How to Choose Hiking Boots

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The Garmont Ushuaya GTX men's hiking boots are ready for winter adventure when you are—thanks to GORE-TEX® waterproof protection, PrimaLoft® footbeds and Vibram® IceTrek outsoles.
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View all Garmont Men's Winter Hiking BootsBest Use | Hiking Snowshoeing |
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Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Type of Waterproofing | GORE-TEX waterproof breathable membrane |
Upper | Polyurethane/fabric |
Insulated | Yes |
Insulation | GORE-TEX insulation/200g PrimaLoft footbeds |
Midsole | Bi-density EVA |
Support | TPU heel support |
Outsole | Vibram Fast Trail with IceTrek |
Can Be Resoled | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 2 lbs. 1.9 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | |
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U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 14 |
U.S. Women's | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | ||||||||
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 |
EU | 39.5 | 40 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 47.5 | 48 |
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I was only able to find one or two reviews on the Garmont Ushuaya winter hiking boot, so I hope this will be helpful to others considering this excellent boot. These are fantastic boots for winter hiking. I took them on a two-day hike up Mt. Avalon, Mt. Willey, Mt. Field, and Mt. Tom in Crawford Notch over Thanksgiving 2018. I was very pleased with almost every aspect of the boots, which possess many good features. They are surprisingly light, yet stiff enough to provide good support. The sole is flexible but not floppy. I cannot report on how they do with snowshoes. I carried my snowshoes for two days, but the trail conditions did not require them; the trail was mostly packed down due to the traffic from the Highland Center, so I did not encounter any deep powder. These boots work well with crampons. I mean actual crampons, not microspikes. I spent the entire two days hiking in Petzl Leopard FlexLock Crampons, which worked perfectly with the Ushuaya. I had great traction on steep slopes. The nylon and rubber outer part of the boot handled the crampons with no pinching or bunching. I didn’t go on any hikes or long walks to break them in. I only wore this pair of boots for a couple days around the office before the hike. Yet, I did not experience any pressure points. They seem to break in very quickly. The Ushuaya is taller than a typical three-season lightweight boot, such as my Targhee Mids, yet not as tall as some other insulated winter boots, like the Keen Summit County and Oboz Bridger. I found it to be an ideal height, especially when combined with a pair of gators. The tongue is gusseted up to the top of the collar, which I consider a key feature for keeping snow out. At the top of the back edge of the collar, there is also an elastic lip to keep snow out. I think it is made from neoprene or thick spandex. It did not put any pressure on the back of my leg, so I think it would be handy if snow did get past my gator or if I wasn’t wearing a gator. There is a gator ring, and it is located far enough forward that it kept just the right amount of tension on the toe of my gator. It never came unhooked. I have had them come unhooked many times when only hooked onto the front-most lace on other boots. I wish there was a bit more of an arch gap under the shoe to avoid abrasion on the strap that pulls my gators down by wrapping around the bottom of the boot. Due to the flat profile of the sole, that strap is constantly being walked on. But as long as you are on snow, it probably won’t cause excessive wear on the strap. The laces and lacing system seemed to work well for me. I took the boots off and put them back on a couple times during the hike and was always able to get them laced up with just the right amount of tension. They never came unlaced. I purchased these exclusively for hiking, so I did not test them on urban surfaces or ice. I therefore cannot report on the traction performance of the Vibram Icetrek outsole on ice. I also did not use the provided insole. It looks warm, but I prefer something with more arch support. The appearance of technical footwear shouldn’t matter, but somehow it does. I really like the colors scheme and look of this boot. It has a highly functional aesthetic that was backed up by the performance I experienced. Now for the one issue I had with these boots: Sizing! I would not say they run small, but they seem to run narrow. I don’t have particularly wide feet. I don’t order wide sizes in any of the shoes I wear for daily wear, work, or sports. Nevertheless, I found the Ushuaya too narrow. Garmont is an Italian company. Asolo is also an Italian company. I can’t wear Asolo boots because they are too narrow for me, and now I can’t wear Garmont for the same reason. Do all European boot makers use narrow lasts? If so, why not offer wide sizes? I normally wear a size 11 or 11.5. I started there with the Ushuaya, but quickly moved up to the 12, which would have been the first size 12 I’ve ever worn. It wasn’t even close to roomy enough. Keep in mind I was buying these specifically for winter hiking and snowshoeing in the Whites, so I anticipated needing to go up a half-size or a full size to make room for thicker socks. I also use after-market insoles that are quite thick (SOLE). The size 12 wasn’t even close, so I moved up to a size 13. These seemed to be about right. Still a bit on the narrow side when I tried them on with the thick insoles and multiple layers of socks I would be wearing on the hike, but I did not want to go any larger and start having fitment issues with the heel pocket or length of the toe area. I could not even find this boot in size 14, and Garmont does not make it in 13.5. All of my testing was done on carpet at home. On the morning of the hike, the temps were around 5 degrees Fahrenheit. I got geared up in the parking lot and noticed my feet were cold. I figured they would warm up once I starting moving. The Crawford Connector parking lot is across the road from the trailhead at Crawford Notch Station. I walked for about five minutes along the road. My feet were still cold. I walked back to the car and my feet were starting to feel really cold. Not willing to cancel the trip, I figured I would try replacing the thick, comfy, supportive insoles with a very thin pair I had in the trail runners I wore on the drive up. I also removed the coolmax liner socks I was wearing under my VBL sock and mid-weight wool main socks. I set out again and noticed an immediate difference; my feet were warm and comfortable! I had not laced my boots too tightly initially. The boots were simply too small/tight to allow good circulation in cold weather. My feet never felt cold again during the two days I spent hiking (except for at night in my sleeping bag!), even with some swelling. My feet stayed warm while temps stayed between -2 and +10 degrees Fahrenheit (not accounting for wind). The Ushuaya was a pleasure to hike in and offered just the right amount of ankle and arch support while ascending and descending. The heel pocket worked well for me. Garmont calls it “Heel Lock”. I did not experience any slipping or chaffing. As badly as I wanted to keep these boots are, they just don’t fit me. I need room for a liner sock and insoles that support my arch. I reluctantly returned the boots and am going with a pair of Keen Revel III’s, due to the roomy toe box. I’ve had great luck in the past with Keens for comfort, although durability has not always been satisfactory. If you have narrower feet than me, you might find the Garmont Ushuaya Gore-Tex winter hiking boots ideal. I strongly recommend trying them. I do think they run a bit small in overall size, not just the width of the toe box, especially if you plan on wearing thicker socks for winter use. Garmont, if you’re reading this, you make what seem to be really great boots. Please make them wider, or offer them in a wide version for those of us with what I would consider average or slightly wide feet.
I’ve been wearing a 10 in everything from Lowas to Asolos, but this is definitely small! I don’t have a wide foot, but if you do, this boot is not for you. It’s narrow. Price point and apparent quality for the money is great! I will return for 10 1/2!
Very warm and waterproof! Great for all active winter activities in snowy and cold conditions, even below zero. I agree about sizing one up (I went from 9.5 street shoe size to 10 in this boot) but all the hysterics in the other reviews are beyond me. Garmont makes only top products. This one is special.
Boots were not close to true to size, at least 2 full sizes too small and narrow. REI is not sufficiently vetting merchandise. Will return at my expense for refund. Disappointed!
I was happy to get these boots. Super light. When I tried them on, sole was unlevel to the indoor floor. They both