I heart these boots. I've walked hundreds and hundreds of miles in these boots, in mountain ranges on 4 continents, on day hikes and week-long hiking trips. I've never had a single blister - not even the day I wore them for 26 miles after a month of not wearing shoes at all. I've even gone on hikes simply because I want to wear them. Getting them rebottomed when the tread started to separate after more than 10 years of wear was a no-brainer. Otherwise they look practically new, and are as waterproof as when I bought them (with regular Nikwax applications).

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REI is awesome.

The Raichle Spirit II GTX were the very first backpacking boots that I had ever bought. I was amazed at how quickly and easily I was able to break them in. I have never had any serious blisters or foot problems with them ever. I find that typical "rag wool" socks are the best to wear and give the best results for comfort. I have been working at Philmont Scout Ranch now for two years as a ranger using my boots almost everyday. The Spirit II are the best in the mud, stream crossings, snow, and steep grades. I have worn the soles down a lot and the leather has starting to show signs of wear after 3 years of abuse. I have never treated my boots and it is now showing signs of my neglect. I recieve a lot of comments and praises on my boots by participants that I take out on the trail and I recommend them to everyone. My girlfriend needed another pair of boots after she was fed up with blisters from her Asolos. I took her down to REI and bought her a pair of women's Spirit II. She broke them in quickly and uses them everyday on conservation. She has no more blisters and is very happy. I feel that it is safe to admit that these are the best boots that I will ever own and will buy another pair when I kill these (whenever that happens).

I'm also writing about the Raichle Spirit II . It's sold by REI under the name REI GTX Spririt II. I just came back from the Sierras for a weekend trip. It ended up being the coldest and wettest trip I've ever been on. It snowed night and day. My buddy and I first hike through some thick snow and when we got to lower elevations it was pouring rain. I was happy sloshing through some deep puddles and I did not feel one drop of water inside my boots. My buddy was wearing a very famous brand and his feet got soaked. I bought these boots at REI's attic sale for $15. They are regularly $189, so I got a great deal. I would definitely buy them again even at regular price.

Customer Service

REI is the best.

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Note: I am reviewing the Spirit II made by Raichle and sold under the REI name. They are close to the Spirit IIs, but are Grey and have a Gore-Tex lining. I bought them 2 years ago in ’01 and I couldn’t be happier with these, and I’d like to give props to Raichle, who manufactures these. These are the best hiking boots I’ve ever owned, and I’ve used many. They were clearly superior from the first time I tried them on. Just look at the cut of the tongue and you can tell how much skill and experience when into the design of these shoes. In addition, they had almost no break in time at all despite being sturdy leather boots. They are a bit overkill for anything but true backpacking, but if you’re carrying your kitchen and bedroom on your back for days on end, they are ideal. These boots are Gore-tex lined and really are waterproof, though I treat the leather to preserve it, as I’m hoping these boots will last me ten years. I especially like the rand around the toe. I have clumsy size 14 feet so my toes suffer a lot of wear stumbling over scree above treeline. The soles offer plenty of traction, and wear slower than the classic Vibram pattern. They lace up easily too, thanks to some fancy straight-holed eyes. Some folks will say you should use a heavier boot for extended trips, but I’m of the lighter-faster philosophy. I’ll carry 60 lbs any distance in these, and I’ll wear my running shoes or sandals for day hikes. BTW, these boots have done most of their work in the White Mountains, with an extended trip to the Sierra’s, and another to Baxter S.P. They also get me to school in the winter.

Customer Service

REI service is almost too good. A friend of mine returned a pair of used climbing shoes he bought at EMS for a full cash refund. I returned a pair of climbing shoes I’d worn out in three months for new pair. Hence the name: Returns and Exchange Incorporated.

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I've used a dozen different hiking boots over the years, all worn to pieces. I used Hi-Teks when I was a kid. Beautiful boots for beginners and light users. Though I don't remember the exact models I've used and liked boots by Vasque (2 pair), Merrell (2 pair), EMS, Danner (an obscure boot, but one I liked a lot) , and others.

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I broke the boots in after about 2 days of use. Very comfortable boots. I have had them for about a year now and they are showing their age. The footbed is still very solid, but the uppers are a bit lacking in support. I still love these boots, but I wouldn''t trust them on an extened hike with a heavy pack. You can walk all day in these boots and would never notice it. I wear them as shoes now and for some short trips. Longer trips requires the use of the tough boots.

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Just got back from Philmont. There were tons of these boots in use by many, many kids on the crews. My son is a camp staffer at another scout camp and used his every day, all summer in addition to Philmont. No problems, although they are beginning to show wear faster than the Asolo 535s I use. The one complaint I heard from a couple of kids was about arch support. I replaced his original insole with the Superfeet Hiking insole when we bought them, and he has had only good things as a result. These boots don't seem to have the durability of some more expense boots.

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I had not been backpacking for many years and a friend asked if I would hike Isle Royale. We started in Windigo and went across to Rock Harbor.
I spent a lot of time researching boots. The only way to know is try them on. I tried on over a dozen different brands and styles.
The Spirit GTX was an outstanding boot.
Great comfort and no blisters. The boots were comfortable as soon as I put them on. I have bad knees and the boots saved me for all of the 43 miles. The quality of construction and feel as soon as I put them on was number one. I hope my knees hold up as long as I know these boots will.

Customer Service

The service at REI was first rate. The gentleman taking care of me was excellent and made sure that the fit was exact.

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I had a pair of these boots for 1 year. Easy to break in, very comfortable and Gortex worked well. The only problem I had initially was that the soles have little traction on wet rock. Over the time I owned them, two problems occurred; soles wore quickly, and, the padding around the top of the boot compacted letting the edge of the leather dig into my ankle. The later became so uncomfortable I took the boots back to REI. My particular pair of boots may have been lemons, but I felt this to be a tale worth conveying to anyone else considering these boots. If the later problem had not occurred I would still own them and have given a 4 star rating.

Customer Service

REI customer service was excellent, they offerred me a replacement pair of boots. Fearing the same uncomfortable problem may reoccur I opted to pay the extra and get a pair of Zamberlan GTX Civetta II's.

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Zamberlan GTX Civetta II's - owned for a year now, the best boot I've ever had.

I bought these boots before they had the REI stamp on them, and they've held up great for me. I took them on a 10 day and a 21 day trek, and I had little problems on either. Not the stiffest sole, but it was a great price for a boot that's lasted through everything

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I got these at REI Outlet for half price ($75). 40 lbs. is about the load limit for the boot. After-market insoles are needed for those with high arches. One layer of Sno-Seal and the boots were as waterproof as a plastic bag.

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