Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

I wanted a pair of hiking boots that supported my weak ankles and that had good traction on local trails. The trails have gopher holes, rocks and generally uneven surfaces. These boots were very stable and supportive making hiking much easier.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

These boots are the most comfortable I have used with no break in time and perfect on the islands or in the mountains. I took them for their first hike, nine miles over rough terrain. The were awesome and I was the only one without tired feet later after climbing rocks, rocky edges, creek crossing sand, gravel and even blacktop later in the day. I highly recommend them. I only had a light 30 litre pack on but have since carried a 40 lb pack to the islands with these boots on. I wear one thin sock and one good solid hiking sock. I wear a woman's size 7 regular and purchased these in a 7.5. I think they are perfect. I hate cramped toes, and had none with this fit. I waited a year to buy these, trying on at least six other brands. None even compared to these. Thanks REI and Asolo. I love these boots.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

This boot meets the the superb quality that I expect from Asolo. I own Asolo's mountaineer boots and heavy duty leather hiking boots. They are made for my wide feet and abuse. I love this lighter boot and plan to wear them on the John Muir Trail 223 miles in Aug 2013.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

I've been wearing these for a year as my non-mountaineering hiking boots. So far they have held up well to my heavy use. I do a mix of on-off trail and have even done some rock climbing in them! They breathe reasonably well. I did break them in for a few days before using them on the trail and I have had a few blisters here and there, but overall, I think they are breaking in well as I have noticed fewer blisters over time. AKA, the fit isn't the perfection other reviewers found, but it's good enough given the other pluses of this boot. The insoles provided aren't very comfortable after a few miles, but with a pair of $50 superfeet that's all better. I have crossed streams up to my ankle in them- never a wet foot unless the water comes in the top. The black decorative thingy at the ankle lace bracket is peeling off on booth boots now, but otherwise they look great- and I've put a LOT of miles on them!

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

A woman recommended these boots to me in the store. She said these were top of the line, indestructible, reliable, excellent boots. She's had hers for 12 years and they're still going strong. I haven't had mine that long, but I think she was absolutely right. There was some break-in, but not bad at all. I love the toe guard. They were definitely worth the money in my opinion. I expect to have these boots for a long time.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

I had a pair of Asolos that I bought over 10 years ago that I loved. I finally retired them this year, and started looking for a new pair of boots. I tried on a few different brands, but the Asolos fit me the best. They feel a lot like my old boots, but I did get a 1/2 size smaller. It seems like these boots run a little bigger than the others I tried on. My feet are on the narrow side, and the Asolos work well for me. Other brands, like Keen are too wide and never fit right.

I have gone on a few hikes with them, and so far so good. They are light, required no breaking in, and seem to be good in wet conditions. I had to do multiple stream crossings, and at one point my toe went in pretty deep. My feet stayed dry the whole time. I tend to do longer hikes (6+ miles) on rocky terrain, and these boots should give me the support and durability I need.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

I bought these for a 5 day backpacking trip. I walked about 15 miles in them over several shorter hikes and walks to break them in before the trip. I'm the first to admit that I didn't do enough to break them in before I took them out hiking, I waited too long to replace an old pair of boots and planned a slightly last minute trip. When I took them out for a 4 mile break-in hike, I got small blisters on my heels (wearing SmartWool trekking socks). I took them for a few more break -in walks, and thought I had solved the problem by wearing newer socks, but I made the mistake of sticking to level terrain.

I have very narrow feet (AA width in some shoes), especially in the heels. I was initially very happy with these boots because they were narrower and lighter than my previous Vasques which made me feel like I had better control over my foot placement and didn't have cinder blocks attached to my feet. Once I started climbing the continental divide on my backpacking trip, I realized that the heels were not quite narrow enough. This combined with how stiff the shoes are and how hard the interior of the boots are meant that even though my heel was probably only moving about 1-2mm per step I took, after 6 miles of uphill I had blisters the size of silver dollars on both of my heels. (I was then approached by a bear while trying to drain my blisters, but that's another story...) I ended up having to reduce the mileage of my trip and do some of my hiking Tevas because the blisters became so unbearable.

I really wanted these boots to work because they otherwise fit well, seem very durable, and are very light for the amount of support they provide. For people trying these shoes, keep in mind that the soles are very stiff and the heels have basically no padding, so if your feet move in the shoes AT ALL when you go uphill, you will probably get terrible blisters. I have tried again to take these on shorter hikes and walks, and I can still feel the same problem. I have finally given up on them working and will be returning them.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

This boot has great promise, but did not work well for my feet.

I put 75 miles on this boot and will be returning it to REI. 25/75 miles were day hikes in the Cascades, 50/75 miles were in the backcountry of the Olympics, on snow, rock and trail. I experienced severe blisters, ankle chaffing, general foot discomfort and numbness.

Strengths:
-Sturdy construction well-suited for kicking steps in snow
-Great traction on snow, shale, slippery rocks and in streams
-Very water-resistant

Weaknesses:
-Runs big:
-Most of my problems are likely due to the improper sizing of
the boot
-I am usually a size 8-8.5, and I purchased size 8 boots
-I probably needed a size 7.5
-Blisters:
-See above for note on sizing, but I used sock liners, heavy
wool socks, moleskin and tape every time I wore the boot, and
got severe heel blisters each time without exception
-Stiffness:
-Great for alpine country, not great when your trek includes many
miles gaining elevation below the tree-line
-I experienced persistent numbness in my toes and balls of feet
after my longer trek that took a few days post-trip to subside
-Difficult laces
-The tongue of the boot wrinkles easily and chaffed the front
of my ankles and left sores
-It was difficult to achieve the right secure lacing in the ankle

I will be returning this boot. I may try a smaller size of the Fission, or may try a new boot altogether.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

I have been shopping for a sturdy, comfortable hiking boot for over six months. The search has been exhaustive and exhausting. My husband and I planned a hiking trip in Yosemite. These are the boots I am taking with me. We plan to day hike everyday of our trip and have even procured a permit to hike the summit of Half Dome. I need a reliable boot and I believe this is it ... FINALLY. I've taken them on rugged day hikes ranging in length from 4 to 11 miles in the southern Appalachians to break them in, although I don't think they needed much of a "break-in". They were comfortable right out of the box and they are a great looking boot! I don't much care what boots look like if they fit but what a perk it is. The lacing system is good. I do make some adjustments from ascent to descent but that's pretty standard. The upper material is very water resistant. Even when I rinsed them off after a hike, water rolled right off the surface. The traction is outstanding. But the final two BEST points for me to make are 1) I didn't get any blisters! And I always get blisters. 2) These boots work on my VERY narrow feet and heels. Every other boot I've tried for this trip was too wide somewhere, somehow. The only complaint I have is I wish there was a little more cushioning in the forefoot area, but I do have extremely sensitive feet. Those with less sensitive feet shouldn't have any problem. I hope to report back with another gleaming review of this boot after our trip to Yosemite. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping these do the job.

Comments about Asolo Fission GV Hiking Boots - Women's:

I absolutely love these boot. They are so comfortable and absolutely no break in period.