The quality of Lidl Crivit hiking boots can vary considerably. As can the design. I’ve owned and used two pairs and, although I was very impressed with the first pair, the second pair of boots was not in the same league.
Influenced by the low price and their sturdy feel and appearance, I bought my first pair of Lidl Crivit hiking boots several years ago, It wasn’t a spontaneous buy, nor was I quick to carry the boots to the till; I spent quite some time bending the soles, feeling the thickness of the fabric, and tapping the heels to check if they were hollow. Then, when I couldn’t find any obvious problems with the boots, I decided to buy a pair and test them for real.
At the time, there were two colour choices available—grey and red and grey and yellow. They didn’t have the red option in my size, so I had to buy the boots trimmed with yellow. Unfortunately, I never felt comfortable wearing yellow boots, so they remained mostly unused. Then, after buying several other brands of hiking boots and shoes, none of which seemed to be capable of lasting more than three months, I decided to put my Lidl Crivit hiking boots to work, and began wearing them. I only wore the Crivit boots for hiking, usually over very rough and stony ground, and, after moving to a new area, with plenty of public footpaths, and bridleways, the Lidl yellow perils were getting a lot of use. During the warmer months, I went for long walks through the country most days of the week, and they held up surprisingly well. Sure, the uppers got a little scuffed and began showing signs of wear and tear, but the soles were first-rate. Even after months of regular use there were no severe signs of wear and my feet remained insulated from any of the many stones I stood on—something that I cannot say for most of the previous options even when they were new. And for those of you reading this Lidl Crivit hiking boot review who want to know if they kept my feet dry, yes they did. So no complaints there either.
I paid less than £20 for my yellow pair of Crivit hiking boots, and can’t moan about the price because I got more than year’s worth of use from them. That’s much longer than the Regatta Vendeavour walking shoes that were more expensive and barely lasted three months. And for those of you reading this Lidl Crivit hiking boot review who are wondering if the boots held off the water; I am happy to inform you I don’t remember having any problems with wet feet.
When I finally binned the Crivit boots, the soles were still nice and thick, and the uppers, though scruffy-looking, were okay too. The problem was the soles were starting to come unglued from the uppers. Loath to throw the boots away, I got a little extra life from them by re gluing the soles with Gorilla contact adhesive. Unfortunately, the problem reoccurred, so it was time to begin looking for a replacement.
As luck would have it, Lidl had some blue Crivit hiking boots in their centre aisle. The design was different from that of the yellow perils, and the quality of the uppers seemed poor. However, the soles appeared more durable than those of the hiking boots I’d been looking at in other stores. That swung it for me. I bought them. At £22.99, they were a little more expensive than my previous pair of Crivit hiking boots, and I knew it was gamble, but I took a chance. This time I gambled and lost. Within two months the soles had come unglued at the front of both boots, making them dangerous to walk in, so they took a trip to the bin.
The sad thing is, I bought my second pair of Lidl Crivit hiking boots late in the year, when I was winding back on my walks in the countryside. I mostly used the boots for trips to the shops, walking on pavements instead of country tracks. I didn’t get much use out of them at all, and even with a coating of water-repellent spray, the upper fabric failed to keep my feet dry.
Would I buy another pair of Crivit hiking boots from Lidl? Possibly, but only if they were like my first pair, and showed no obvious signs of reduction in quality. At this point in the game, after having looked at several other brands, which were expensive and looked about as durable as a banana skin, I’ve decided to change track. Instead of buying another pair of hiking boots, I bought some steel-toecapped work boots. The soles are thick, and the uppers are solid. I’ve been using them for a month, and have no complaints. When I walk in the countryside, I don’t feel any undue pressure to my feet when I stand on stones, and the soles are holding up well. So I have got my fingers crossed, and I am hoping I will not need to bin them and review them before 2027. Only time will tell.
PLEASE NOTE: All the pictures that accompany this Lidl Crivit hiking boots review were taken just before I threw the boots away, and provide a true indication of the condition of the boots and the level of wear and tear. This is a tried and tested review. It’s the only kind that I do.