Oboz  Sawtooth Ascent Low Waterproof Hiking Shoes - Men's

I've had two pairs of the Sawtooth shoes, both the Sawtooth II and the X models. I tried the Sawtooth Pro because I loved the look but they were too narrow---for some reason, they aren't available in wide sizes. My feet are not super wide, but right on the edge, so I just need a bit more width. I was looking for an all-around travel shoe, one I can wear all day, and the Ascent does the trick. It is a more relaxed fit than the X, with a bit of a softer sole. But it feels much lighter. The break in period was a couple weeks (as a teacher, I am on my feet all day), and so far I love them.

I wear either Oboz or Lowa due to needing a high arch. Had an issue with a previous pair of Oboz, that they did replace on warranty, so the next pair I bought was Lowa. Lowa discontinued the low hiker style I bought, so I thought I would give Oboz another try. The shoes (9W) fit good, the sole seems a little softer than the original Sawtooths, which is good. I have worn them long enough that they are broken in, and my feet feel good after a long day. I have not had a chance to do a long hike, thus my concern with the back of the shoe being high and possibly rubbing.

I've been an Oboz buyer and fan for a long time now. Their shoes are generally well made and designed, comfortable, and last for years. In most respects these are these are the same. They are fantastically comfortable straight out of the box, very supportive, but especially in the arch for a medium-height arch like mine, and offer good width in a D, even for slightly wide feet. They're comfortable for hours to all day in the uses I've put them through, be it long dog walks, bumming around town, or light trail hiking. The Vibram sole is also excellent, provides reliable grip across various surfaces and conditions, including when wet. It's a big step up from some of Oboz own soles in that respect that weren't grippy on wet or smooth surfaces. Can't yet speak to durability, but seem likely to go for a long time. The waterproof-breathable liner is also great, proving to be more breathable than earlier iterations from Oboz, which works well for me as someone whose feet sweat with some other liners. I've found I can wear these all day and my feet stay comfortable, even in fairly vigorous hiking. About the only negative I've found in these shoes is the exterior factory water repellency is poor and doesn't last more than a couple of months of use, before the leather-nylon exterior starts sopping up water like a sponge. While annoying, it's not uncommon with today's shoes made for more environmentally friendly production and not having any PFAS-based coatings. A couple of other notes – you may find these are sized like the original Oboz used to be, which is about a half-size smaller than many of their shoes have run in the last 5+ years. When I first started buying Oboz, I wore my normal size 10 shoe, but over the last 5-8 years I found many of their shoes started to run large and forced me into a 9.5. With these I'm back to a 10. I also found that these hug the bottom edges of the interior and exterior ankle bones more than other low Oboz hikers I've owned (i.e. they're a touch taller), so some folks may find these will rub their bones and cause blisters, if your bones aren't amply padded and you wear thin socks with them. If you make sure you snug the laces and don't have any lateral play when walking and hiking in them, that minimizes rub with thinner socks.