How to Choose Hiking Boots

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Keep your toes toasty while snowshoeing in the men's Vasque Arrowhead UltraDry™ winter boots, which block moisture and feature 200g Thinsulate™ insulation that delivers lasting warmth.
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View all Vasque Men's Winter Hiking BootsBest Use | Snowsports |
---|---|
Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Comfort Range | Unavailable |
Upper | Polyurethane-coated leather |
Lining | UltraDry waterproof breathable membrane |
Insulated | Yes |
Insulation | Thinsulate polyester fibers |
Midsole | EVA |
Support | Polyurethane shank |
Outsole | Rubber |
Weight (Pair) | 2 lbs. 12 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
U.S. Women's | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | |||||||
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
EU | 39 | 40 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 43.5 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.8 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 12.6 | 13 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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Bought these boots a few weeks before my hike to the highest peak in México. They kept my feet warm and dry while hiking in the snow/ice and while wearing crampons to hike up the volcano.
These work fine for temps in the 10-25 degree f range but any colder and they aren't warm enough and any warmer and water goes right through them. They are nowhere close to waterproof at the seams as a quick step into a stream will immediately leave you with wet feet. Thankfully got them at the garage sale so they were very cheap and work fine for short snowshoe hikes or shoveling the driveway. I would never trust them for an overnight in the snow as it could turn into a dangerous situation unless I knew for sure there were no stream crossings and temps would be in the right range. Doesn't really make sense to have to be that concerned over what should be a reliably warm and dry winter boot.
I bought these after some reviews on the fat biking forums. They're lightweight, have plenty of traction on pedals (Raceface Chesters), keep my feet plenty warm, and have good waterproofing. Only negatives are the closure systems has to be loosened completely to get your foot into them, and color choice is somewhat limited.
The Vasque Arrowhead UltraDry Winter boot seems to be a victim of its own innovation. The fabric lace cover which zips over the boot laces is not waterproof, and allows water to be held against the inner fabric of the boot until it eventually permeates that liner and gives you damp feet. I have used these boots for snowshoeing, and snow piles up on the boots (normal), then melts through the lace cover, and then wets through the inner liner. Wet feet equal cold feet. This was the case even in a recent hike where snow build-up on my boots and snowshoes was minimal. After the boots become wet between the lace cover and the liner, the moisture is difficult to dry out, even indoors in a heated environment. In a snow-camping setting, your boots would be wet from the first day, with little practical way to dry them. Because of this intrinsic design issue, these end up being winter boots that aren't waterproof and will give you cold feet within a few hours in the snow. This situation would probably be worsened by hiking or walking in wet or snowy conditions without snowshoes. I really want to like these boots, maybe I should think of them as very insulated summer boots? Additionally, the "heel notch" for snowshoe straps is less secure than on other boots I have used, and are marginally compatible with MSR Lightning Ascent bindings, for example. Again, this compromises their usability as snowshoe boots.
I was intimidated fitting these the first time, but hiking in thigh-deep snow and snowshoeing in them was worth needing an engineering degree to put my feet in them and make the first-time adjustments. Having warm and dry feet while hiking/snowshoeing means a lot more enjoyment. In the Spring Mountains NRA, I hiked in deep snow and subsequently used these with snowshoes — these are so lightweight, it is like hiking in trail runners. My feet stayed warm and dry throughout both hiking and snowshoeing. Gators protected the top of the fabric liner and there was a bare minimum of melt around the zipper. Great boots which do what they are designed to do.
Visibly cool! I get tons of compliments on them, unfortunately they really don't function anywhere near to what they should as intended. Worn on a well packed and groomed trail for 4 hours only to find my socks were wet and cold at the end. These boots are visibly cool but the show is pretty much over after that. They are a victim of over design. Waterproofness is very questionable and limited because inside of boot is actually not entirely covered in what they intended to be waterproof fabric, thus exposure to cold and snow or water. Lacing has limited functionality but does work ok. I got these really cheap so I'll keep them and use them for other endeavors, just not ironically what they were originally intended for.... which is lame. I don't think the folks at Red Wing really thought these out well enough before they went to production. No one could have tested this boot and been happy with launching it.
I live up in northern Vermont and it's a very wet and muddy a good portion of the year. These boots have been great for hiking my back-40 (acres), walking the dog, biking the muddy "kingdom trails". I will wear them in the summer months, and they breathe well. Up here in the winter however, it gets way too cold for these boots. This is heavy Sorel & Baffin country, temps in the -20F range. They also clean up easy with the garden hose.
These boots seem like they would work quite well, are well built; however, the major design flaw starts upon [attempted] entry. Vasque left the top hook open but closed the next 2 permanently around the laces, which makes it impossible for my foot to enter the boot. I'm sure they have great support and keep the snow out effectively... but if I can't get them on, none of that matters. I wish the other to eye holes would have been open hooks.
I just got these for winter hiking and biking, but I don’t think they will be warm enough (I live in MN). They are lightweight and comfortable and fit well, but even with my thickest wool socks over a thinner pair of wool socks, they aren’t very warm. I’m not convinced that they’re any warmer than my uninsulated hiking boots. I would say that they would work (with warm wool socks) for upper 20˚s and warmer, but it’s typically colder than that here during the winter. I’m also not sure I like the lacing system. It’s difficult to get the boots on and off - and it’s difficult to tighten them in the places I’d like to be able to. I don’t feel that I have the control I would have with traditional laces. They are comfortable and the soles offer good traction. I would think they might be a good pair of boots for someone in the PNW or somewhere else where winters are warmer than MN, but I don’t think they’re the right boots for my needs.
I was impressed with the design of this boot but the ankle was to narrow to get them on so had to return them without wearing.