The North Face Alkaline GTX XCR Hiking Shoe - Men's - 2010 BCS

The Alkaline shoe is 1 of 2 of the best shoes i've ever had. I like to bike and hike in Summit Country Colorado. I like a all around shoe, not a biking shoe. I bought a few years ago the Montrail Hurricane Ridge, in mango, they don't make it any more. The Ridge I used right out of the box, no breakin. The Alkaline is the first shoe that is as good, if not better. I mountain bike, roller blade and love skiing there. Looks good also.

This shoe is awesome. The gore-tex insert keeps your foot very dry. I've run through puddles with it, and worn them walking through the snow in the winter, and the gore-tex worked just like it should. The quick lace system is AWESOME! It provides a really snug, precise fit, and it is very quick easy to get the shoe on and off. The best part is that unlike a BOA system, which ends up being useless if the cable snaps, if you rip or wear through a lace, you can lace up the shoes with a regular shoe lace. This is great in case of an emergency malfunction while out in the wilderness. The toe box on this shoe is made of a really hard dense rubber, and does a great job protecting your toes from getting banged up while hiking. The tread pattern on the sole of this shoe isn't super burly or aggressive. It looks more like a trail running shoe. And with the weight and comfort of this shoe, I tend to use it more for some gnarlier trail running, than I do for hiking. If it's mostly dirt roads, and not a lot of gnarly features in the hike, or if you do some more advanced trail running, this shoe is perfect for you. I even love it for when I go skiing in the winter, because it's comfortable to drive in, waterproof, and less bulky than any apres-ski boots. Great product!

Just got these. Here's what I can say so far:
-Get them 0.5 size (US) larger than your usual size.
-They get pretty hot, but tolerably so.
-Gore-tex membrane.
-They ride a little high. I occasionally find shoes that rise up and hit my malleolus (that bony bump on either side of your ankles). These ones do that to me. This probably has more to do with my own foot dimensions, so if you never tried on a shoe that hits your malleolus I wouldn't worry about this.

These shoes are great. I've been using NF gear for almost ten years & am a very satisfied customer. I haven't hit any trails with these and really don't plan to, but got them because I put 5~10 miles a day on the concrete here in Chicago and wanted a tough, but also comfy shoe. Thirty~Nine years old and have been wearing a Size 10 for the last twenty years. I had to send the first pair back & get a 10.5. The half size larger now fit perfect like all my other shoes. BUY 'EM!!!!!!! You won't be disappointed