Women's Vasque Sundowner GTX

I have had my Vasque Sundowner GTX boots for - I don't really know- at least 15 years, maybe closer to 20 years. I bought them because at the time, they were the only decent hiking boots that I could find in WIDE width, to fit my ever expanding flipper feet. I love these boots. They fit like a glove, like an old friend, like a pair of favorite old slippers. They have served me well for many, many miles of hiking and backpacking in the Sierras, Cascades, and Alaska. They have kept me dry and comfortable over a tremendous range of conditions. While everyone else needs to bring a pair of camp slippers in their pack, I just keep wearing my boots, because they are as good as slippers. They have started to leak water a bit lately. I think that is because the sole is almost completely worn away around the front and sides, allowing water to penetrate between the sole and the boot. There isn't much left of the sole on the bottom either. I thought they were finished, but I found out about a guy in Seattle who can re-sole them, so I plan to give them a new life. They will probably outlive me. The only problem is that they are so flexible that they cannot hold a crampon. They never were intended as mountaineering boots anyways.

I have had very mixed results with my pair of Sundowner GTX's. I have put about three hundred miles on my pair and recently completed the JMT in them. Prior to going on the trip I wore the boots constantly, and they seemed to break in nicely over about 50 miles on local trails. Early on I purchased the Sole Ed Viesturs custom in sole, as I found the boots to have insufficient arch support, and these insoles fixed that problem as well as improving the overall fit of the boot. I highly recommend this insole as an addition to your pair if you have support/fit issues. Anyways, for the first half of my trip, the boots were hell. They caused serious blistering on the tops of both my big toes, as well as in myriad other places, and caused me severe achilles pain and swelling on the front of my ankle. I have always tied my boots tight, and I was doing the same with these Sundowners, and I was miserable. About halfway through my trip I spoke with a friend who recommended wearing the boots loose to the point that I was able to slip them off without unlacing (a NOLS technique, apparently). After doing this the boots were great, no pain, no blistering, and the wounds on my feet even began to heal over the last 100 miles of trail. Overall, I give these boots 3 stars, the fit issues early on were unacceptable, I felt like packing it in for the second half of my hike and that is a terrible place to be. I will not buy these boots again, but now that I am tying them loose, they seem to be a solid boot. Durability wise, these boots were great, scuffed as hell but no major tears, and the sole did not begin to peel as it did on my buddy's tps-535. They were grippy in loose rock and dirt and kept my feet dry in some fairly wet/muddy conditions.

I've used the Italian made for 20 years. Bought a new pair built in China...same great shoe. I can't understand some reviews here...lace stud hurts foot? Back stitching hurts foot? Maybe you sized yourself wrong or you need better socks...dunno. All in all my opinion goes these boots a good rating. They are tuff, dependable, comfy after a long break-in and waterproof. They are a bit hot though due to the solid leather construction. Also not real light weight. A good all around boot with a timeless design!

This is the fourth pair of Sundowners I have purchased. I'm a mailman and walk about six miles a day on pavement and dirt/grass. The first pair I brought, six years ago, still feels very comfortable, even thought it has holes from wear on the sides. I have put the boot on and do not have to break it in. I was able to walk in them from day one and the Sundowner has felt great for my feet. I'd recommend these boot to anyone who wants a boot they just put on and feel great in them from the moment they start to wear them. I'm amazed with their heels. It took over a year to start showing wear on the heel, where it would become worn. The pair I have had for six years still has thread on it bottom. Awesome boot.

I just received my boots in the mail and ordered them so I can bring them with me on a trip to Iceland. They do fit well, but the material isn't as quality as I had hoped (especially for this brand's reputation and price.) I wore them around town doing regular errands to break them in; nothing strenuous and not walking through any real extreme climate except for some snow. The toes and the sides of the shoes are very scuffed up now with large guages. I'm pretty disappointed that my brand new boots only looked nice and new for a measly 5 hours. I have no idea how to get the deep gauges out either.

These are without a doubt the most high-quality boots I've ever bought. I've had these boots for five years now and they are still going strong. I have no idea how long they're going to last me, but I'm guessing from the wear it will likely be another three years or more. I have hiked some pretty rugged terrain with these and long distances. The original insoles were not the greatest, so I put in some Superfeet insoles (well, worth the money). These boots are thoroughly waterproof up to about 1cm from the top of the tongue. The ankles are very comfortable. The soles aren't Vibram, but I like them better because they don't slip like crazy on ice and they last A LOT longer. I can't say enough about how great these boots are. One con- When a boot lace goes, it's hard to find the flat 55" laces to replace them. But actually a 45" or 50" lace is a better length -- still hard to find though. Also, when I broke them in they hurt like nothing I've ever experienced, but then I just moved the tongue and it was a lot better. The one rivet literally put me off my feet for almost two days. If you're looking for an amazing boot, look no further.