Versatile, comfortable, waterproof shoe

By 3LNinja Ranked #276 - Men's Hiking Shoes September 30, 2009

I like this shoe. Here's a Pro/Con review with a little narrative mixed in:

Pros:
- Fits true to size, I am right between a 9 and 9.5 - I couldl've gone either way but am glad I decided to go slightly bigger. The shoe has a lot of padding and insulation, fits very snug, and with six pairs of eyelets you can lace the shoe tightly. Also, I feel I've got room to go with a thicker sock in the Winter.

- Yet, I also feel the shoe is well insulated. Unlike other reviewers, I have not had problems with overheating feet. I guess I should mention that I'm someone who never wears sandals - I always wear socks and shoes. If I were someone who liked to feel a breeze between my toes maybe this shoe wouldn't do. But as a sock and shoe devotee, I don't feel this shoe is any warmer or cooler than any other sneaker/hiking shoe I've ever worn.

-The shoes wear in great and remain sturdy after consistent use. I wear these shoes for hiking and dog walking. After about 8 weeks, I've probably put close to 100 miles on these suckers. They still fit great, are not fraying, ripping, or falling apart anywhere (even the toe remains firmly attached to the upper), and provide good support. Sole wear seems above average - I know I'm gonna wear these out faster than I'd like but so far I'm happy with how they're holding out. Much better than the Timberlands that these are replacing.

- The shoes are sturdy. I live in New England. Hikes here are rocky. No matter how much I'm carrying on my back or how hard my dog is pulling to chase a squirrel, I can stomp on rocks/oddly protruding boulders/roots and the soles of my feet remain cushioned. Of course my feet do feel the pressure from stepping on rocks but I don't get the pain of being stabbed that I get when I hike on shoes with worn out/weak soles.

- I nikwaxed these suckers right when I got them. So far they've remained totally water proof. For me, the real test is walking in tall grass early in the morning after a night of rain. These shoes pass with flying colors. Their waterproofing exceeds that in my Gore Tex Merrill Moab lows.

- These shoes do not yet smell

- I do not find these shoes to be light, but also am not bothered by their weight

- I have a big instep (bump on top of my foot), these shoes fit fine. Apart from this my foot has medium width, normal arch, normal toe box. That these shoes fit well I think is a testament to their versatility and quality build. For the sake of comparison, for running shoes, I go with Nike about a size larger than normal, but New Balance and Adidas fit great.

Cons:

- Very little ankle support. Those rocks I wrote about above, they don't hurt my feet but these shoes do nothing to protect my ankles from twisting. Not a big deal but I did find that these shoes have a lower than normal ankle cut. For me this is very minor but worth mentioning.

- I don't like the design on the outside of the heel - that swirl doesn't do it for me. Gives the shoe sort of a cowboy lasso feel. I'm an east coaster not really feeling that rodeo vibe.

- I don't care for the shoelaces. Again, whatever.

Bottom Line: Great shoe. Not a hiking boot replacement but worth purchasing for the versatility, design, quality build, and the fact that you can probably pull them off at work. Perfect dog walking shoe. That's where I'm headed right now...

View Details: Patagonia Footwear Drifter GTX Hiking Shoe - Men's

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes | 0 No