I've spent the past several months researching boots in preparation for several weekend backpacking trips I have planned for this Spring. I finally decided on a pair of Vasque St. Elias and the damn things didn't last 10min until one of the metal eyelets came loose. So /out/, has anyone else experienced this with Vasque and what is a similar boot in the sub $200 range that I should try next?
I don't know if another boot is what I would recommend, perhaps it would be possible to simply use a rivet gun and fix it. It would be cheaper than getting another pair of boots.
>>690002
Have you contacted the seller? I bought a pair on Amazon. I liked the fit but I didn't particularly love the style/look. Sent them back and got a pair of Vasque Erikkson GTX. I don't think they are being made any longer but they are still available on Amazon. Same price as the St. Elias.
As for quality. The reviews I've read all seemed to indicate that quality has improved over the past few years.
>>690002
Basque are crap. Get a heavy duty trail runner. Whatever fits you best unless you need boots which you don't
.>>690004
The rivets are underneath the gortex lining, so I would have to destroy it to redo the rivet.
>>690020
I ordered them from Amazon, so no problem returning them, but I'm really hesitant to risk another pair. It would suck to have the replacements fail me on the trail even though the boots seemed to be well made overall.
Im gonna hijack this thread for answers. I got a pair of meindl boots recently and they came with these inserts in the box. They already had an insole in the boot itself. I've got a pretty skinny foot so I put them in to help with that. First time I wore them out for a few hours was with a brand new pair of really thin wool socks. These inserts were like a cheese grater and tore the socks up. I'm no longer gonna use them but was just curious why they were included. There was nothing in the literature telling about them and Google has failed me.
>>690002
No fucking way!
Vasque Snowburbias ever day since early Jan. One day (no) break in period.
Best boots ever worn.
Bates, Saloman, Keen, Merrell's all second place!
Very happy with Vasque Snowburbias!
>>690056
Maybe it goes UNDERNEATH the other insert in the shoe to keep it from slipping or something?
>>690056
Probably a shim to go under the insole if you need to take up some extra volume.
>>690002
Former REI bootfitter here.
The St. Elias a shit. It's a sub-standard replacement for the Vasque Wasatch, which wasn't a perfect boot but it was a good boot for the price.
Check out the Oboz Wind River or the Merrell Phaser Peak.
>>690002
Might as well buy Hi-Tec because everything is chinashit these days (only half joking, my $99 Hi-Tec Altitudes are 2 years old, surprisingly comfortable and still going strong).
Seriously though that sounds like a warrany issue and even if the claim is rejected it's repairable.
>>690042
Would you fuck off with telling everyone to wear trail runners already? I told you before, just because they work for you on the easy trails you walk doesn't mean they work for everyone else on all terrain. Also there is a thing called weather.
>>690002
Dude, contact Vasque or the retailer you got it from they will replace the boots.
FWIW, Lowa are much better quality. But fit and function are the most important things for footwear.
>>690126
My Lowa boots are made in Italy, fancy shit I tell you!
>>690135
I tried Vasque. Wanted to like Vasque. Went with Lowa Men's Camino GTX. The difference in quality is evident.
I actually switched to vasque because the last 2 pair of merrels I bought failed this way
and I haven't had any issues.
>>690232
> Lowa Men's Camino GTX
I have the same boots, yeah, it's pretty night and day.
I also pronate a lot and have to use inserts (more aggressive than superfeet), I found out that eva mid soles would wear out on one side and cause me to pronate (cause so much pain in my calves and super dore feet) even more so I now only buy PU mid-soled boots. That alone makes a pretty big difference
>>690237
Maybe you're doing it wrong and need help.
>>690125
Could you help me out?
I have Merrel Moabs but I hear they eventually disintegrate.
Any upgrade to Moabs? A light, flexible boot good for hiking and city use alike.
Preferably in military colors or similar
>>690002
I have a bunch of Vasque boots. Never had a problem except the soles wear really fast.
Would a combat boot like pic related be okay for 2-3 day tramps?
>>690890
Thats boot looks excellent for hikes from starbucks to open night mic nights at the bar 1 block way while feasting on vegan organic chilli
>>690890
It depends on how well the boot is made (is it durable enough to not fall apart on the trail?) and how comfortable it is on your feet.
>>691048
Lol
Anyone know how to repair the urethane foam rotting out of the midsole? I have a pair of leather Technicas in desparate need of attention.
>>690130
They're far better on rough terrain than boots, especially on slick rocks. Only time I don't wear trail runners is in snow.
Trail runners are a lot better than heavy waterproof boots for wet conditions and stream crossings, too. They're going to get wet either way, but only one of them will dry out in an hour in the sun.
There is literally no reason to ever wear boots if you're not hiking through snow.
>>692342
>They're far better on rough terrain than boots, especially on slick rocks.
Now this guy is trying to tell us that trail runners magically have better treads than boots.
>>692343
They have far better grip and flexibility. You can't climb in boots, at all.
hi anons,
when you say boots, what do you mean by boots?
leather shoes that is high cut, or just a shoe that is made of leather?
or any shoe that is built rugged and not necessary using full leather?
newfag here who has been searching for all terrain/season trail walking/some hike shoe.
Been checking few pairs by Salomon, Caterpilar, Columbia, Merrell etc.
Some shoes that are made of goretex, selectDry, OutDry, while they do look like boots (high/mid cuts), they arent really clasify as boots. But they dont seems to be generic trailwalking shoe either (full insulation/waterproof, ankle support etc).
>>693104
>newfag here who has been searching for all terrain/season trail walking/some hike shoe.
i know this feel
I get the impression literally everything is chinkshit now.
Everywhere I see positive reviews I feel like I'm reading shilling for whatever brand via mechanicalturk work requests written by indians that cant into english. As such, I search for negative reviews, and it seems like there are a lot of people complaining about recent drops in quality, and many reports of all manner of defects and shoddy craftsmanship that (in my opinion) shouldn't happen when you're paying over 100USD for a shoe.
I ended up buying a pair of merrell annex on amazon with free shipping/free return. These also had a fair number of negative reviews citing various defects, but the boots looked well put together at face value. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but there was a defect in one of the boots midsole that made it painful to wear and I ended up sending it back.
Local stores also have a shit selection around me, which just makes it harder to find something that isn't trash.
>>693445
German here, at least here my last Lowas were still made in Slovakia, so eh, semi-first world I guess (they didn't fit my broad feet though so I resold them).
Before that I had a model made back in 2000 (pic related), also Slovakia, and while a good fit breadth-wise, I eventually grew out of them, too bad they discontinued those and only have narrow shit these days
>>690125
> advice given, advice taken
Phasers in my outlet cart now at $110/pr.
pic related are the best boots for hiking.
Cost an extra few dollars/euros though
>>693853
I'm suspicious about Lowa, specifically about newer shoes with vibram soles, which is probably all of them, but I'm not sure.
One of the most common complaints I see about their boots is that the vibram sole disintegrates fairly quickly. If you investigate vibram, they seem to be pushing more flexible soles on their partners, and it seems like the downside of this sole is its durability. So I guess it is unfair to single out lowa for this, because if you look at shoes made by just about everyone that are marketed for being lightweight/flexible/etc with vibram soles this is invariably complained about.
>>693884
My Lowas were so utter shit I had to walk barefoot.
Never again
>>693961
Out of curiosity, was it the sole that failed? I haven't actually seen other complaints about lowas aside from the soles on newer shoes being absolute trash that falls to pieces or just peels right off the boot.
>>693961
Pictures or it didn't happen
>>690002
My vasques have hundreds of miles on them. Couldn't be happier.
>>693445
im still skeptical on spending usd150 for a shoe.
So far i have my eyes on Columbia Ventfreak OutDry mids due to its weight and fabric, but still around usd125. The mesh isnt as big as Goretex(sands cant go in between) and not as expensive as Salomon/Keen. Should be a good candidate for all season hike, no?
Cant find and Lowa and Vasque in my country/city to try out.
>>694400
Red Wing shoe stores sell Vasque. My last purchase was off Amazon. Ordered and returned 3 pair until the 4th one was just right. Amazon Prime makes it easy.
>>692351
Bang through a skree field in your climbing runners faggot then tell me how they excel at all things rock.
>>692342
>only wear boots in snow
Where's yo ankles?
>clap
>clap
>clap clap clap
Salomon is pretty good. I've had my pair for three years of heavy use.
I also had a pair of Vasques and both of the shoe laces have already snapped. I've only had them about 3 months
>>692351
Alpinists would tend to disagree with you. YOU can't climb in boots.
>>693884
Yeah, don't know about the durability of the newer ones (as I didn't have them for long), but the old ones from 2000 lasted me quite some years, also they did have some weight (1.2kg combined) which was never an issue for me though. That whole "ultra light weight at any cost" fad needs to die
What you guys think about columbia product boots? They are really light and as i heard durable to water but i wonder how is quality? I dont want to get my boots ripped apart in middle of hiking.
Pic related, gonna get this.
>>694697
Dats... not really a boot is it?
>>694702
That said, it's a Montrail so it can't be that bad.
>>694705
What is Montrail?
>>694683
Everyone says their older shoes are great.
IMO vibram rused a bunch of their partners that make high end hiking boots into buying a new and inferior sole material that just doesn't last.
>>690056
If working with add on inserts or orthotics, they go UNDER the shoes insole. Hence why they can make them out of harder materials, they are supposed to work like midsole to change your stride. Those are textured so you insole doesn't get all fucked up when you put the boot on.
>>692342
> Trail runners are a lot better than heavy waterproof boots for wet conditions and stream crossings
I cross streams all the time with boots, while wearing gaiters, no wet feet here.
> but only one of them will dry out in an hour in the sun.
Assumes you will get some sun and dry out before it gets so cold that you get frostbite on your feet.
> There is literally no reason to ever wear boots if you're not hiking through snow.
I take it that you go hiking in snow while the nice sun is out too. How about tell that to someone who has to rescue people who hike with trail runners and get hypothermia and frost bite on their toes and feet on a regular basis?
>>694725
>What is google?
But seriously they are Columbia sports high-end trail running shoe company. They were acquired by mountain hardware and are still here after the acquisition because they make good shit. They specialize in ultra long distance off road running.... like running across Antarctica and the montrail cup which is a bunch of 100k races.
>>690002
Get some high hi techs
>>694934
That said their gear isn't what it used to be. Still good, just not insanely good like the good old days. I miss my good old fashioned gtx sock liner =*(
>>693993
The soles where somewhat worn out ( I was doing like 20 miles a day for one week) but the problem was the build of the boot.
Cushioning was nonexistent, it was like walking on wood planks.
I walked barefoot on roads and rocky places and luckily found some flip-flops I used, afghan style.
They look extremely good but are shit-tier , as opposed to the Merrel Moabs I use now, which look shit-tier but are extremely good
>>694055
They didnt break, they where extremely uncomfortable and unbearable to wear.
For what I walked the sole was pretty worn out though. I've never seen so much wear with Vibram soles, for example
>>694934
Well thanks, gonna get those then cuz i have free 100$ paycheck from some local shop and they only got these boot.
What kind clothing i should pick for spring/summer other then waterproof? %100 cotton pants will be good?
Asking here cuz gear related
>>695194
Those are backpacking boots, they are designed to support your feet when hauling more than 30lbs. They suck for anything less, but when you have a manly pack on, you will appreciate not having every rock jab your feet, squashy soft midsoles that do nothing under a load other than make it harder for you to balance. The more weight you're carrying, the heftier the boot needs to be.
> For what I walked the sole was pretty worn out though. I've never seen so much wear with Vibram soles, for example
Vibram makes several different outsoles some have much higher durometer some with much less, depends on the compound. If you get a boot that has a lower durometer outsole, make sure the manufacture can re-sole them for you. Lowa and few others are generally re-soleable.
Lower durometer tends to give you more traction, higher gives you more stability and sole-life.
>>695340
You can wear cotton as long as it stays dry.
>>695402
Yeah i know, also got waterproof gear for rainy days. So cotton will help me on hot weathers. Gonna get columbia ones, i hope they do their job well.
what are the chances theres counterfeit product out there.
could that explain on some bad quality stuff as of late?
>>695589
Call me a tinfoil nut, but I think this phenomenon is much more likely to blame:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence
i.e. manufacturers intentionally designing their shit so it doesn't last long and you have to re-buy often, keeping them financially/competitively afloat
I really wish Vasque didn't make the St Elias wide smaller this year =[. The only two boots that have fit my feet are the Lowa Renegades, and Keen Liberty Ridge. The Lowa's were nice fitting boots, but shit on anything wet, making it feel as if you were constantly walking on black ice. The Keen's lasted 220 miles on the JMT and feel apart at the end. I cannot seem find a boot priced in the $200 range that both fits, and is a good boot. Any recommendations from other, unfortunate individuals with very wide feet?
TL;DR: Super Wide feet, can't find a good, wide boot for the life of me... HEALP <3!
>>695606
I'm the guy with the old Lowas from above >>693853, very wide feet too, and the newer ones I temporarily had were Renegade GTX model too, yet too narrow for me.
That old 2000 model I previously had was wide enough though for me (have another pic from above), maybe you can still find it in some online sale, I wish I could, but at size EU48 there's little chance
>>695615
Yea that looks like a good,wide boot man. Did you have any troubles with leakage, due to there being so many seams? I almost am to the the point of having custom made boots for my foot, it is only $100-$200 more than some of the higher end boots (ArcTeryx etc).
>>695622
Eh I got them when I was 13 and size 46, only used on light hikes up to like 10km. Having said that, can't remember any leakages even when going through snow (as a villager I often go through the fields)
>>695624
It's stupid man, I wear a size 12 double wide in work boots/hiking boots and i'm 5'8" tall. Thank you for the advice, hopefully I will end this curse soon.
>>695631
I got a pair of Cabelas Perfekt 7 Hikers by Meindl recently and they are kinda wide compared to other boots. They even offer a wide version too
>>695665
Those boots are beautiful! I will have to look into seeing the specific "wide" they have available (there are several). How do you like them?
>>695698
Haven't backpacked with them yet but I did break them in while splitting 10 cords of wood. So far so good
Meindl Perfekt. Wear them to all my trips.
