Customer Reviews

Vasque Women's Switchback GTX Hiking Boot

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

 

 

These boots are very comfortable right out of the box. I wore them on a backpacking trip shortly after I got them and they felt fine. They are light weight and have Vibram soles. I bought a half size larger than I normally wear in the hopes of keeping my left big toe from hitting the end of the boot on steep downhills and that seems to have worked well. Vasque runs a little narrow. My only complaint is water seeps in very quickly around the shoe lace area, much faster than on my other boots.

I'd been wanting good hiking boots for awhile and took the time to do my research and ask all of my outdoorsy friends before I settled on a brand. Vasque seemed to be the local favorite, a durable and comfortable brand. I do everything from light day hikes to several-day backpacking trips and was really looking for a boot that would even take me on the Appalachian trail if I wanted to, so I wanted a relatively light boot that still had the necessary ankle support and ruggedness for backpacking. I was a little concerned with waterproofness even in a Gore-tex lining, so I opted for this model with more leather and less mesh. This boot was a great deal on Amazon, and I have been quite content with my purchase and hope it will last me many years to come. I bought a whole size to size-and-a-half up from my normal sneaker/dress shoe size, which was both good and bad. My ideal size would have been a 10, but unfortunately that wasn't available. These boots do tend to run a little small, though, and the socks one generally wears hiking/backpacking are thicker, so about one size up should be good. The only problem I have found is that while the boot is a little long toe-to-heel (undoubtedly because of buying the bigger size), if I try to lace it tight to keep my foot from sliding around it presses uncomfortably into the top of my foot, so there seems to be a proportions unbalance. I don't think I have particularly thick feet.
The performance of the boots themselves has been fantastic. So far I have only gone on day hikes but I have faced some fairly challenging terrain and the boots have come through in style. Traction is good and the Gore-tex waterproofing is so far amazing. The boots give good support, broke in easily, and are generally very comfortable to wear. They are serious hiking boots, so they feel noticeably heavier than normal shoes, but that is to be expected and they aren't too heavy to weigh you down even at the end of a long day.

I LOVE this boot. In fact I bought these as a second pair to have around for when my 1st pair wear out. Rugged but lightweight and stylish. And the GoreTex works! Nice to have for winter, rain, stream crossings and lightweight enough for warm weather.