When we first start out hiking and backpacking, I think it is very easy to get overly excited about all of the cool gear that is out there. We want the newest lightest stove, the carbon fiber trekking poles, or the ultralight tent. In this excitement, we can forget some of the most basic needs to make our trip truly enjoyable.
A prime example is shoes. I will freely admit that I probably think more about shoes than many. I have extremely flat feet. That being the case, when I knew that I needed to replace my old boots, I took my time looking for new ones. I am definitely the shopping type. I want to put my hands and feel the item that I am interested in buying. To do this I went to REI. By the way, if you haven’t been to one, or have and aren’t a member, you must do so! I love that place! So after much time asking questions, trying on different boots and reading reviews I finally decided on the Vasque Breeze 2.0 GTX. There were a couple of things that were mandatory. First, the insole had to come out so that I could put my custom orthotics in. Check. Second, they had to have wide widths and high ankle support. Check and check. So how did they work?
I am happy to say that the boots have been nothing short of amazing! I bought them and immediately put them to the test a week later on my first extended hiking trip. They performed flawlessly. I did wear them before the trip thinking I was going to need to break them in. I’m not sure that I needed to, but better safe than sorry. During that weekend trip, we hiked many miles up and over small canyons and peaks, down ravines, through creek beds and down many twisty trails. I never once got a blister or hot spot and my ankles felt fine. Thanks to the mesh inserts, my feet breathed fine and never once did I feel like my feet were suffocating. In fact, my feet felt so great that in the approximately 6 months since that trip, I have worn these boots almost every day.
Now for the catch…not really. My only complaint is that I can’t wear them when it gets really cold because of the mesh inserts, but in Texas that’s not that often. I did read early on about them being a little heavy. I can say that I quickly got use to the weight and don’t feel them at all now.
In short, I highly recommend these boots. If you’re looking for boots with great support, flexibility and won’t break the bank, these Vasque Breeze 2.0s are the way to go.
A prime example is shoes. I will freely admit that I probably think more about shoes than many. I have extremely flat feet. That being the case, when I knew that I needed to replace my old boots, I took my time looking for new ones. I am definitely the shopping type. I want to put my hands and feel the item that I am interested in buying. To do this I went to REI. By the way, if you haven’t been to one, or have and aren’t a member, you must do so! I love that place! So after much time asking questions, trying on different boots and reading reviews I finally decided on the Vasque Breeze 2.0 GTX. There were a couple of things that were mandatory. First, the insole had to come out so that I could put my custom orthotics in. Check. Second, they had to have wide widths and high ankle support. Check and check. So how did they work?
I am happy to say that the boots have been nothing short of amazing! I bought them and immediately put them to the test a week later on my first extended hiking trip. They performed flawlessly. I did wear them before the trip thinking I was going to need to break them in. I’m not sure that I needed to, but better safe than sorry. During that weekend trip, we hiked many miles up and over small canyons and peaks, down ravines, through creek beds and down many twisty trails. I never once got a blister or hot spot and my ankles felt fine. Thanks to the mesh inserts, my feet breathed fine and never once did I feel like my feet were suffocating. In fact, my feet felt so great that in the approximately 6 months since that trip, I have worn these boots almost every day.
Now for the catch…not really. My only complaint is that I can’t wear them when it gets really cold because of the mesh inserts, but in Texas that’s not that often. I did read early on about them being a little heavy. I can say that I quickly got use to the weight and don’t feel them at all now.
In short, I highly recommend these boots. If you’re looking for boots with great support, flexibility and won’t break the bank, these Vasque Breeze 2.0s are the way to go.
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