It is a pair of well-built shoes, stiffer than most of the trail-runners or light hiking shoes. I have an average to may be slightly wider feet and this shoe is too tight for me. The heel area width is fine. the toe area width is average with low volume, but the mid-section is narrow. I tried to break it in inside the house for two days but did not work. So if you have narrower feet and need a pair of stiff shoes with good support, this is a good candidate

Break-in only took a couple days and the little bit of stiffness was relieved after that. This is a rugged shoe. Definitely sturdier than a regular running shoe. If you're looking for a light hiker/day hiker or just sturdy around town shoe, I recommend this shoe. I own a pair of La Sportiva Backpacker boots, and these feel like the same good quality. When ordering you might order one half size smaller. Even though I added an insole cushion, I still needed to size down one half size (from 45 to 44.5).

i'll be honest these are a bitch right out of the box but once they loosen up they are so comfortable, and supportive. They have a great sole that grips super good, almost as good as a climbing shoe. i've had these in the slushy utah snow with crampons on and down in the canyons of escalante. They will keep you dry as long as water dosen't spill in from the top of course but even when it does its not a huge deal cause they wick in out so fast! If you are looking for the best light weight supportive low cut hiking shoe look no further. Its takes a good 20 hours in the shoe to get them broke in,I would recommend getting a heel cushion to lift your ankle until they break in cause they have such a stiff upper that it will hurt the bottom of your ankle bones until they soften up

i'll be honest these were a bitch to break in but they are 100% worth it! they hold your ankle incredibly well and have a roomy toe box so you aren't smashing the front on your way down hill. They have excellent traction on everything and they are totally waterproof. i've had these in the wet utah snowpack with crampons on and i just returned from escalante where they griped the sandstone like a climbing shoe and kept my feet dry when i was walking through water. The uppers are really stiff and hurt the bottoms of my ankle bones when i was breaking them in so i got a gel heel cushion to lift my ankle until the show broke in. I would reccomend doing the same thing. Now the gel is out the shoe is incredibly comfortable and i couldn't be happier with my choice i know these shoes will last me a long time.

I haven't tackled any mean terrain with these, but have used them as around town kicks in Jackson Hole. They're comfortable (in contrast to other reviews, I did not find them difficult to break in), sturdy, and seriously weatherproof.

My favorite hiking boot is the La Sportiva Halite. The Sandstone looks very similar, but has a smaller toe box and isn't comfortable on my feet. I returned them to Backcountry and they emailed a confirmation of their receipt of the return, which I think is a good customer policy. I will add that the Vibram sole gives sure footing for going down the tough ridge trails in our local mountains.

I've been very happy with these. They were a little stiff out of the box, but now broken in they're incredibly comfortable. Haven't tested them on anything too challenging, but it has been raining fairly heavily here in SoCal the last few weeks and they have certainly kept me dry. I'd highly recommend them. One note: I'm usually an 8.5, but I had to go up a half-size on these to a 9.

I like them after I broke them in. At first it was a no go but they feel pretty good now. Good traction and seem well built. Mine fit large don't know if thats common or not though. I would recommend it if your willing to spend time breaking them in.

Slight pressure point on the area where the foot and big toe meet (possibly from the stitching). I think/hope this will dissipate once the shoes are better broken in. Otherwise, they feel like a low-top boot, and I love that. Very stable, great support. The sole looks to be good quality (Vibram); hopefully, it wears long and well. Seems to run a bit big, as I needed a 1/2 size smaller. Good for a narrow foot (like mine), and it fits even better with my old Superfeet Greens stuck in there. Should be a great shoe!

I mistakingly ordered an 8.5 instead of an 8 so they were too big. I decided to return rather than exchange becuase I thought they were too stiff, but mostly becuase I didn't care for the look. I wish I ordered them in my size, becuase I probably wouldn've kept them regardless of the look. Anyway, I'm not a fan of buying shoes online because I end up sending things back. This was no different.

This is the second pair of boots I ordered online even after I said I would never do it again based on my not-so-good results after my first pair. All my hiking boots are La Sportiva because they usually fit my foot well however these did not. I have a very rigid foot with a very high arch and the way the tongue is stitched in these shoes, I could not fit my foot in there with my orthodics. I use orthodics in my Trango's and Makalu's with no problem but not so much here. I ended up selling them to a friend who had the same foot size as me and he loves them.