Astral  Nosobo Hiking Shoes

Astral made a great shoe for us! One reviewer said the shoe when ordered at our regular size was too large. I sized down based on that, and ended up exchanging for my regular size. Another reviewer said the shoe is not flexible. There is actually a shank attached to the bottom of the removable midsole that makes the shoe stiff. And the midsole material is also fairly stiff. If you remove the midsole, the shoe is extremely flexible. Which brings up the idea of Astral selling different midsoles to us. The provided midsole has an arch shape built into it. We know that not everyone's arch is the same shape. Astral could sell a flexible midsole, without a shank, and one that does not have an arch built into it. Or we can just make our own out of foam (which is what I did). The shoe seems to be very durable, and since the midsole wearing out was the primary factor in a shoe "going bad" we now can control how long the shoe can last (to a certain extent). The outsole seems to have decent lugs and should wear for a while. Since the upper is stitched directly to the cup sole, we shouldn't have a problem with separation. This could be a long lasting shoe! If we continue to replace the midsole foam occasionally. Previously if we wanted a durable hiker shoe we had to buy one with a polyurethane midsole and those are usually fairly stiff. This is a great investment, in my opinion. I am very happy that Astral created the Nosobo!

The Astral Nosobo hiking shoe is a good alternative to heavy hiking boots or trail runners because the zero-drop construction and wide toe box provide a more natural foot position and comfortable support. They are lightweight and breathable for a long day on the trail. The biggest problems for me were that my usual size was way too big and the short but stiff tongue pushed against my ankles.

Bought the Nosobo a couple of weeks ago to use primarily as a light hiker in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I've always been a fan of low top hiking shoes, especially those that are light and fast. These shoes will replace my old Topo trail shoes which were functionally fine, but had started to wear and compress. I am extremely excited about the option to "recharge" the midsole when starts to it packs down so that I can hopefully get some extra miles out of these Nosobos. I also really appreciate the extra width, especially in the toe box. Step in comfort is an absolute dream. My only feedback is I wish there were more color options.

Terrible design with cheap feeling materials. Very narrow toe box. Felt like my toes were in a strait jacket pushed up against one another. The sole feels like a rubbery Birkenstock. And not in a good way. I wouldn’t hike in these much more walk around the block.

Great quality shoes. I have worn Astral for a long time and was excited to see these for walking longer distances. This shoe has a much wider front end than most Astrals I've worn-these look similar to Altra or Topo. The removable yellow insert is a great idea. The wavy footbed texture took about an hour to get used to. Now I feel the bounciness of the EVA which is a cool feeling. I took them on a 12 mile hike last weekend and they felt springy and gripped really well. I always wear 9s and these fit true. If I was going a long way I'd size up half sizeI think! Stoked to see how they hold up.

I currently have over 200 miles on these shoes and I'm seeing very little signs of wear and tear. My partner has been wearing his pair for over 400 miles and they're still in good shape. These are durable shoes. They're also very comfortable to hike or run in. With the level of tread on them, I find they do best on packed dirt trail. In terms of sizing, I found the toebox and length to be a little roomy for my preference. That said, the wide toebox allows the foot to spread out, which is great when hiking long distances. All in all these are a comfortable, light, durable trail shoe.

Loving this shoe because finally my toes don't touch the front. You can tell by the top-down view that these shoes are shaped like a human foot. They also seem very durable. That durability brings some extra weight, but it is worth it. The grip matches what I've come to expect from Astral rubber, and the tread pattern works great. I'm hopeful that Astral solved the durability bug with this one, and might have even changed the game for extending the life of long distance hiking shoes.

I was not able to use these, I am between a 10.5 and 11 ordered a size 11 and my heels were sliding up in the back of the shoe every step unless I cranked the laces super tight. There was also something poky inside the front part of one shoe that I couldn’t find. The shoe seemed robustly constructed and I liked the sole rubber, I wish I had physically tried a pair on before making a purchase. I would recommend sizing down .5 - 1 size

I may be in love with this shoe. I'm a minimalist footwear guy. Wearing Xero shoes almost exclusively for about 3 years (for those who don't know the brand, a typical Xero sole is 5mm of rubber and NOTHING else - no foam, nothing. And I love hiking in their trail runner... right up until the ground is nothing but sharp rocks or crazy tree roots. After 3 or 4 miles of that, my feet are all kinds of beat up. So... I've been looking for a minimal footwear type shoe that has what it takes to be a backpacking shoe. This appears to be that shoe. It has all the hallmarks of a minimalist shoe (zero drop, wide toe box, flexible sole - in the toe at least) except for the stack height (thickness of the midsole, the cushion). But don't be fooled by the 20mm stack - the midsole on this shoe is firm, giving you protection against the nastiest of roots and rocks, but still translating ground feel to your foot and letting your foot's natural flexibility and musculature do the real work, which is the entire point of minimalist footwear (if you know, you know). The midsole is also fairly rigid from the heel to the arch, which provides more protection, but very flexible from the arch forward, giving your toes all the flex they need to do their job. The upper looks and feels very durable. The stitching is done with high grade thread (appears to be marine grade) and is flawless. And the upper is fully stitched (and bonded) to the outsole/footbed (the most common failure point of shoes with glued on soles - which is most of them these days). And the rubber of the sole is grippy but very solid - I'd expect the tread to last MANY miles. But the real selling point here is the replaceable midsole. Backpackers and runners know that most shoes aren't going to last more than 400 to 500 miles (maybe 600 at a stretch) before the foam midsole simply dies... the foam just wears out and goes flat. Well, the shoe allows you to pull the entire midsole out and put in a brand new one (currently $30/pair... to basically double the life of your shoe... or another $30 might triple it, etc until eventually the tread wears out). Also, because the midsole is so firm, I'd expect it to last 600 miles or more before it wears out and goes flat. I hope more shoe brands catch on to this rechargeable midsole, but I doubt they will since they make more money if their shoes wear out quicker. Major kudos to Astral for putting sustainability and the customer over profit. Well done!

Strange Shoe. Looks and fits good but unlike all the other Astrals I have worn over the years, these feel unbalanced. Heavy sole with the usual light upper makes it feel like some kind of nightclub platform shoe. I use Astrals for disc golf and this will not sway me from being a loyal customer. This one is just not for me.