14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Hiking Shoes, May 13, 2010
This review is from: Columbia Sportswear Men's Outpost Hybrid Water Shoe (Apparel)
My wife and I will be taking a vacation later this summer, so I bought matching pairs of Nevados V6474M Kariba sandals in the closest sizes available. Mine were way too small, her's were way too big, and we both agreed the appearance left a lot to be desired. We also felt the open sides would let a lot of sticks and rocks in. So, we returned the Nevados and ordered the Columbia Outpost Hybrids.
We ordered our usual shoe size (5-1/2 and 10-1/2) and both pairs of the Outpost Hybrids fit perfectly. We were also much happier with the running shoe appearance, than the sandals that look like some kind of weird space boots. The Outposts look "normal" enough to wear to the store after hiking, and also have much better traction.
Last weekend we had the opportunity to go hiking with them at the local park. I was a little concerned about wearing the shoes without socks, but we were both very pleased with how comfortable they were to wear barefoot. We found the Outpost Hybrids to have excellent traction, both on loose gravel paths and climbing up steep rock trails. Just for fun, we went wading when we got down to the lake, and were quite happy with the performance of these shoes. The rocks, sticks, and other debris stayed out, but they drained quickly once we were out of the water. Perhaps just as important, they were still very comfortable to walk on dry trails with after being dunked in the lake. No squishy sounds, no rubbing, and no pruney feet when we took them off.
They were slightly damp when we got home, but still very comfortable. We did pull out the removable insoles when we got home and it took overnight for them to dry completely, but we certainly wouldn't hesitate to wear them in their slightly damp condition.
Overall, these are some of the best shoes we've ever purchased. They should work great for our trip this summer where we'll be hiking in rivers and across dry land. Just what we were looking for.
The only negative, they have a fairly strong plastic smell. My wife says they smell like bandaids. I assume that will go away over time.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a great shoe!!!!, July 1, 2010
This review is from: Columbia Sportswear Men's Outpost Hybrid Water Shoe (Apparel)
I love this shoe! I bought this shoe to take with me to Costa Rica for a month of exploration in the mountains. The shoe fits snuggly and you don't need to worry about it falling off of your foot in the water. This shoe drains quickly once it has been submersed in water. It was nice to not have to wait for days for my shoes to dry out before I could use them again. It does take some time for the upper part of the shoe to dry out as it is cloth, but it's not a huge deal as they were dry the next morning.
I have really enjoyed the traction of this shoe as well. I was climbing on rocks that were wet and walking through water and then climbing on more rocks to get where I was going. I had no problem getting traction, no matter how wet the bottom of the shoe was.
I really like that this shoe is so casual, it looks like a regular tennis shoe, but there's so much more to it! The added plus is that there is a great sole insert that provides great support for your body. I really liked being able to wear my hiking shoes with my shorts and not look like I was going hiking.
I highly recommend this shoe to anyone who does any type of hiking or boating. I really enjoy the structure and stability this shoe has to offer.
If you are looking for a sizing guide for this shoe, you can go to [...] and find the shoe and then look at their sizing guide. They even have instructions for measuring to make sure you get a great fitting shoe.
You won't regret purchasing this shoe.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great shoes, April 28, 2010
Light weight, comfortable, great for hiking, river sports, and just about anything else. Keeps the rocks out and drains water well.
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