An urban fashion hiking boot can fail by trying to be too many things to too many people. It can be too technical to be fashionable. It can be too fashion-forward for bad weather. It can be too refined to trust on slick pavement.

The Scarosso Hermann (US price: $590 / EU price: 405 €) defies all these potential pitfalls. It’s technical, fashionable, and reliable, with luxury-level construction at an approachable luxury price point.

As approachable luxury hiking boots go, the Hermann is currently at the top of my list. It’s stylish enough to wear with casual clothing that’s tailored and/or fashionable; rugged enough to depend on in ugly weather; and comfortable enough for long urban walks, especially when outfitted with a replacement insole. Its upper is suede and rubberized leather, its lining is calfskin, and all leather is sourced from Italian suppliers. Its sole is Vibram Arctic Grip, giving it excellent traction in poor conditions. It can be resoled, which should give it an extremely long lifespan if cared for.

Worn in an urban environment, some lug-soled boots can produce a sort of ‘weekend outdoorsman costume’ effect. That’s not my thing, but if it’s yours, more power to you. In any case, the Hermann is more elegant than that. The thick, multicolored laces help the luxury effect, but you can amplify that by adding one or more sets of replacement laces. They’re easy enough to find via online retailers. I bought blue and orange—probably no surprise to you if you’re a regular reader.

Some boots lock you into whatever footbed is included with them. It may not matter that it’s high-quality; even well-made footbeds might not be right for your feet. A removable insole allows you to replace it. I used a pair of Hike Support insoles from the excellent brand Superfeet and once so equipped, could walk all day in Hermanns without a bit of discomfort.

The Swedish-Spanish company Morjas offers a similar boot called The Hiking Boot-Mudguard Edition. Compared to the Hermann, The Hiking Boot–Mudguard Edition is slightly less expensive in the US and slightly more expensive in the EU (US price: $500; EU price: 440 €).

Its advantages are its slightly cheaper price (only in the US); the fact that it’s available in both brown and black suede; and that in Sweden, Morjas has a flagship store in Stockholm as well as a retailer in Gothenburg (also in Sweden), and in the US, they have retailers who carry their shoes in Chicago, New York City, Palo Alto, and Washington, DC.

However, The Hiking Boot–Mudguard Edition lacks the Vibram Arctic Grip sole of the Hermann as well as the Hermann’s removable insole. It won’t have the same traction in bad weather, and you won’t be able to adapt its fit to your feet with replacement insoles.

For more on the three-question Tradeoff Audit for evaluating any approachable luxury purchase, see the feature article.

What remains luxurious? Italian design. The Hermann has styling cues that easily hold their own as luxury fashion. It’s manufactured by hand in Italy—Scarosso is clear about the fact that all their shoes are handmade by Italian artisans. The clever blending of materials—suede, leather, and rubberized leather—works extremely well in both looks and performance. The suede is a great touch but not so extensive in use that it requires constant maintenance, even in poor weather. The removable insole provides the ability to upgrade the support provided based on one’s needs. And in the Hermann, they’ve done a masterful job of balancing fashionable design on the one hand and technical features on the other.

What becomes cheaper? Transparency. Scarosso states that their materials are sourced from Italy or the south of France and that they “prioritize good working conditions”, but that’s not the same as disclosing the specific types of leather used, the standards to which they hold their suppliers, or exactly how they define and ensure “good working conditions”. Further, there’s nothing on their website at all about sustainability. A handful of third-party articles (see an example of one here) claim that Scarosso follows sustainable practices, but with no first-party statement, no details, no commitments, and no named standards being followed, it’s impossible to give any weight to these claims. Another thing that becomes cheaper is the lack of a brick-and-mortar presence. Although you can find Scarosso shoes for sale from other vendors online, if it’s possible to try them on in person, I don’t know where that would be—Scarosso doesn’t provide a guide to retail outlets.

What are the consequences? This isn’t the first time I’ve written this about an approachable luxury purchase, but it’s trust. If Scarosso doesn’t proactively disclose key information about sustainability, employee welfare, supplier standards, and community impact, how can you trust them to do the right thing? Do they seem like a trustworthy firm? Yes. Have they taken steps to make public how they protect the environment, people, and communities? No. These are easily correctable misses by a company that makes excellent products.

If you enjoy the idea of design-forward hiking boots, but prefer boots that have technical features, are well-equipped for bad weather, and the fit of which you can adjust with your own insoles—all at an approachable luxury price—the Scarosso Hermann is an excellent choice. If you insist on a reasonable level of transparency from your vendors, or if you simply must try on shoes in a store versus at home, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

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