We all know that when packing car and caravan and heading out on tour, it’s great to travel light. But sometimes this is harder than you think, as you don’t want to be set up on site but then rue leaving something handy behind. Which is why dual purpose items are excellent for canny caravanners.

Dress boots can serve just this purpose. What are they? Well, dress boots are men’s leather boots built rather like dress shoes, but with uppers that cover your ankle. Dress boots are tough enough for outdoor activities, so you can pull them on in the morning and go rambling and exploring when on your caravan holidays, but when you head out for the night, just brush off any dirt, pair them with smart jeans or chinos, and dress boots can become the perfect footwear for a night out, too.

Here we are testing a pair of slip-on boots made by the Australian company Redback. With a soft and grippy cushioned sole and oil kip leather upper, our reviewer found that the Redbacks were so comfortable, he ended up wearing them all day and night without so much as a hint of discomfort. “It was like wearing a pair of heavy-duty slippers,” he reported. 

The multi-directional cleats offer superb grip in the mud and millions of tiny bubbles provide excellent shock absorption. And, of course, because these Redback boots have no laces, they are incredibly easy to get on and off. “Everyone I’ve spoken to who has these can’t say a bad word about them,” added Practical Caravan’s tester, “and I concur!”

These boots have a hard-wearing, translucent sole that is resistant to fuels, lubricants and high temperatures, plus an air cushion midsole that features tonnes of really small bubbles and, as our reviewer found, gives first rate shock absorption. The boots also provide anatomical foot support which, says Redback, helps to reduce the strain on the wearer’s feet and legs – perfect if you like your caravan holidays to also be walking holidays. The manufacturer also claims that the leather used to make these boots is 30% thicker than normal work boots.

Having read all that, you might not be surprised to learn that in Practical Caravan’s group test of seven different dress boots (that also featured these brogue boots by Barbour), these Redbacks came out on top.