Check out Oboz, too. Generally regarded as a higher quality boot compared to contemporary Salomons. I got two pairs from a member here and have been very satisfied.
Check out Oboz, too. Generally regarded as a higher quality boot compared to contemporary Salomons. I got two pairs from a member here and have been very satisfied.
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
I have moved to Salomons also. One pair of trail runners, two pairs of low hikers (one Goretex), one pair of Goretex mid boots and one pair of Goretex/Insulated mid boots. I wear the low hikers all the time and the non-Goretex are my go-to travel shoes. I just got back from a week long Wyoming hunting trip and wore both pars of the mid-boots. I particularly like the mid boots that were Goretex but no insulated.
Keen Venture: https://www.keenfootwear.com/p/M-VENTURE-MID-WP.html
Might be the best sport-hiker I've worn ever.
الدهون القاع الفتيات لك جعل العالم هزاز جولة الذهاب
I have three pair of Oboz. Two Bridger. One Sawtooth. So far they have been very good and very supportive. Excellent insoles. I wish they weren't made in China but most are these days.Originally Posted by TGS
I wore Keens for years. Durability became an issue. Otherwise I generally liked them quite a bit and I still have some of their gear I wear.
There's nothing civil about this war.
I'm on my 5th or 6th pair of XA pro 3D shoes. I started wearing these a decade ago when Merrill discontinued my favorite trail running shoe. I used to run trails in them, but finally decided to run trails in regular running shoes. Otherwise, I wear the Salomons a lot as everyday casual shoes, and if I still hiked or backpacked, I would wear them. I used to do a lot of field tests for work, and wore these shoes while out in the field. They are a little stiff at first, but will break in quick. They are reasonably rugged, but they are not full-on leather boots. They fit true to size, although for all my athletic shoes, I order a half-size up.
I have tried Gore Tex shoes and I don't like them, because they make my feet hotter and sweatier. I've run through creeks and streams in the middle of summer, and in the middle of winter when there is snow and ice on the ground. As I said, now I just use regular running shoes. My feet get wet, but after a quarter mile they dry out. When it's cold and I have to cross a creek, my feet get cold and wet, but again, as long as I keep moving, they dry out and warm up. When I tried Gore Tex shoes, my feet would get wet and sweaty and stay that way for the entire run, even if I didn't run through any water. YMMV.
XA Pro 3Ds are my everyday casual shoe.
The good: they were ridiculously comfortable right out of the box. I’m a 9E, and they fit true to size. I like the lacing system to get a good fit/feel but they also slip on/off easily. Very lightweight and well-vented.
The bad: the soles on mine started separating from the upper in less than 8 months. And I did not abuse them. The worst treatment they got was walking the dog in tall grass. So I can’t really explain the breakdown. Also, not sure if it’s just an REI thing but they only had black.
On the plus side, REI exchanged them, no questions asked, even though I wasn’t a member and didn’t have the receipt. Needless to say, I’m an REI member now. The new pair is only 2 months old but so far so good.
When I exchanged the bad pair, I tried some wide Oboz. I might go for those when I need a waterproof winter shoe. But the Salomon were unquestionably more comfortable. The new pair was immediately 95% as comfortable as the 8-month-old pair they were replacing.
Long story short. Good shoes. Buy them at REI, shell out the measly 20 bucks for a coop membership, and sleep well.
BASF makes a midsole material for Adidas called "Boost". It supposedly has 30% more energy return than regular shoe material. They are crazy bouncy and comfortable. They retail for $130-$200 but you can often find Adidas with Boost at their outlets and Marshalls for $40-$60.
If you wear a 2E I would strongly recommend that you try these on first.
Every pair of Salomons I've tried have been really, really narrow, especially in the arch area. The toe box itself is narrow but the arch, for whatever reason is also insanely narrow.
Last edited by Magsz; 10-17-2019 at 01:41 AM.
$180 on Amazon, do you have an "impoverished forum owner" recommendation or is it #GoBePoorSomewhereElse
#RESIST
Salomons are great, they REALLY hold up to abuse well, and I'm sure I've worn all of mine way past the freshness date. They do get pricy at times so I've been playing around with Astra's, La Sportivas (got a great deal) and some others but it's really hard to argue against the XA PRO 3D GTX just being an all around kickass shoe.
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