4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So far, so good!, February 5, 2011
This review is from: Zamberlan Men's 996 Vioz GT Hiking Boot (Apparel)
This is my first pair of Zamberlans, coming off years of wearing Vasque boots which fit me very well. I love the Vasque fit, but the last two very comfortable pairs of Wasatch GTXs I bought for warm weather use began breaking down after a year of 200+ day use. I was used to the old IT made boots which went several years of similar use, which I expect for a pretty pricey shoe.
I bought these as a rotation pair for my Vasque Summits, another full grain boot that I use in cooler temps.
After a similar fairly long break in period (about a month of all day everyday) these are very comfortable shoes. I've read reviews elsewhere that these are too stiff, but believe that the parties did not get them fully broken in before using for hard work.
I have also seen a few complaints about the laces being too long; as I usually think that hiking boot laces are too short, this was not a problem to me, I like to have enough to double knot and these are good right out of the box.
I have also seen complaints about the toe box being too small. I have this complaint about Merrils, but not these. The fit on these boots is similar to Vasque boots, so if you are comfortable in those you will be comfortable in these.
One big difference from Summits is that the lace eyelets come down over half an inch lower on the foot and there are 5 eyelets rather than four. What this means is that the shoes are more adjustable (way more than you would think!). It took a while to get used to this and to figure out how to get the best fit, but once you do it is pretty magic, I like this feature. I suspect some who thought the shoe narrow just had them laced too tight.
I'm a big guy, over 200lbs, who wears these boots daily for work in rough terrain, often with fairly heavy loads. I like these a lot so far, but will need to revisit this review in a year or so to let you know how these hold up. If they are still good, this will be my new shoe.
Already looking at the leather/fabric styles for summer use.
Your initial post: Jan 10, 2012 11:32:01 AM PST
Last edited by you 14 minutes ago
Paul C says:
After a year, I bought another pair. Not because there was anything wrong with the first pair, I am using them everyday. These are the most comfortable shoes I've had since a mid '70s pair of Vasques that lasted for almost 10 years of steady use. As I am pushing 60, I expect that these two pairs will be the last I will have to buy.
The original pair have gone through pretty heavy usage. After two trips to Mongolia, with its rocky terrain, and two trips to the forests and swamps of Poland, a long stint in the coastal range of California, jobs in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and the panhandle of Oklahoma, swamps in lower Michigan, and western Kansas, these boots have not only held up, but with a wipe of Danner's brown boot conditioner look like new.
The leather uppers wear like iron; one tiny scratch, less than a 16th of an inch long- only I know it's there, invisible to everyone else. The Vibram soles not only give exceptional traction and ease of walking, but are not showing much wear compared to my new pair after way more than a thousand miles of walking, a lot of it on concrete and asphalt.
The arches have not broken down; these shoes are as comfortable as they were when first broken in, seem to fit better the longer you wear them.
These shoes breathe very well. I have comfortably worn them in temps from -5*F to +100*F. In Mongolia this summer I wore them on the hottest days walking across the desert and the liners kept my feet dry. They also kept me dry in the swamps along the Baltic Coast and in Michigan around Albion, so long as the water was not over the tops.
The liner is holding up very well, and the boots have been absolutely waterproof up to the top of them.
All in all, a great shoe; I would not hesitate to recommend them to any outdoor professional. I liked them enough to buy a second pair.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Zamberlan 996 Vioz GT Hiking Boot, December 10, 2011
This review is from: Zamberlan Men's 996 Vioz GT Hiking Boot (Apparel)
When I first purchased these boots 2 years ago I was so amazed I thought that somebody created a boot just for me by accident. I put an average of 6.7 miles a day on my footwear. I use them as a work boot even though they do not provide toe protection nor a slip resistant features. I just have to be extra careful & be aware of my every move from one project to the next. I preform building maint. so walking on concrete floors, crawling around rafters to 6 hours a day up and down on ladders is an everyday event. I put 2500 miles on them a year and that's just indoor. Not counting after work or weekends they get another average on them 1.5 miles more. My feet do not get sore wearing wearing these boots 12 hours a day combined with superfeet insoles, They're #1 to me.
After a year using them in these conditions they do start to separate at the seam at the heal, and the sole is pretty much worn flat, then I must purchase another pair.
I wish Zamberlan would create a "Work Boot" that is slip resistant with a protective toe with a electrical hazard rating, with a breathable waterproofing such as these 996 Vioz. If they ever do and someone who represents them would read this review or heard about it decided to send me a few pairs of Size 11 medium width to test them out for them and right another review, now
Wouldn't that be a Surprise. Official Tester of Zamberlan footwear. Sign me up.
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