Vasque

Talus XT Low Hiking Shoe - Men's

Not the Mantra replacement I was hoping for

I bought a pair of Talus XT Lows hoping they could replace my aging Mantras (the third pair I've owned). They looked great in the photos. But when I took them out of the box, they looked huge and felt like boats on my feet. Not trim and efficient like the Mantras. I was very disappointed and returned them.

An acceptable replacement for my Mantra 2.0s

I purchased these about a month ago to replace my last pair of Mantra 2.0s. I've been wearing Mantras for the better part of two decades and was disappointed to find they are no longer available. Thus far I've found these to be a reasonable replacement. The most important feature to me is the last, which must be very similar or identical to the one used in the Mantras, because these shoes feel about the same on my feet. Not quite as roomy through the toe box, but still comfortable for an 18 hour work day or a day long hike. I'll see how they hold up over time and may update/repost as necessary, I have great faith in the Vibram soles, will see how the rest of the shoe ages. Giving four stars because the only shoe that deserves five are the six+ pairs of Mantras that I've owned. Hoping Vasque will take note and bring them back!

seems beefy but underwhelms

The Talus XT low hiking shoes are fairly comfortable out of the box. I took them out of the box for a 15km hike over a mixture of rocky, muddy, and hardball terrain. They have a wider toe box which is nice for flatter feet folks like myself. Overall build quality seems good, although I'm not confident about longer term durability of plastic eyelets. Being an all leather shoe, at least for me, I wouldn't choose them for temps over 60F. They did prove waterproof based on the fact I wore them through streams and my feet stayed dry from the outside elements. The tongue seemed to poke into the inside top of both my feet where the upper and tongue meet for some reason, but they eased after the hike. I attribute it to just needing to be broken in. I felt pretty secure on dry rocks, but when things got muddy or a little wet on the rocks, the treads felt pretty sketchy. The treads aren't as nubbly and the tread design didn't provide confident grip in mud either going up or down hills. I also wasn't confident with the grippiness of the Vibram Megagrip compound. They felt super sketchy on wet rocks. Obviously not an ice shoe, but they also slipped all over the place when walking through partially frozen spots. Since most of the trail was dry and rocky, I felt that is where these shoes shined. They seemed to take quite a bit of rocky terrain abuse. Just wasn't confident in wetter conditions.

If you're replacing Mantras look elsewhere

There's nothing inherently wrong with this shoe (except the eyelets break relatively easily). It's perfectly average. The comfort, feel, and durability are all average. You could go buy 10 hiking shoes from a retailer and the Talus would be worse than about half and better than about half of them. I wore these for about 8 weeks before tossing them after a second eyelet broke. I found the tongue to be annoyingly uncomfortable. They feel 'clunky' like you are wearing thick clogs...If you put these on with a blind fold, you probably couldn't feel the difference between walking on conrete or a gravel trail. I am not convinced that the last is the same as the Mantra...the toe box feels different to me, but it may just be the placement of the laces and tongue. The Mantra was an excellent shoe and this shoe is just alright.

Comfortable, sturdy, and look great

i bought these for our current summer hiking trip to Breckenridge. they're comfortable, sturdy, and look great. they do feel heavier than a lightweight hiking shoe for sure, but on rocks they're great and i'm looking forward to these in the Chicago winters too.

Comfy, sturdy hiking shoe

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I just took these out for the first time in Breckenridge, hiking to Sallie Barber Mine with family. They were extremely comfortable out of the box and very sturdy on our hike! I'm looking forward to more hikes this week, and use in the winter.

disappointed

I received these shoes as a replacement for a pair of Mantra 2.0 that had a defect. Initially, I was very pleased but as time passed so did the pleasure. It has been about a year and the soles on these shoes has not held up. Just everyday wear, no serious hiking. I have a pair of Vasque hiking boots that I have had for over twenty years and, though worn, they have held up better than these shoes.

shoe boot

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Size Bought:

11.5US

Height:

6' 1"

Weight:

285

My foot is typical American - narrow heel, wide forefoot. Each brand has their own last and I've tried them all. I found that Scarpa and Vasque fit best for me, so I only shop by brand. Ankle-high shoes with PU midsoles that provide extra shock absorption for heavy hikers like me are a rare find. Even less common are ankle-high hiking shoes without GTX liners, which only increase stink (why do ankle-high shoes require GTX?). I was happy to finally find a shoe with PU midsole with no GTX. They are exceptionally sturdy and fit reasonably well (11.5M US). However, they are bit bulky like a boot and requires heavy socks, and the laces do not extend to the toe, so you cannot cinch up the toe box. I previously purchased the Vasque Juxt in 11.5W, which fit great, but having EVA midsoles, they wore out quickly with minimal wear.

help...love my 3 year old

I am searching net for another exact pair worn over 3 hard years...hiking is long ago for moi. Live in laked area of the ozarks is rocky everywhere. Yet even old timer knows the quality. Great for back yips..held up great..actually could wear these longer..and keep them for backups

Excellent hiking shoe

Excellent hiking shoe (actually, the best I've ever worn)! Did my first "hard" hike (~20km) with these and they were amazing. Excellent grip, great stability and no blisters! Highly recommended! Wears true to size.