
Imported.
Item 811329
Outside Magazine’s
2011 Gear of the Year Winner
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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Feels too small | ||
Feels true to size | 100% (14 reviews) | |
Feels too large |
Feels too narrow | ||
Feels true to width | 100% (13 reviews) | |
Feels too wide |
Reviewed by 15 customers
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
bought this as a light hiker/work boot. had a pair of garmont flash xcrs that, although comfortable, after a couple overnights up the whites at 230lbs, i returned and exchanged for 520s. still wanting a light hiker and an everyday for working construction, i bought merrell moabs. after quickly realizing they were glorified sneakers, i tried the vasque breeze, merrell phaser and these. all three were comfortable and had their own quirks but i liked the rubber toe and the mesh uppers on the zenith. used my discount and dividend and have been happy with them for the past month. light, comfortable and have a good fit. the only thing i notice is a springy, snap back from the toe coming up from a crouch or being on your knees. not bad, just the mesh/rubber top but something noticeable. overall, solid boot. better than the flash. thanks for reading.
Pros
Cons
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Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
I bought these boots this spring as a light weight, summer alternative Asolo GTX. I broke them in on mostly flat dirt trails and they were fine for that purpose. They were also fine on the climbs I made with them in dry weather where they held well on earth and smooth rock climbing.
The problem with these boots arose when I took them onto a rock surface which was damp from rain the previous day and with humidty on the day of the climb. I slipped due to no traction 3 times on surfaces others in my party had no problem with.
Pros
Cons
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Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
I am just an amateur but my thoughts are this: I really love these boots, they fit perfectly and are very comfortable and breathable, and they look great. There is a reason they keep winning awards for best boot.
However, the one big problem as a previous reviewer mentioned, is that these boots have zero traction on smooth flat surfaces that are wet. I have only worn these a few times and I have already had quite a few slips on wet rocks, wet stairs, and wet metal grates in the city where my feet just go flying up in the air in the blink of an eye.
Also, I'll mention that they are water-restistant but not completely water-proof. However, I consider the superior breathability to be a good tradeoff, and they dry out pretty quickly.
I wonder if I cut extra grooves into the bottom if that will solve the traction issue, because they are otherwise fantastic boots.
Pros
Cons
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Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
These were the third pair of hiking boots I tried and they have served me well both summer and through the winter. I am new to hiking with tender feet. My Garmonts have saved my feet, the grip on granite is awsume.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
First use of this boot was hiking in sand dunes in S. Africa, where it performed very well. It had good traction in sand, lightweight, no sand penetrated the liner. Second use was trail hikes in and around Cape Town: again excellent boot both on the trail as well as rough city streets. Third experience was an 11 mile section of the AT in New England, where unfortunately for us it rained all day and we were often left walking in 4-5 inches of mud and on wet rocky ridges. The boot became waterlogged, occasionally lost traction on wet rocks, and I ended up with wet feet. Once wet, the boot took a solid day in the blazing sun to dry out. One of my hiking friends wore boots that kept her feet dry on the same muddy trail, so we both concluded that these boots are not waterproof as advertised. Regardless, I came through a very rigorous hike without blisters or sore feet, so I'm still happy to have them. I would classify these boots as lightweight dry trail hikers for Western US, not for Eastern US AT or Adirondack trails. Also, they are attractive enough to wear as a fashion statement in a cosmopolitan city like Cape Town.
Pros
Cons
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Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
Boots are great... for about 6-7 months until they start falling apart. They are comfortable, grippy, mostly waterproof. Granted, I put more stress on my shoes in 6 months than most ever do, but for [$] I expect better. For me, they lasted 1 and a half work seasons. These shoes would be fine for average trail hiking with a little bushwhacking now and again. These are NOT good if you plan to work/hike regularly in wet weather or hike off trail a lot. They will literally fall apart at the seams.
Pros
Cons
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Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
So, I was very happy with the fit out of the box. They are lightweight, fit soft yet snug, and felt very supportive.
We got to the trailhead and started our 11.2 mile slog to destination 1 of a 6 day backpacking trip....
PLUS: through snow and a tremendous amount of water, the boots goretex never failed. Nothing got in through the fabric.
MINUS: Nothing got out either. This is the main reason for the negative review. By the time we reached our first site to camp my feet were in rough shape. I knew I'd have at least two blisters, and my feet felt heavy.
I took off the boots, and my feet were white. I don't mean caucasion white... I mean dead wet and pickled white... So white and pickled any abrasion took off skin, and I have pretty hard callouses on my feet from tons of walking barefoot.
day two: first blister popped.
day three: second third and fourth blisters appeared.
day six: loss of about 1.5 square inches of skin on my heels, hot spots on my toes, huge metatarsal ache, and lots of thoughts of writing this review.
In closure: If it drained, and were breathable, it could be an amazing boot. Great engineering, great fit, has all the things I thought I was looking for, but in the end, totally not worth it. I'm going back to REI this afternoon to find a replacement, sadly.
Pros
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Best Uses
Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
I bought these after reading great reviews in a couple magazines and trying on a couple other pairs in the price range.
These felt amazingly comfortable right from the start. The felt like my running shoes and nothing like boots. I tested them out on the little rock fixture in the shoe department and they had great traction.
I went for a moderate 8 mile round trip, overnight trip and these were by far the most comfortable boots I have ever worn. They required zero break in, they have great traction, they didn't let a single drop of water in (even when submerged up to the ankle), and I didn't get any blisters or hot spots.
I'd wear these everyday if I could.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
I bought these boots for backpacking the appalachian trail. I wanted something light enough to be a good hiking boot, and sturdy enouhg to handle backpacking with a 40 pound pack. These fit the bill. They fit extremely well out of the box. I woke them for a day and a half before my hike to break them in and I had zero blisters on the trail after hiking 6 miles in the rain and 9 miles the day after.
They dry quickly, are comfy, still have plenty of support in the ankle. They are; however, a bit slick on wet rocks. I knew this going into the hike and was cautious. Honestly, they fit so well, I'm ok with the traction issues and ZERO hot spots.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots - Men's:
I got these boots for a three week backpacking trip in Patagonia. The weather was very unpredictable and it would go from sunshine to rain in under 20 minutes. These boots were able to stand up to everything the trail threw at me. The waterproofing works very well, it was only when my sock got saturated that the inside of my boot got wet. However they dry out very quickly, even when it is raining all night with temperatures in the mid to low 30's, the insides will be bone dry when you have to put them on again in the morning. They have a very solid construction but do take some breaking in, so keep that in mind.
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