Reviewed by: Ernest Black(Unregistered User)
,
Backpacker
, from Marlborough, MA USA Summary:
I recently purchased a pair of Vasque Montana hiking boots based on the following criteria: 1) I definitely wanted the stability and resoleability of the Norwegian double welt design; 2) I wanted a heavy-weight leather shoe capable of handling any mountaineering I would engage in (which eliminates extreme mountaineering requiring plastic boots); and 3) that would fit my feet well and be comfortable as well as supporting all day. I looked at some excellent boots, most notably the Limmer standard, but selected the Vasque Montana because the quality of manufacture and appropriate use of the boots matched my first two points and I trusted that their last would be as close to ideal for my feet as possible (short of custom lasting), since I have owned over 10 Vasques shoes of different designs over the past 20 years and have always been very happy with the fit and feel. My trust was well-placed; although heavy-weight leather boots generally need aobut 50 miles of hiking to break in, the Vasques felt comfortable to me from the beginning and have begun shaping to my feet well. I have yet to put them to a severe test (that will come this summer in the White Mountains and possibly Mt. Katahdin), but they have performed very well indeed thus far. The single-piece 3.4oz Gallusser Montan leather uppers are bomb-proof, and the full bellows tongue is doubled with a nicely padded tongue which eliminates virtually all pressure points on the instep and snug the boot to the foot. The 4mm rubber/4mm leatherboard/steel shank combo for the midsole will hold up to the roughest conditions (especially above timberline on NE's granite peaks). So far on short hikes I'd have to say these are the best hiking boots I've ever owned (over a period of 30 years).
Who should buy this boot? Anyone wanting a heavyweight Norwegian double welted boot sturdy enough for extended above timberline climbing and hiking (though not a substitute for high-tech plastic boots in extreme conditions). Why Norwegian welt over polymer-bonded boots? For me, for the superior stability they provide, coupled with their unequalled forming to one's foot and the ability to easily resole the boots. Customer Service:
In 20 years of buying Vasque shoes, I have never had to contact the manufacturer with a problem, so I don't know how responsive their customer service is. But the best customer service, in my mind, comes with not needing the same. Similar Products Used:
Nothing contemporary; my last pair of boots were Merrell Lights (1985); previously, an EMS heavyweight (5 lb) boot which may have been made by Raichle (1975); and before that, an unknown make (1970).
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