REVIEW: SALOMON FORCES Urban Jungle Ultra

Summer is truly over and winter is approaching rapidly. To distract ourselves from the cold and remember warm summer evenings, today we want to introduce you to the SALOMON FORCES Urban Jungle Ultra Boots. As the name suggests, a boot for moist, warm days - it has accompanied us from spring through the whole year until now.

It is essentially a duty shoe in classic black, which stands out with its lightweight and solid construction. It somehow looks like a canvas shoe on steroids. Technical data:

– Heel height: 27 mm / 16.5 mm
– Insole: Textile
– Lining: Textile
– Outsole: Rubber
– Upper material: Leather

But let's start with the materials used: The Urban Jungle Ultra is mainly made of leather - and fabric. This means that it does not include Gore-Tex, which is often great but not necessary in every shoe. Especially in very hot temperatures, it can be counterproductive for foot climate. That's where the jungle boots excel with their lightweight design: the materials used make the Urban Jungle Ultra very breathable and well-ventilated.

It has holes ... The good ventilation is achieved through the 3D mesh that makes up most of the shaft. Very well thought out. On the other hand, the leather component ensures stability.

In the picture, the condition before shoe care, just to avoid misunderstandings. The Ultra is durable. At the same time, the smooth leather can be polished beautifully, if desired or necessary. In our test, it has withstood all demands very well and is still almost new except for a few scratches.

The Contagrip sole provides excellent grip for the Urban Jungle Ultra - on both asphalt and in the forest. The sole pattern is reminiscent of the classic jungle boots from the 1970s. And even if there is little jungle for us: a lightweight duty shoe with good traction is also a big plus. The anatomically shaped EVA midsole provides outstanding cushioning and gives your foot the necessary stability.

A very nice detail on the sole becomes apparent upon closer inspection. The individual lugs are wavy cut. This ensures the necessary grip in detail when bending, the large lugs grip well anyway and also ensure that dirt does not get stuck in between, they empty themselves with some movement.

The lacing is done simply with incorporated eyelets, the Ultra is a tall boot with plenty of laces. Hooks and other potential entanglement possibilities are missing. This makes the Urban Jungle Ultra also suitable for skydiving.Despite its light weight of only 520 grams, the Urban Jungle Ultra offers extremely good support. When thinking of the classic canvas boot, the lack of ankle stability is always on our minds. Thanks to the "Advanced Chassis" construction, both the sole and the ankle area of the shaft are very stable.

The fit is - as with all Salomon shoes - on the narrower side. In case of doubt, take the shoe half a size larger than usual, as pressure points are always very uncomfortable. The insole can be removed and replaced.

Regarding unusual terrains. We also took the Urban Jungle Ultra to the Alps. In the mountains, it performed solidly. Of course, it is not the ideal shoe for crampons, and we wouldn't wear it in the high mountains in winter either. There are other specialized boots from Salomon Forces for that.

CONCLUSION: With the Urban Jungle Ultra, Salomon has succeeded in evolving the Jungle Boots. A lightweight, breathable boot for warm days with very good wearing comfort and high stability. Those looking for a summer boot should consider the Urban Jungle Ultra. Ideal of course also for those who need a black duty boot and maybe are more professionally active in the urban jungle.

The Urban Jungle Ultra is available, for example, at HQG for 175.46 Euro in black.

HQG on the internet: www.hqg.de

SALOMON FORCES on the internet: www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/men/collection/forces.html

Wearing long pants, the Urban Jungle Ultra looks quite civil. The airplane is waiting for us in the back.