there’s plenty of energy return in even the lighter-grade insole. Rambling around town it’s also apparent that the outsole isn’t just flexible, it’s made from two different grades of rubber invisibly linked together. The forefoot is an incredibly grippy, soft compound that feels almost like a climbing shoe, while the heel is apparently made from AHAR Plus (ASICS High Abrasion Resistance Rubber), a much harder compound. This is fortunate, as the midfoot compound feels too soft to last long, fun as it is to wear.
There’s an interesting problem in that the combination of a very soft boot and combining the insole and midsole into a stiffer unit means that it’s quite easy to roll the foot off the moulded insole, finding the sharp, shaped edge of the sole. Weirdly, it’s more of an issue around town with lightly-laced shoes, as opposed to the trail with tighter, more aggressive lacing.
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So are the Haglofs Duality AT2 good at city breaks with an active edge? Absolutely, yes. We’d recommend testing the fit before leaving, to avoid any issues with the edges of the insoles, and it’s worth bearing in mind that there’s no waterproof membrane here. So while that gives a breathable and comfy shoe around town, rambling through wet grass and puddles will lead to damp toes and discomfort. However, the chance to pack two shoes into one can’t be underestimated, especially for European getaways among bigger hills.
The Haglofs Duality AT2 boots areavailable in men’sandwomen’s versions, at an RRP of £200.
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Today’s best Haglofs Duality AT2 dealsNo price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Haglofs Duality AT2 deals
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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