Outstanding Shoe
I bought these for a long backpacking trip to SE Asia. Of course I wore them around for about a month beforehand and they definitely had a break in period for me, which was probably about 2 weeks of casual walking. I actually came close to returning them at one point. I am so glad that I didn't because I think they somehow conformed to my feet and are now my favorite outdoor shoes. This was the only pair of shoes that I took other than a pair of flops for the shower and the beach. I wore them in every possible condition and terrain including temple hiking & climbing, mountain trekking, moto-biking, city concrete walking, etc. I found them to be extremely versatile, and were comfortable in all situations. They are rugged and sturdy enough for all of these situations and then I could turn around and wear them going out at night just as well. They look nice with shorts or khaki pants or jeans. I was looking for something versatile like that for terrain and also appearance and I feel like I made the perfect choice. I would highly recommend these with the caveat that you need to expect to break them in before you can expect top performance. After a tremendous amount of everyday mileage and wear, they held up exceptionally and still look almost as good as new with a little wipe down. No doubt they will be my go to shoe for my future adventures since they are still in excellent shape and meet or exceed all of my performance expectations. I would definitely buy them again.
bmacs11 at
REI on
07/07/2013
Solid Shoe
To be fair, I've only just passed the break-in period with these shoes and so durability comments would be inappropriate. I live in the Piedmont region of the US South and use the shoes for walking/hiking in the moderately hilly terrain here. I am a middle-aged male.
Shoes have a definite break-in period and are considerably more comfortable after that, but appear to have been made from a more narrow last. Those with wider feet be careful with sizing. Laces seemed cheap, so I bought an additional pair with the shoes.
Shoes seem very solid, durable and rugged but are fairly light weight. They fit snugly, have decent arch support, but little ankle support or pronation control. Traction is above average, but I'm curious to see how this factor holds up in colder/wetter conditions. Water resistance is above average, and so the shoes can be a bit 'warm'.
I feel this shoe is a good value and a solid 'all-around' walking/hiking/scrambling type of shoe when one is not burdened with a heavy load or considering extremely challenging terrain.
Megaton at
REI on
11/11/2013
Great hiking shoes
I wear a size 12 shoe and boot however in these hikers I had to buy a size thirteen to get a decent fit. That said they are great shoes very well made. Great fit once you get the right size. They are a little on the heavy side, not as heavy as a pair of boots, but not as light as running shoes. I have a pair of Solomon trail shoes that I like a lot and wear everywhere, but with wet snowy winter in Northern California I thought I'd give these a try. I am glad I did they are very comfortable, water proof, great traction (sticky) so you don't slip. I've read other reviews that said these shoes wear out quickly. I think that might be because the reviewers wear them so much. Mucho comfort and support. Get yourself a pair.
Phil in SF at
REI on
01/01/2013
Great Shoe, Great Protection
Bought these shoes a few week before a very big hike. Broke them in (if they needed to be) in less than ten miles. Wore a Wright Coolmesh II as a liner with an outer sock. Did the 2013 HAM, a one day 41 mile Hike Across Maryland (HAM) on the AT. Tough terrain, tried it back in 2011 with my Merrel Chameleon III and blew out my toe nails and could not finish. Great traction and foot protection by the sole and shank. Pretty light but not the lightest. I owe my finish to these shoes, 41 miles is a real test for foot protection. Have average width to slightly narrow feet, fit well in heel and mid foot, roomy toe box even with two socks.
Griz Bethesda at
REI on
06/06/2013
More or Less Awesome
The traction, especially in small streams across boulders, is excellent, even when the entire shoe is soaked through. These are not approach boots, as they cannot be laced tight enough to edge with, but on slab, they work very nice. They do wear out somewhat quickly. However, these are cheap and two of these will last probably about as long as a boot of twice the price, but these have sticky rubber, making them a good buy. A bit of a home repair with some shoe goo once the outsole starts to fall off will increase the life of these boots.
dscott at
REI on
07/07/2012
Sturdy and comfortable
Great shoe for everyday wear. Sturdy with good traction and plenty of arch support. Fine for day hikes on smooth tread and even trails. Will provide a degree of protection for your feet on rocky ground and broken surfaces due to heavy duty soles and toe caps. Would not try to use these as a substitute for boots if elevation gain or carrying a pack of any consequence is part of your hiking plans These are not exactly "light" in weight and are somewhat stiffer than many other brands of low cuts. Should provide long service due to quality construction.
kirlen at
REI on
04/04/2013
Vasque Scree 2.0 Lw UltraDry Hiking Shoe
I use these at least 3-4 times a week for lots of mileage hiking. They are great. I don't know that I could rate them 5 Stars (defined by REI as "Perfect" but they are better than 4 Stars "That's Good Stuff." I wish they were a tad lighter, but that is the only thing that keeps them from being 5 Star in my mind. Great support and comfort, and with lots of tough miles on them they are still in great shape.
Noel M at
REI on
05/05/2013
great all purpose shoe
I needed an 'every other day' shoe for work and weekends. I have a slightly wider than average foot and the shoes accommodate my feet really well - they have just a little more width than my other shoes. I am tired of shoes which deteriorate at this point over time, so I am hopeful these will prove more hardy because of the very solid top shoelace ring. The shoe also feels tough but is not too heavy.
greyhairbloke at
REI on
01/01/2013
Durable + decent water resistance
I am very hard on shoes. This is the first shoe that lasted me two years. That is why I bought the exact same shoe. This last weekend I took a really muddy trail (1000 ft up and 3 miles out)and came out w/ dry feet. About 1 1/2 inches of flowing water and 3 inches of mud can be walked on w/o getting wet. Grip is good on most surfaces, it gets better w/ age.
NathanSeattle at
REI on
05/05/2013
Good Shoe
I purchased these because I wanted a lighter weight hiker for day trips and less strenuous hikes, with good stability. These definitely answered the call. My only gripe is the toe seemed to narrow at the rand, and I ended up with blisters on my little toes after the first hike. Haven't had any problems just wearing them around after that. Maybe a different sock would have been better.
Greg in the Wilderness at
REI on
09/09/2013