Oboz  Sypes Mid Leather Waterproof Hiking Boots - Men's

I so want to give this boot 5 stars, but it has a couple of minor shortcomings for my particular needs that hold it back from perfection. Fortunately, both are pretty obvious from the photos and handling it in person. First, this is "Low-Mid" rather than a true "Mid" boot since it is notched just below your ankle bones (it is NOT over the ankle per the product description). If accustomed to true Mid boots, you'll feel the difference immediately. That's not to say the boot isn't supportive, but it's much more focused on your foot than your ankle. Second, the boot's upper is leather - not mesh and fabric as so many boots are. If you hike in warm climates, you will have sweaty feet. On the other hand, you can wade right through water and watch it just roll off the treated leather. I actually stood in a shallow rill for 15-30 seconds and no water got past the liner. There is no "flare" in the sole, so you have a quite compact footprint that lends itself well to navigating rocky terrain. The sole compound is significantly firmer than most day hiking boots giving you more secure foot placement and some limited edging ability. The toe bumper and heel cup are well protected from scrapes. However, the tread itself appears to be glued onto the sole rather than integrally molded which may impact its durability. The grip is fantastic as I tackled a mix of dust, gravel, DG, rocks and slabs. I could traverse 30 degree granite slabs, but that dropped to 15-20 degrees on water scoured slabs (with dry soles!). So let's talk about my test hike. I put on a pair of medium weight REI wool crew socks, grabbed a 20lb pack and tackled a local 6.5 mile loop with a total altitude gain/loss of 1000' (but quite a bit more elevation gain). My normal shoe size is 8.5 so I wear a 9 hiking boot and these fit as expected. For a leather boot, they required only a couple of miles to effectively break in. That did cost me a small blister on my right heel, but that's likely due to my asymmetric gate from an old knee injury. However, I will note that I have narrow heels and the lack cuff height and of padding around the Achilles tendon caused me to overtighten the laces. The lacing system is generally excellent. However, there is only a single metal eyelet at the top and it fully captures the lace as opposed to 2 open hooks that many mid boots offer. That limits your alternative lacing options somewhat. As a leather, rather than fabric boot, the interior padding is a bit less cushioned. However, the insole is on a par with Superfeet and huge step up from the flimsy Ortholite ones you'll find in many boots. These will not feel as comfortable as a Merrell, but they will be more supportive. You'll also notice that the boot has a very high tongue gusset to compensate for the lower cuff height in excluding trail debris. Fortunately the heel and tongue loops are adequate to squeeze your foot through that smaller opening. As effective as it is on a dirt/gravel trail, you'll still want gaiters if hiking in sand or talus. In closing, I think this is a fantastic boot if you don't need extra ankle support, aren't prone to swamp foot and are willing to trade a few ounces of weight for sturdiness. I really liked the overall feel of the boot on the trail and will be making this my Sierra's backpacking boot for this season as it has the right blend of properties for spending a week on a rocky trail with a 35lb pack. However, I'll probably grab a more breathable boot for day hiking in the local summer heat.

I really wanted to like these boots. There are several nice aspects to them: They're light, the forefoot is roomy, the fit is good, flat laces stay tied better than round laces, the hard toe rand does a nice job of protecting my toes, the traction is good. But the bottom line is that they simply are not durable boots. After one season of use, with less than 200 miles of use, the stitching fell apart, the leather cracked in multiple spots, and the rubber toe rand separated from the leather, allowing water to penetrate.