I am seriously the Queen of Blistered Heels. I always have 2-3 pairs of boots in rotation so I can be breaking one pair in and then use the comfie pairs while I heal up. I honestly didn't expect much from these boots and now I don't know what I'd do without them. They are my absolute fave boots. They fit well, are downright springy, and so light I feel like I could bounce up the trail. Alas they are indeed not waterproof, but for most of the year that's ok. I do have a pair of heavy hikers for the winter but those took 1 full, agonozing year to break in (and they're too hot 'n heavy for warm weather) so I may see how Vasque's heavier boots work for me when the time comes to replace them. I cannot go on enough about how comfortable these were right out of the box.

I don't know if I qualify as a bonafide hiker because my sport is endurance horseback riding. But Wow! When Vasque says "no break-in time" they mean it. I hiked out of canyons and ran down into ravines in these boots and felt great. No weight to them at all. Don't think I could get my ankle to turn over if I tried and as a bonus they felt great in the stirrups. I am buying my husband a pair for Fathers Day.

The Vasque Breeze Gortex is worth every penny! I just got back from a hike up Mount Washington on May 28th. There is still snow on the mountain so the trail from the Cog Railway was like one long stream. I was with 43 highschool kids on an outdoor ed. trip and when we reached the top I was the only one with dry feet. The boots had no break-in period to speak of. After two long days of climbing, the first up Mount Washington from the Cog and down Tuckerman's Ravine to Pinkham Notch, and the second day to the summit of Mount Chocoura, my feet were very comfortable with no blisters at all. The grip was amazing even on the slippery wet rocks at the summit of Chocoura as we encountered thunderstorms and hail while we were climbing. The boot is nice and light and that pale yellow along the bottom makes it pretty sweet looking.

I am happy with this boot because it doesn’t need to break it and it’s light. It is great on the ankles; however, I did fall in a brook and had cold and wet feet for the remainder of the hike. I was under the impression, from the review of the hiker on Mt. Washington, that this boot was good in those types of conditions, but was shocked to find it was not.

I needed lightweight, sturdy hikers for my twice weekly hikes in the Sonoran desert. These boots are perfect, required no breaking in, and have been comfortable from day one. They provide protection to my once-broken ankle without any rubbing or hot spots. Whether on a trail, or scrambling up a brushy hillside,I would recommend these boots for anyone who does day hikes.

Finally- a boot that fits well right out of the box. I have difficult feet to fit and I'm a notorious blisterer- so I'd say I'm extra sensitive to tight fitting boots. These are comfy, light, and breathable with a decent sized toebox. I've actually spent the past 2 seasons backpacking lightweight in trail running shoes or Keens, which has been fine, but I've been trashing my shoes too quickly. After half dozen backpacking trips with these, they're holding up well, and light enough that I can bring sandals too and transition in and out of them without being too burdened with extra weight. The only downside to their breathability is that I get a lot of sand in them (in sandy conditions I have to unload them every few minutes). On hardpack, it's no problem. Perfect desert and dry condition hiking boots.