Topo Athletic  Trailventure 2 WP Hiking Boots - Men's

These are designed for comfort and might be fine for well groomed trails, but not for serious adventures. The shoe is a weird mix of attributes that individually might add up to the ultimate hiking boot, but together you have a sort of Frankenboot. Body parts include a generous toe box that is comfortable on the flats, but leaves your toes gripping the footbed for dear life on a steep side-slope. These are nearly impossible to edge, despite a stiff enough carriage. The Vibram sole has super sticky rubber, great for sticking to rock—but the shallow tread pattern, combined with a super wide toe area leaves you seriously slipping when ascending scree slopes. The flip flop soft midsole feels like you’re walking on a cloud, but that sink in springy feeling means you’re not in control when navigating talus and unstable ground—you want a connected feeling for technical hiking; this shoe has way too much give. You’d think these squishy things would excel on downhill, but they don’t. There’s little lateral support in the heal, and the sole/midsole don’t really provide much braking confidence or comfort. Descending down a steep 600 m hillside on rocky terrain was painful. But these boots have some promise. If you’re after serious distance off-trail on unstable terrain, please don’t buy these. If you’re into day hikes on a mellow groomed trail these may be wonderful. The lacing system is solid; there’s a little friction hook on the middle lug that allows you to adjust the foot and ankle tension Independently, which is helpful—allowing the ability to tune the boot for long uphills and descents. The wide footbed allows better float in soft and loose soil and sand. The ankle collar is snug and keep debris out—you’ll be digging out small stones and twigs less often. The waterproof membrane does a great job of keeping your feet dry. The uppers are durable. The toe rand is functional. And lastly, who doesn’t like the feeling of walking on marshmallows.

These are designed for comfort and might be fine for well groomed trails, but not for serious adventures. The shoe is a weird mix of attributes that individually might add up to the ultimate hiking boot, but together you have a sort of Frankenboot. Body parts include a generous toe box that is comfortable on the flats, but leaves your toes gripping the footbed for dear life on a steep side-slope. These are nearly impossible to edge, despite a stiff enough carriage. The Vibram sole has super sticky rubber, great for sticking to rock—but the shallow tread pattern, combined with a super wide toe area leaves you seriously slipping when ascending scree slopes. The flip flop soft midsole feels like you’re walking on a cloud, but that sink in springy feeling means you’re not in control when navigating talus and unstable ground—you want a connected feeling for technical hiking; this shoe has way too much give. You’d think these squishy things would excel on downhill, but they don’t. There’s little lateral support in the heal, and the sole/midsole don’t really provide much braking confidence or comfort. Descending down a steep 600 m hillside on rocky terrain was painful. But these boots have some promise. If you’re after serious distance off-trail on unstable terrain, please don’t buy these. If you’re into day hikes on a mellow groomed trail these may be wonderful. The lacing system is solid; there’s a little friction hook on the middle lug that allows you to adjust the foot and ankle tension Independently, which is helpful—allowing the ability to tune the boot for long uphills and descents. The wide footbed allows better float in soft and loose soil and sand. The ankle collar is snug and keep debris out—you’ll be digging out small stones and twigs less often. The waterproof membrane does a great job of keeping your feet dry. The uppers are durable. The toe rand is functional. And lastly, who doesn’t like the feeling of walking on marshmallows.