Customer Reviews

Vasque Men's Breeze LT GTX Light Hiking Shoe

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

 

 

I never do reviews but since I depend on them for my online purchases, I figured it was time to give back to the online community. I'm picky about my foot comfort. I moved from running to hiking because of my age, 63. I've learned with some dismay that your feet grow as you age. I wore a 12 as a young adult and a 13 as a mature adult. My first hiking boots were Timberline size 13 but I suffered from black toenails. I felt like I needed a larger size but 13 was the limit at sporting goods stores. I did some research and visited an REI store to try on some real boots for a change. Everything pointed to a 14. I liked the Vasque Breeze GTX the best but it just seemed like too much boot for my use. I hike mainly in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Big Bend area, usually 2-3 days with a 35 lb. pack. I looked at REI online and found the Vasque Breeze LT GTX. It's a little lower on the ankle and a little lighter so I decided to give it a try. I bought them online and had them delivered to the local store for a tryout. This morning was my first break-in hike. I did the five-mile loop around Allen Parkway in Houston and my feet felt so good at the end, I kept walking for another hour. The size 14 was a little big across the instep so I just added a Dr. Scholl's Sport Gel insole on top of the original and it laced up nice and snug. The roominess of the toe box is wonderful. It's almost euphoric to traipse straight down a hill without banging my toes. I'm looking forward to the breath-ability of the Gore-Tex, much better in the desert than all leather boots.

I work in an environment that puts shoes through hell. I am on the move all day; walking (5 miles or more a day), climbing (ladders and stairs), and jumping on and off equipment. The conditions are very wet (usually the water is loaded with chemicals, heavy bases and acids), and the temperature changes are extreme throughout the day. I should just be wearing rubber boots, but they do not provide the performance that I need. The Vasque GTX has proven to be one of the most durable boots that I've tried, I can't put a scratch on them. They are not showing any signs of wear yet, where as other boots would be falling apart at this point. They are "breathable", which translates to "not at all water resistant". I am going to continue testing other boots, but these will be put in the top 3 of my list of boots to buy again.