Asolo Power Matic 500 GV Backpacking Boot - Men's - 2010 BCS

These boots need lots of break in...soaked them in hot bath for 6 hours...wore them for 8 hours...clamped the eyelet area on top of foot because they pinched my foot where the leather rolls under the laces...real stiff like walking in ski boots...ugly color...but now I've made them my own and I wouldn't feel right sending them back...

This is a heavy duty boot with shank. "One-piece" upper is very water resistant sturdy leather. Nicely made. Not lightweight. The Vibram sole incorporates softer foam areas.

Very stable on trail, you can see the sole sticks out on both sides of the foot. It does make it harder to edge or side-hill because of the torque on your foot, so this is no kind of mountaineering boot. It's like a heavy duty patrol boot.

Thin lining, so not cushy and will require a fair break-in period. If it wasn't gore-tex, the thin lining would help it dry out once wet. As it is, gore-tex is useful in real wet areas where you wont get a chance to dry out anyway once wet.

Decent ankle support, but not as bomber as Makalus; they have support to help you from getting as tired, but it still possible to roll your ankle. The soles are more cushy than the old 90's steel shank makalus. Oddly small lugs, perhaps because of the foam in-molds. These are comparatively wider in the footbox than the Granites or Makalus. They are not sized small.

Con: I need them to go straight up a 35-40 degree hill and flex forward equally to my ankle, but then the plastic insert in the tongue (that reinforces the tongue stud for the laces) bites into the top of my foot. I believe the rest of the boot would break in, maybe not this. I'll have to keep trying, I'm starting to have affection for them and got them dirt cheap.

Whereas the Asolo Sasslongs are going straight back as all-around too wimpy for the extreme duty I expect. I'd go La Sportiva Granites but too narrow in foot, too wide in ankle. Also considering Garmont Dakota, maybe some Scarpa boots. I have a couple light Kayland boots which are super wide, but the ones I got were not supposed to be very durable, and are not. For what these retail, you can do better for backpacking or mountaineering. These are like a military or work boot. Could be good for trail crews. Very reliable seeming, heavy duty, good for heavy loads.

These boots are built tough and high quality,with thick supportive leather uppers.However, break-in can be a bit unpleasant, like leather boots from the past, so much so that I decided to trade them in (and up I would say in most ways) for a pair of La Sportiva Karakorum.Also, the Asolo is a heavy boot for these days and the sole doesn't match the tank-like tops, in that the tread is quite shallow, and in my view not for the sort of more extreme terrain the uppers would suggest.However, if you don't mind the weight and the tread is okay for the terrain you have in mind, then these are beautiful boots that should provide long service.

Built to last, but then so are bricks. Even after breaking in after many many miles and wearing out much of its sole. the boots still cause blisters and over all sore feet. Trust me you don't want this model!

Top of the line quality with great fit! The lacing system is slick and the leather and scree guards just what I was looking for. Bottom line, if you need a heavy pack boot, these boots deserve early and strong consideration.

The only downside is extraordinary stiffness bordering on punishingt during break-in...Leave time for break-in with some nice cusioned socks before you plan on using these for a trip.

I first had these boots in an 11.5 and they just didn't feel right. So I went in to backcountrys warehouse and exchanged them for an 11. They were very nice about the exchange ane had me the 11s in min. They are snug but fit just like my fugitives.( I do use super feet witch are a little bigger than stock foot beds) They run a 1/2 size smaller then the fugitives. I have been wearing an 11.5 for 5 years now in the fugitives. I only give them 4 stars cuz their new. I'll reveiw them again when I have some more miles in them on a few backpacking trips.