Oboz  Sawtooth X Low Hiking Shoes - Men's

I admit I prefer the look of the previous version of the Sawtooth, but otherwise this is my favorite hiking shoe. I compared this to the Merrell Ventilator and Keen Targhee Vent that I also wear: The Oboz have a significantly stiffer sole, and so are more comfortable hiking on gravel and trail. The squishy feel of the Merrell and Keen soles are ok for casual, and pavement, but for heavy hiking I really prefer the sole on the Oboz. It feels much more sure-footed, and I feel in more control of my stride. The stiffer sole is really a great advantage for much of the hiking I do. After 50 miles of gravel and trail, I have no complaints about the quality or fit of this shoe. The toe box is comfortable. Not as obviously roomy as the Keen, but nothing matches Keen for this. But a big improvement over the Merrell. I've worn the Merrells for many years, and have bought many pairs. The Merrell Ventilator is the coolest shoe for my hot feet, but for some reason the toe box is feeling more cramped now then before, and the sole uneven under my foot. These Oboz have no problem at all. In general, I'd rate the 3 shoes this way: Oboz: allround best for hiking, having the surest footing, comfortable sole that shields sharp gravel, and good fit. The build quality seems fine so far (50+ mi of hiking). I'm 220lbs, and really appreciate the stiff sole. The only drawback I can tell with the redesigned Oboz is the look; the previous design looked more rugged, and I wasn't shy about treading through harsh environments. The redesign is prettier to look at, but maybe when they look more worn I'll get over the change in design. Keen: great fit, looks good for wearing around the office. The softest, squishiest sole of the 3. Probably great for working and walking on hard, paved surfaces. Generally good for trail, but I prefer the sure-feel of the trail underfoot that the Oboz give, compared to the much bouncier feel of the Keens. Merrell Ventilators: a long-time classic for many reasons. They are the coolest to wear for warm feet. The sole is closer to the squishy feel of the Keen than the stiff Oboz, I can feel the gravel poking through the soles. In recent years I've noticed the fit just is no longer as good as the Keen and Oboz. My toes are cramped, and my feet feel like I'm always pushing against one side of the shoe or the other. I've tried going up a size, but it still just doesn't have the secure feeling of the other two shoes. I might be wearing my last pair of Ventilators. For all shoes, I wear the factory supplied insoles for a short time, then switch to Superfeet Green insoles. I often just take the Superfeet out of an old, worn out pair of shoes and put them in the new pair. For each shoe, even an old pair of Superfeet are significantly cooler and more comfortable to wear than the factory insoles after breaking them in..

Oboz chose to celebrate 10 years of Sawtooth with its X (10) creation, shelving its tried and true earlier versions of the past 10 years. The X proved uncomfortable, couldn’t lace it to hold my heels in place and didn’t quite fit to size. After 10 years of wearing Sawtooths, now have to find competitor. Maybe Oboz will realize error of its ways and soon reintroduce “Classic Sawtooth” to recapture the likely thousands of customers who are moving on from Oboz.