Oboz  Bridger 7" Insulated Waterproof Boots - Women's

I highly recommend for people who have high arches that collapse when walking. There is built in support for arches (if you prefer very flat shoes, these probably won't work for you) however, if you like shoe brands like Vionics (or those orthopedic shoes for plantar fascitiis, but are back on their feet again) these are your outdoor counterpart shoe for you. There is incredible heel support as well so you can trek through snow. I wore these for a full day to break them in and my feet did not hurt at all. I walked up a snowy/icy driveway and felt very stable as well. The shoe fits very true to size in my opinion.

This was my first Oboz purchase with the expectation of the boots being for serious winter mountain sports - winter camping, snowshoeing, microspike hiking, etc. I am a 5' 4" woman. Size purchased was women's 9.5. I have a wide forefoot from a lifetime of foot-based activities - hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, biking, etc., yet my heel is normal. I purchased these boots as a departure from my decades-long dedication to Salomon footwear (a brand that also had a wide toe box). I was impressed with the craftmanship and out-of-the-box comfort. My foot seated nicely in the boot including my heel. The lace area is tall, but it did not impede my calf muscles. The large size allowed for my cushioned orthotics since the insole that comes with them is thin and hard - but has good arch support. I've worn the boots just once - but, oh, what a once it was! When trying them on indoors, I did not notice that the black back rubber heel is rounded and tapered front-to-back and side-to-side. Like a 3-sided ball. This is my big regret. I should have noticed. Yesterday, I was on a 6 mile, 1,300' elev , easy snowshoe. No big deal. I live in the PNW and the early season snow has melted and is now hard, compacted and icy. We ended up carrying our snowshoes, and instead donning microspikes and just 'spiking up to the lake. As I was crossing a creek, my companions shouted at me to turn around. There on the far bank was one of my microspikes. It had come off just 1 mile into the hike. That was weird. It had never happend before. I sloshed back over the creek, grabbed the microspike and re-crossed. I put the microspike back on and re-checked both. They were seated nicely on my boots. But it happened twice more. What???!!! So I stopped and took a good look at my new Oboz boots. Egads! The heel is short and rounded on the 3 sides - AND - tapered. The heel could not hold the microspike straps in place - it was allowing them to slide down and off. There is a little 'ridge' built in, but it was too high to secure the strap, and it kept the straps from sitting flush against the heel, compounding the problem of the rounded, tapered heel causing the straps to shimmy off. OK. So I decided to try my snowshoes instead. I took about 20 steps before I walked right out of my snowshoes. Both of them. Never in decades of snowshoeing has this happened to me. I wasn't even in snow - I was on hard-packed ice. Nothing touched the snowshoe. Again, the tapered and rounded heel could not hold a strap. I ended up having to go back down the trail, sans traction devices, slipping and sliding becasue I could wear neither my microspikes nor the snowshoes. I am glad that this was an easy trail under blue skies. If I had been in deep, fresh snow in a snow storm, and in a really remote place - not being able to keep gear on my feet could be life or death. This is just bad design. How can an outdoor footwear company not test in real-life conditions? How did they think a rounded heel on a winter boot used for gear with straps was a good idea? Inconceivable. I think these boots are great if you are walking around town in ice and snow. They have good traction, and are very comfortable (though I recommend replacing the insoles with close cell foam ones because the cold comes right through the soles and thin insole). They are wonderful if you need a wide toebox (like me). But for any serious mountain or outdoor activities requiring gear with a strap on the back of the boot - don't do it. And pay attention to the shape of boot heels - I've learned a painful yet valuable lesson.