Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

These are the second pair I've had in 5 years. First pair were wore out of the box up half dome in yosemite. I put several hundred miles on the boots. The second pair were wore out of the box for 70 miles and an asent up and over Mt. Whitney. They only produced one small blister on my toe but performed exceptionally in stream crossing, snow and 0* weather. I would suggest adding superfeet pads to the shoe as the insert that comes with the shoe is worthless. In addition the key to long term use is to prep the shoe with nixwax with annual reapplications and clean the shoe with a stiff brush after each trip. The wax will help to further weatherproof the shoe and the brush will remove micro particles of granite that can break down the shoe, especially between the seams. In short care for the shoe and it will care for you! Hike today...work tomorrow!

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

I have owned these boots for 6 years, and loved them, until I started extended my hikes from 5-6 miles up to 15+ miles. These boots start to KILL my feet after 10 miles. It is because they don't properly "grab" your ankle, and your feet shift forward causing incredible pain on about 40% of the foot. I have tried on other boots, and have found that most every other brand lock my ankle into place. The Asolo brand boots just don't do it, it just took the extended mileage to see the flaw. They are also substantially heavier in weight than comparable boots IMO.

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

I just got off the Appalachian Trail after starting a week ago due to an injury caused by these boots. Initially the boots felt great, but after hiking consecutive days of 16 miles, 11 miles, and then another 15 miles with a 35 lbs pack in North Georgia, the heel pain became too much to continue. I spent two months breaking in these boots by hiking 3 miles twice a week with a 20 lbs pack in relatively rugged terrain. I thought these boots were going to be the perfect fit for my summer plans of hiking the AT, however now I am going to have to sit out for multiple weeks in order to heal my heel. While I will definitely recommend these boots for day hiking, I am not so sure about a recommendation for backpacking. If you decide to purchase these boots, be sure to test the heel comfort when hiking up steep terrain. I wore liners and wool socks, but still had a significant injury due to the constant hitting of the heel on the back of the boot.

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

I bought these boots in order to hike my remaining 14ers in Colorado. These seemed best for their light weight (I have very bad knees), waterproofing, durability, and ease of use with crampons. I took them on a 14 mile hike through the mountains the first time I wore them and had only a very tiny blister on my pinky toe. This was not due to the boot, but rather not enough hiking during the winter/late spring months. The size matches my shoe size, however I went with a 1/2 size larger to accomodate swelling and thick socks. I am truly impressed with these boots. If they were a woman, I would marry them and have little baby Asolo's. Although I was at first reluctant to shell out [$], they were worth every penny. I will definitely pick up several pair at the next REI garage sale.

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

I am a meter reader and wear these shoes everyday. I wore my first pair for 16 months, over 2500 miles walked on them. Only reason I don't wear them any more is because the sole finally gave out, no more traction. They have held up in snow, rain, mud, heat and cold. Coupled with smart wool socks or equivalent my feet never get too hot or cold. Temperature extremes have been from -5F to +105F. The only con is that the original insole wore out after 6 months, but super feet insoles extended the life of the boots considerably. After all the wear and tear I put on these boots the stitching finally started to give way and the boots began to squeak. I am now on my second pair, I can only hope they will last as long.

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

I had been hiking for years with just running shoes but after foot surgery my usual pair left me limping. The surgery left me with my right foot 1/2 size smaller and 2 sizes wider than the other foot. Also I was no longer able to bend it very much. I knew it was going to be tough to find a pair of boots that would allow me to hike comfortably. I tried on EVERY hiking boot at REI(props to the shoe sales people at the HB store). I hit Nirvana with the mens Asolo Fugitive. It was the only one that fit me and had a stiff enough sole to support my foot. I wore them for a couple of days at work and did about 5 hikes with them. Finally they were broken in and my happy feet and I spent 4 days hiking all through Zion and Bryce over Labor Day weekend. By the end of the trip both soles were completely coming apart from the uppers. Of course, REI was great and took them back with no problem but now I'm without hiking boots. It could be it was my unusual situation or just an isolated event but the other recent reviews say otherwise. Our local [...]store recently had a used gear sale and there were many Asolos there with the same problem. Maybe they should consider switching to the Vibram sole? I think Asolo makes a great boot but they really need to get a handle on their quality control.

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

So I am a land surveyor in the pacific northwest, and I am on my feet for at least 8 hours a day, and that adds up.

I bought these boots in a 10 as that is what I wear in Nike and my Danskos are a 43... same as a 10. It only took me a day or so to realize, that something wasn't quite right. I purchased the Superfeet Orange insoles, as I was due for some new footbeds, and they reinforced the fact for me, that I actually am going to need a 10.5 in this boot I Think.

So Let me drop in that I also have the Heat Molded Sole brand insoles in a pair of Irish S_tter (by R_d W_ng Sh_es) heavy duty hunting boots. These boots have been like a dream for hundreds of miles as a State Highway Dept. Mapper in the field. I'm not kidding when I say lots of miles... I may be picky by some regards, but I also know what the right fit is supposed to be. I had to play with 3 different pairs of R_d W_ngs, before I found the right pair.

Ok back to Asolos... I went to REI today and played for about 1.5 to 2 hours, trying on only this boot with the orange superfeet insoles. I came in with a regular 10 on my feet which felt mostly fine on my right foot but really squeezed my outer ball/pinky toe area on my left foot. After playing with the 10 Wide, in the color I didn't really want, I opted for the 10.5 in the Gray color. I then immediately went to Wildwood trail in Portland (it is a very average safe trail, only a few roots and rocks in spots) and hiked the entire thing at a brisk pace. I have to say that I'm taking this pair of back as well tomorrow, and I will be adding a significant amount of more money to the initial sale price that I have invested in, for a new style all together.

I won't say that this boot is bad... but it certainly isn't right for me! I have honestly never really had wide feet or odd shoe fitting issues before in my life. Now I will say that the 10.5 does seem to fit better and more comfortable than the 10 did with the factory floppy insoles in them, but I need more support than those insoles.

So my summary... I feel that these boots are uncomfortable and fit narrow and small for me. I must reinforce the fact that I traditionally do not run into width issues in most foot ware. I hope this helps some people out. I will say as a closing positive statement, that they are some of my favorite sporty looking hiking boots, and they are definitely rigid, stable and supportive. Great for a pack on your back, but if you are just doing 5 miles or less on trails, on the weekends than this is way to much boot for you.

Ben

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

These boots would be great if I were missing some toes. The footbox is very small and tight. Also the boots do not break in well. I have worn mine for about 200 miles of backpacking and they have never broke in like merrells I have had. On my way down Mt. Whitney my feet turned into a mess and I never got blisters before. I wish I would have spent my money on some merrells or vasques.

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

We use these for hard core mountaineering. They work well, are light weight, water proof and have no break in period. I can write a pair of these off in about 5 or 6 climbs, but you can't have everything. They are comfortable, (even on a 20 hour day), so if I have to choose between tearing up my feet or my boots, I choose the boots.(I just look for sales and buy a few pairs) We have used them on winter and swow climbs and they are not very warm, but we can get by going a size larger, with an extra pair of socks and some foot warmers.

Comments about Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:

Iv'e spent a crazy amount of money on backpacking gear and after 6 months of regular use I have to say that these boots have been one of my best investments so far. I tried on several pairs of various brands in the store and these Asolo Fugitives were by far the most comfortable.

Since then I have used the boots on a weekly, sometimes daily basis and I love them. They fit great and are ultra-comfortable on my feet, especially after I discovered the perfect "sock system" to wear with them, which is simply mid-weight Lorpin merinos with Smartwool liners.

One of the reasons I bought this style of boot was that I wanted something lighter and more breathable. Last summer I wore full-grain leather Vasques and my feet were hot and sweaty all the time. With the Fugitives, my feet feel good. My socks aren't wet when I take the boots off. The sweat factor on my feet are drastically reduced. I don't think I'll ever go back to a full-grain upper again.

Case in point: I recently returned from a 4 day trek on the Olympic coast. My hiking partners who all wore full-grain leather boots were rotating out socks on lunch breaks. I wore the same socks the entire trip. They weren't even damp at the end of the day, which tells me that the boots are letting my feet breath.

The comfortability factor is high as well. Again on the same previously mentioned trip, my hiking partners complained of foot soreness. My feet felt amazing the entire time, and while my hiking partners chalked it up to "good feet", I am inclined to think that it was my lighter boots.

I can also attest to the waterproofness. I have hiked through swamps, marsh, tide-pools, and small streams, and have not had water penetrate the boot interior yet. As a matter of fact, one trip in early Spring left our boots all covered in mud. At the house afterwards we attached a pressurized nozzle to a garden hose and blasted our boots to get the caked mud off. My boots did not leak at all, even after spraying with high pressure from a foot away.

The only drawback I would say, is the tread. It doesn't seam to grip that great. Other then that, these boots rock, and are well worth the dough I payed for them.