Zamberlan  215 Salathe GTX RR Hiking Shoes - Men's

Outstanding hiking shoe! Great traction and when descending on a mountain trail your foot does not slide forward in the shoe cramping your toes. Great support and highly recommended!

Ordered these Zamberlan Salathe Gortex hiking shoes. This shoe manufacturer has been making high quality hiking shoes in Northern Italy since 1929. They have a high grip Vibram sole and so far have been very comfortable to wear immediately out of the box. They compete very well with the Salewa shoe brand for quality and durability (both brands made in Italy but Salewa originated in Germany. The shoe tongue is stitched in place (ie does not move) so a shoe horn helps to put them on. They look great and I highly recommend them.

Outstanding Feature: Grip. Wet or dry. I have been deliberately pushing my luck with these to find their limit, and they are exceptional. Usage: I’ve got a bit over 100 miles on a pair of these, hiking trails rated as “hard” to “very hard” up and down the Hudson Valley, primarily; a typical outing is 7 to 10 miles with elevation gain 1500 to 2000 feet and total pack weight in the 15 to 25 pound range. Temps from 20° to nearly 80° and conditions both wet and dry. One of my hiking partners picked up a pair at the same time that I did, so this review is a bit of a twofer…. High marks for comfort, components, and construction. These lace right up to the toe very much like my ancient Chouinard Canyon climbing shoes, and as noted, this is an excellent way to minimize any slipping within the boot. They seem to have required very little if any break-in, and are already nicely molded to my feet. I am still experimenting a bit to find the Goldilocks insole for these; one great thing is that they require no assistance in terms of torsional stiffness — any more would be completely wasted without a higher top — so the quest (regarding insoles) is to find the right level of volume and cushioning. That said, they have been plenty comfortable with everything I‘ve thrown at them so far, from stock inserts to Sole high-volume cork insoles borrowed from my model 1996 Vioz Lux backpackers. My partner’s impressions are the same; he has already purchased a pair of the high-topped version of these as well, because sometimes you just need that extra support. I did need to use my usual non-standard lacing pattern (see photos) for these to avoid a bit of pinch at the ankle, which costs me a bit of ankle support. I do this with everything, owing to a forward insertion for my tibialis anterior tendon. This can rob some ankle support and allows for a bit more heel slippage when striding out on flatter terrain, but on steep, rocky terrain I don’t notice the slip. For less challenging terrain, I wear softer shoes; these are not sneakers. Sizing is dead on.

Italians know how to make excellent shoes. I have a European (C or D width) foot. The material covering the top of the foot up to the ankle is heavily padded (comfortable) unlike many cheap shoes that irritate your instep with grossly inadequate padding. There is no shifting tongue as it is sewn into the shoe and cannot misalign. The floor of the shoe does not appear to be removable, unlike cheap shoes with foam inserts. The floor of the shoe molds to your foot over time and is comfortable for hours of daily walking. The soles are grippy and provide superior traction for activity that demands stability and sure footedness (multiple-dog walking, hiking). Great fit, on all sides, heel, ankle; seating the heel produces an audible passage of air out of the shoe (whoosh sound) as the heel pops into place and the shoe closes. Breathable, dry and cool, not sweat boxes. Unknown if it will fit everyone the same as me, but it is worth trying this atypical shoe. Get them on sale if you can wait. My feet are sensitive and prone to aches and calluses if the shoe fits poorly; however these Zamberlan shoes are no problem and are the most comfortable shoes of any type I have owned in my lifetime (I am over 40 years old). Get some good socks, as this is important for any shoe. Rigid enough to preclude plantar fasciitis for me, but flexible enough to allow easy, stable walking. Solid 5/5 rating is well deserved.

The only reason I wouldn’t buy these? You paint rolled them.