Oboz Men's Firebrand II Low B-Dry, Gray, 9.5

I am a heavy hiker, I average 5 miles a day on mountain trails. I'm a big Oboz customer, buying a new pair every year. I have worn through three pairs of Bridgers and this is my first pair of Firebrands. Both models are excellent and very similar. Both are also very heavy and benefited from Superfeets . The firebrand has reinforced holes for the laces vs loops on the Bridger. My toes are beginning to feel cramped however in this style of boot so my next pair may be the Sawtooths.

true to width with roundish toe box for squre toes instead of tapered toe box.

These were exactly what we wanted. These are great waterproof shoes. Great price and very glad they were available.

They seem true to size. Very stiff I have only worn them a couple of times just around the house but feel very comfortable

Serious hiking shoe that just happens to be low top

If you are like me and spend hours reading reviews before making an online purchase, I wanted to provide my review of this excellent hiking shoe to make your decision to buy this shoe easier. I own or have owned merrill's, la sportiva's and salomon's and my new go to shoe is the Firebrand II by Oboz.First, I'm not an avid hiker but do put lots of time in them doing my personal weekend hobbies. Down in New Orleans, the terrain isn't exactly mountainous, but there are plenty of outdoor activities around. Anyway, I took the family to Glacier National Park this July and we hiked pretty hard for the first three days. My kids pooped out by the fourth, so I took it easy on them and only hiked 6 miles that day. While my legs, calves and thighs ached, my feet felt great thanks to the excellent support of the Firebrand II's. As for fit, I was very excited about how well this shoot fit my foot. When ordering from the internet, it's always nerve racking not knowing what you'll get in the mail. I have a standard 10-1/2 size foot and ordered these like my running shoes - a half size up. The size 11 even fit my slightly smaller left foot just fine. The shoe hugs the heel so there's no slippage. The width is standard - again, worked perfect for my standard width foot. The toe box provided enough room side to side, but didn't feel sloppy when hiking on sidehill paths. The one part of a shoe that can begin to heat up for me is the rise of the shoe. Again, the Firebrand II was very comfortable, didn't tighten up, slide around and or pinch at the rise. I wore mid and or light weight hiking socks each day and pulled the laces to a comfortable tightness. Day in day out, these have been the most comfortable pair of shoes I've hiked in and or worn all day. I did purchase the BeDry series (waterproof lining inside) which adds weight, so decide if you need yours to be waterproof or not. Down in south Louisiana, we get lots of rain, so it was a no brainer for me.Out of the box, the shoe has a unique look with the seven eyelets. The colors are bold and earthy and just look like they belong on a hiking trail. I did spend a little time breaking them in, however, I don't think that was necessary. The shoes are not stiff out of the box, but I always like to break my shoe in before embarking on a trip. Once I stopped admiring how good looking they were, I checked out the workmanship. I am leery of the toe's of shoes like this. It always seems the glue gives way. However, I saw no indication these toe wraps would pop. The sole seems very rugged. They did an excellent job with traction. I never slipped going downhill on loose gravel or wet rock. Best thing was at the end of each day, I would hose down the bottom and sides and not worry about the water soaking through.All in all, these are great shoes and you will not regret your purchase. I've cleaned mine up and put them away for my next hiking adventure - Alaska! I hope this helps. My final thought, Oboz are good to go. Buy with confidence.

Well built shoe!

Love these shoes, I have owned several pairs and the hold up well and keep your feet dry..