Timberland Mt. Maddsen Mid Waterproof Review (2024)

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By Ryan Huetter ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Oct 25, 2022

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• Comfort - 25%4.0

• Support - 25%8.0

• Traction - 15%7.0

• Water Resistance - 15%8.0

• Weight - 10%7.0

  See Also

  Stories - Lonely PlanetThe 6 Best Hiking Shoes for Men of 2024Switchback Travel | Best Hiking Boots of 2024The Best Hiking Boots Of 2024, Based On Miles Of Trail Testing

• Durability - 10%8.0

The Timberland Mt. Maddsen Mid Waterproof is what we consider a classic hiking boot style. With a full-grain leather upper, it takes a considerable amount of time to break in. It is solidly constructed and offers good support for those who want above-ankle protection and a very stable midsole. It is inexpensive yet made of quality materials, so this could be a consideration for a heavy-duty hiking boot or even a work boot. That said, there are other top-rated hiking boots to consider that offer more comfort.

Editor's Note: This hiking boot was slotted into our fall update on October 25, 2022.

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We tested the Timberland Mt. Maddsen Mid Waterproof on a variety of day hikes with and without weight and found them to be a classic take on a hiking boot design, with many of the common benefits and detriments that come with this type of boot.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Mt. Maddsen boots are made of full-grain leather uppers, which are fairly stiff and unyielding. We found these boots to be slightly less than average comfort, based on the initial break-in period required, the feel of the stiff structure around the ankle collar, and the fit.

These boots fit quite wide, and it took us two pairs of heavy-weight hiking socks to make them fit well. The midsole is firm and does not give the foot much reprieve from the jarring impacts of the trail like more cushioned models. In short, this is the old-school hiking boot that we used to have to wear, while now there are much more comfortable boots readily available.

Support

The Mt. Maddsen is very stable if it fits your foot. It has very tall ankle support, and the material is stiff and adds structure to the upper, making this a very rigid boot. The TPU shank adds significant stiffness to the sole, giving these a lot of ability in off-camber terrain. You gain these benefits if you can fill this boot out (as in, have wide enough feet or thick enough socks). If you have a narrower foot, the fit will likely be sloppy, and the stiff material keeps you from effectively tightening the boot to the point where it feels stable.

Traction

Thanks to the TPU shank, a hearty midsole, and a rubber lug outsole (unbranded, we assume proprietary), the Mt. Maddsen Mid offers solid traction in most every terrain type we tested them in. They edge really well thanks to the stiffness of the sole, and while they don't smear all that well, we found them to work fine in both wet and dry environments.

Water Resistance

Timberland uses its own waterproof membrane made of recycled plastic to create the waterproof barrier in the Mt. Maddsen, and it works effectively. Also useful is the treated full-grain leather upper, which beads water off much better than many synthetic materials.

Weight

We took the Mt. Maddsen to the scales and verified their weight at 2.31 pounds for a pair of men's size US 11. This is an average weight in this category, though we would happily take some extra weight for more comfort.

Durability

One of the benefits of the Mt. Maddsen using a leather upper with double-stitched seams is that it is much more resistant to wear and tear than lighter boots made exclusively from lightweight synthetic materials. These boots should last you quite a long time, especially if you continue to treat them with a leather conditioner.

Should You Buy the Timberland Mt. Maddsen Midf?

These boots are made from quality materials, and everything points to them being well-made. They are also inexpensive, so if you are looking for heavy-duty hiking boots, these might be of good value to you if you have wider feet.

What Other Hiking Boots Should You Consider?

At a similar weight, the Merrell Moab Mid 3 is way more comfortable and is also a budget-oriented boot. For the best of the best regarding support, stability, and comfort, the Hoka Kaha 2 GTX is our Editor's Choice in this category and is tough to beat.