Vasque Men's Eriksson Gore-Tex Boot

I did a lot of research before buying the Erikssons. I have wide feet (not just a little such that a shoe that "runs wide" is an adequate solution), a noticeable protrusion of my right big toe knuckle due to arthritis, and neuropathy-- oh, and a week ankle from a couple of pretty back injuries in my youth--a lot to attempt to overcome! In addition, i have not been a lifelong hiker, so A) I have less history to guide me, and B), I'm a bit if a tenderfoot when it comes to blisters and such. So when we decided to do some semi-serious day hiking in Oak Creek Canyon between Sedona and Flagstaff coming up in March (2015), I decided to try to avoid trip-spoiling foot problems with a pretty serious upgrade in footwear. I looked closely at Outdoor Gear Lab and a plethora of other blogs and sites, vids, etc. Some of my options were limited by the availability of wide sizes. I also required that they be waterproof. But fortunately many of the best options were available in wide. The Keen Targhee, the Vasque Breeze, and the Merrell Moab were all contenders. I own the Moab shoes (as opposed to boots) by the way, as do a number of family members. They're very comfortable. I also own a high grade Keen winter boot-- it's also excellent, and the Targhee if very highly rated almost everywhere. The Vasque Breeze is a mainstay in hiking boots-- I tried a pair on at REI and they were certainly very comfortable. All three of these options were of the leather/mesh family. Super low if any break-in needed, light and well ventilated. That almost did it for me-- I was close to ordering the Vasque Breeze, largely because of reviews and the fact that Vasque seems very conscious of width-fit. Then I started looking more closely at full leather construction, and the Vasque top-of-the-line Eriksson GTX. So the tradeoff with full leather is that they are reported to take some breaking in (all brands), and they can be heavier. They payoff is that they are super-stable and supportive, able to handle multiple days of heavy backpacking much better than their lighter cousins. They're also more durable-- I read numerous stories of people owning a pair of quality leather boots for years, and of their improving over time. What really turned the tide in the end was the price offered on these by Amazon (I'm not a shill for the big "A"- really!). I really loved the idea of a really serious boot that could take anything I might through at it over years to come-- I decided breaking them in was a fair trade off, and have time before the AZ trip to do it. Then the price-- retail anywhere else is $219. I don't know how or why, but Amazon's got these for $119. They're new to Vasque, so not 'last years model.' Anyway, Here's what I know once they arrived about a week ago. I wear them pretty constantly in urban use-- very comfortable, not blisters or even a hot spot. Yesterday I took them out for a 2 mile trail hike, mostly packed snow with some good topography. Again, excellent. A technical note-- most liking boot advise ordering 1/2 size large. Many reviews said these run true to size. Since I'm a 12 or slightly better, I ordered in a 13 wide. On the edge of being too big. But I wouldn't want to go to a 12. So if you're in a lover size where 1/2 sizes are an option, I'd say if you wear a light hiking sock you'd be good with true size. I'f you wear a more padded sock or sock and liner, go 1/2 up. If you're a big-foot like me and a 1/2 size isn't an option, you'll need to decide which direction to lean to.

I bought this after reading about it in Popular Mechanics magazine as being a sturdy but comforatable backpacking boot.Got it on Tuesday and did a short 5+ mile hike this weekend, to start breaking in the boot. Very comfortable right out of the box, no hot spots or issue. The hike started on a mountain top had a short climb up some rocky trails and decended on a very steep, muddy and slippery trail to the valley below.The Eriksson had decent grip and keep my feet dry and very comfortable with good ankle support. My feet were not hot and sweaty as I thought they would be in a full leather upper boot and temperatures in the upper eighties with high humidity.I bought the boot wide and a half size larger than my normal to accommodate a Sole brand insole and thick wool sock and a liner sock. Everything fit snuggly but not tight, and my toes, which normally get jammed into the front of the boot on downhill hikes, had good space in the toe box and no issues. I think this boot runs slighly larger (in length) than normal I purchased a 9.5W and it was a full inch longer that my Merrell's which is a size 10M.So far I like this boot a lot, will need to see if it will handle a backpack load since it will be used on a 10 day hike at Philmont next year.My only negative is that I wish it would have been available in brown in my size at the price I got it, but the black with the orange laces looks sharp and gets a lot of notice!

I have now owned these boots ca. a year. They took at least 10 miles to break in and at first and the eyelets dug into my ankle at the top (pretty annoying and painful). After the break in period I can say these are some of the most comfortable boots Ive owned. I am an archaeologist and typically hike 10-15 miles with a 30-40 lb pack a day almost year round with the exception of winter months. I have probably placed well over a 300 miles on them. So far these boots have held up pretty well. Ive used them in high altitude areas of Colorado, the wetlands of Oklahoma, and most recently the arid climate of Wyoming. I have noticed some visible wear on the outside and inside areas of the sole, the plastic "webbing" has come apart at some points but is still holding together well. They include an extra set of laces which you will need if you do serious hiking. I cant recommend these enough, I think they run a little big as I usually wear size 10 but went for the 9.5 and still have a bit of room. I use to only buy Merrel or Keen, but I will probably buy these again soon, but as I said they are still running strong and remain waterproof. If you are on the fence I say Get these boots!

I received a positive comment on the looks of these boots the first day I whore them. Of course that is not why I bought these Hiking Boots.After reading the reviews I ordered the same size as my current Vasque 10 year old boot, 11.5 medium width. I sunk my foot into my new Vasque and knew they were keepers, very comfortable. After a few months use I should of ordered a size 12 medium width. I am having a length issue with the left boot when hiking downhill and now can feel a little rubbing while just normal walking, the right side is great. Problem is after 3 months of use, whats a guy to do about that. Last hike one toe nail turned black from rubbing the front of the boot, enough of that. The only other issue is lacing the bottom speed laces. I believe the problem for me is the location of the Barb? being located lower on the side of boot and for each lacing I have to feel for the right location and place the lace onto the barb??. Barb is fairly wide which makes it a little more difficult to hook onto.Boots seemed to have good traction on the wet rocks. Except for the length issue of the left boot I believe these are well made boots but time will tell only if my toes allow. Whats a guy to do.