At Sporting Shooter we have been testing a pair of Altberg High Moor Gamekeeper boots for the last 14 months. They have seen action for one very busy game shooting season, done literally hundreds of miles out with the dogs in all weathers and so far have performed brilliantly.

For fifteen years Altberg have been supplying boots to local gamekeepers and shooters direct from their Richmond factory. Feedback from the north Pennine gamekeepers has resulted in this current design of Gamekeeper boot.

The boot has a high leg design (20cm inside back), a sympatex waterproof lining, a heavy duty Vibram sole and protective rubber toe caps.

The high leg provides good ankle support, handy if you have to spend time on rocky terrain. The sole has just enough Ogive in it to allow your foot to bend a little, they do not feel like you are wearing a couple of concrete blocks.

They were comfortable straight out of the box, with no painful wearing-in period required and so far not a single blister. They are so well padded that you may find you can dispense with the usual thick pair of socks, thin socks have proved adequate even when out in snow or severe frost. The internal padding makes them exceptionally comfortable but also a bit on the warm side, ideal for autumn and winter but a bit much for summer.

They have not leaked once and the one-piece folded seamless leather tongue gives you the confidence to wade through deep puddles, and if walking a long way they are much more supportive and comfortable than wellies.

Altberg High Moor Gamekeeper boots are made of 4mm Swiss Gallusser leather, there is very little of it produced and it is extremely expensive. This might explain the slightly hefty price tag, the boots retail at £189.99 (RRP). You get what you pay for however, these boots are seriously tough and seriously comfortable.

Simon Fevyer, Sporting Shooter magazine