Customer Reviews

Garmont Men's Eclipse III GTX Hiking Shoe

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I will now be the proud owner of my 5th pair of these shoes. I do not do any hiking, but am a general contractor and rely on these guys to keep my feet protected. The gore tex comes in handy when and if it ever rains again in TX. I looked at the Vegan model of this shoe, and it does not look quite as burly as this one. It has stopped nails from coming thru to my foot, stopped numerous puddles, and breathes pretty well. I wear them ever day for 8-10 hours a day and I can get one pair to last me 6 months. They are currently priced here the same as REI and free shipping and no tax spends my $$ here.

Are they expensive? Heck yes. But worth it.

I own 2 pair of these shoes and love them. I'm writing this review today over one issue with the boots that I experienced recently. I was fishing at a sierra mountain lake lots of granite and erosion sand. If you're going to use these shoes on Granite the soles will not hold up. The vibram sole that's attached to the rubber on the sides of the shoe failed. The rubber is too soft and at the ball of my foot at the side the rubber actually stress cracked. The boot has a 1 year warranty so now I can choose to replace the vibram section of the footbed or buy new shoes. The problem is even if I replace the vibram section the rubber under it has failed also. Great shoes but weak in granite if you look at the picture the grey area below the toe guard at the ball of the foot actually failed it looked like there was a knife blade stuck into the rubber it's too soft for ROCK so I'll wear them on fire trails only from now on hope this helps Dave

Well made. Good features built in that help the shoe fit well and move with your foot. Good , snug heel hold down. Plenty of toe room. A bit tight over the instep for me - only a problem if I "put my feet up" for a while. This is my third pair of Garmont's and I am very pleased with their products. They have replaced Merrill as my boot/shoe of choice.

I am not a trail runner, I'm a hiker. EVERY day, rain, shine, snow, sleet, I take my three dogs (Chinook, Weimaraner, Great Dane) for an hour or two in the morning (longer on weekends) and another half hour or so in the evening. We hike on varied surfaces: gravel/dirt roads, asphalt, various lengths of grass, cross country, over rocks, level and up and down hills.

Over the last year or so, I've developed a serious shoe/sock fetish. I never wear the same shoes two days in a row. Recovering from severe plantar fasciitis and resultant loss of range of motion from wearing cheap, crummy shoes, I now put my flat feet in the best shoes I can find. After a visit to an orthopod, a couple of thousand dollars worth of physical therapy, daily foot exercises, first rate (over the counter) orthotics and good shoes---my feet are almost normal again.

I have a variety of "trail runners", e.g., Asics(tm), Saucony(tm)(Razor), Nike(tm), Northface(tm) (GTX 105 and Hedgehog), Keen(tm) (more like boots), Vasque(tm) and now---Garmont(tm).

Sizing is far more true than any other "trail type" shoe I've purchased. This shoe has a very "full" toe box. I generally buy ½ to one full size bigger---you may not need that in this shoe.

This is a much more sturdy product and thus a bit heavier.

I'm addicted to Vibram and this has a Vibram outsole.

I also prefer Locklaces(tm) so the laces were switched out immediately.

This is a good looking shoe. It seems to have more external padding and a more abrasive resistant exterior.

I prefer a GoreTex(tm) or Event(tm) shoes because I usually walk in the early morning through wet grass---or in snow.

Everything about this shoe says HIKER not Trail Runner...which is what I had hoped for. I'm wearing them around the house and in the yard. They feel good. Rather than return them for a smaller half size, I may elect a medium cushion sock instead of the thin socks I normally wear. They seem a little warm but very comfortable. I'll take some warmth over wet feet---particularly when it is below freezing.

I'll probably wear them tomorrow morning because I'm impatient and I will add a comment to this review. If my feet stay dry I'll be very pleased.

The Eclipse III GTX has sturdy construction that does a great job of keeping one's foot stable over rough terrain. I think this will also help the shoes last a long time. They are fairly comfortable as well, which can be tough to achieve along with stability/durability. My pair has been put through several days of muddy puddle stomping already. I think they leak just a little bit at the toe hinge; it's a negligible amount though. The toe box is nice and roomy. All the Anatomically Directed Design stuff is great-check out [...] for more info on that. Great heavier duty hiking shoe all around, though I've only had them for a month and worn them probably 10 days, so I can't comment on longevity and how they wear over time.

Just bought these from REI a few days ago during the member's 20% off sale. I was looking for a tough, waterproof low-top hiking "boot." I tried on the low-top Lowa's (fit too weird), the funky-looking Patagonia's (heal rose up too much during walking). Then I tried the Garmont eclipses. These seem to be the most durable (almost all leather, with a tough rubber front bumper). They fit pretty well. I am 170# weight, and wearing 11.5 and have slightly wide, medium-width feet. I sometimes fit in 11, so the shoes are probably sized a hair too small. Went on a 6 hour hike yesterday and all is well. With low-tops, my concern is sprained ankle because of the "low top." I found these shoes are a bit wide (flared at the bottom). This seems to help a bit with that. I haven't tested the waterproof feature yet, but during my hike, my feet breathed fairly well. The Vibram soul seems about medium in stiffness. I have read other reviews, stating soul wears fast. The shoes come with anti-microbial footpad insert, which you can trim to fit. These seem like a nice bonus. Time will tell the real story, but so far, they seem pretty nice. I would have given them a 5 star if they hold up and are this comfortable after a few hundred miles.

I'm on pair number four, and can't complain a bit. I bought my first pair in 2005, planning on using them exclusively for light hiking, but soon found myself wearing them as the only pair of shoes that could keep me standing 12 hours as a pharmacy tech, and now wear them to teach, hike and generally get around at all times. Well done!

This shoe is comfortable. The materials inside and out appear very durable. I found these shoes to be more comfortable than the high top version. These are a step above the similarly priced Merrell MOAB low tops.

For the times when you don't want to wear hinking boots, these shoes provide excellent support and comfort. Nice and sturdy with a goretex lining. Unless you are really in the back country (and would want actual boots), wearing these shoes with decent socks (Smartwool)will make your feet good to go. I have worn them numerous cold and rainy days with no problems. My feet stayed dry and comfortable all day. As a bonus, the color scheme is neutral enough to wear them in a variety of venues. Definitely recommend.

I have owned several different types of hiking boots, working boots and combat boots over the years and these killed my feet only after spending four hours coaching on the sidelines of a nicely grassed football field. After owning 3 pair of the Garmont Nagevis, with the EVA Midsole, I purchased the Eclipse because the local outdoor store didn't carry the Nagevi in a gortex or non-gortex shoe. This was a mistake for me, because after wearing the shoe for only 4 hours it had bruised the side of my right foot to a nice deep purple. The Compression Molded Polyurethane midsole felt like a rockbed. I'm a hiker, teacher, former runner, former carpenter and former Marine and I've always spent long days on my feet and will continue to do so, but it Won't be in these shoes. If you like smiling at the end of the day I would recommend the Negavi. They are a solid shoe that soaks-up rocks, ladder rungs and a multitude of tasks with or without a pack. I wear a 10.5 C and both shoes run pretty true to size, but the Eclipse has a narrower fit than the Negavi. Garmont makes a quality product, but I learned my lesson, the Hard Way. Good Luck.