Zamberlan  Vioz GTX Hiking Boots - Women's

I have been wearing Zamberlan boots for 20+ years, and they are the most consistently good footwear company in my opinion. These boots are awesome, but I made an initial mistake in sizing, and this review is to help others from making the same mistake. I wear a size 8 tennis shoe, an 8.5 Merrell MOAB (lightweight boot), and my feet are average in width. Initially I ordered a size 8.5, and replaced the original insoles with the ones in my Merrells (New Balance 1200 memory foam insoles - high volume). The boots seemed really comfortable at home, but once I hit the trail I realized my foot was too close to the top of the boot. I then tried a medium volume insole (Oboz O FIT Plus Medium Arch Insoles) and that configuration might have given me enough room, but it still seemed tight when my feet swelled, and I missed the cushioning of my other insoles. I then ordered a size 9, and am a lot happier because I can wear the high-volume insoles and still have enough room in the toe box and area below the laces. I needed the extra cushioning because I am an underpronator (I roll towards outside of foot). I would classify these boots as TRUE TO SIZE, with an average-sized toe box, but the full-grain leather does not flex like nylon and mesh, and this should be considered when choosing a size. In my case, I had to go up a half-size from my usual boot size. If you plan to replace the insoles, I would suggest sizing up. Your feet will thank you once they start to swell. Other notes on these boots: 1) They are comfortable but stiff out of the box, and it took about 10-15 miles to break in and forget they were on my feet. 2) The traction is not as good as lighter-weight boots, but this is a byproduct of the stiffer soles and harder rubber used in those soles. Both of those things are necessary in a boot like this, so I did not deduct a star. The traction is great on softer materials like dirt, gravel and mud, but when you're wearing a boot like this and you step on fist-sized rock, your foot will tilt in the direction that the laws of physics demand. If you are used to a softer sole that flexes more, this can be disconcerting at first, but it is no fault of the boot - that's how it's designed (to protect your feet). In terms of the hardness of the soles, I've had some slippage on larger wet rocks, and the ceramic tile floor of my kitchen when my boots were wet (do not walk on tile!). 3) They are waterproof - I wore them in a downpour and there was a river flowing from my rain pants onto the boots 4) The breathablity is better than expected, but this boot would get hot if worn in the summer. 5) The boot has a significant toe-drop, which I love. I have problems with the big toe on my right foot, and the top-drop minimizes the flex on this toe, and thus the pain. It's good for hallux limitus/rigidus and other arthritic conditions. In summary, these are great boots, especially for harsh and wet conditions, and I recommend sizing up. Finally, thank you to REI for your generous return policy, which afforded me the luxury of getting the right size. I returned the 8.5 but the size 9 will be my friend for the next decade.

I bought these this spring because I need polishable, brown boots for my job. My job has me outside on lots of trails, and these shoes were super bad for that. The soles were too rigid to help me maneuver on uneven ground, and that’s 90% of what I do. And if the ground was slippery at all - snow or ice or lots of rain - there was no traction. I have never had a problem trusting a brand that REI sells, but this was an expensive nightmare. I stopped wearing them after about two months, after a particularly bloody and avoidable fall on slippery mud.