Asolo Tenacity XCR

These are really quite a nice shoe for light hiking, trail walking and trail running in wet conditions. I don't give 5 stars out easily. These are pretty close though...

Materials are primarily nylon, with a Gore-Tex XCR liner. Workmanship looks quite good. No visible problems or mistakes. The internal foot bed is better than most others I've seen. The XCR liner means that they have been completely waterproof as long as the water source is not taller than the mid-cut height of the shoe. Breathability has been as good as expected - on par with other XCR shoes if not perhaps a bit better (less leather reinforcement areas than some other shoes). The sole provides pretty decent traction on dirt/mud trails, but is not as sticky on rock as some other shoes in this market segment. Durability: too early to tell.

Fit was pretty true to the marked size. I'm almost always either an 8.5 or a 9 (US sizing), and the Asolo 8.5 worked perfectly for me. They are possibly just the tiniest bit long. Fit is actually fairly narrow from the heel thru the mid-foot, with a slightly wider toe box. I find them to be an excellent, comfortable fit. People with really wide feet might not like them. My feet are on the narrow side of medium.

When buying these, I was looking to replace a beaten up pair of Montrail Stratos XCR shoes. I was either going to get another pair of these, the Montrail CTC Mid XCR or these Asolos. To compare these, the Stratos is a bit higher cut, the ankle support is more burly. The CTC Mid and the Asolo are both cut a little lower and with a little less ankle support. They are both a bit lighter and more nimble feeling than the Stratos. The Asolo Tenacity is cut the lowest and therefore allows the greatest freedom of ankle motion of the three and is the lightest-feeling. I'd have to say that the CTC Mid was actually my favorite of the three, but the Asolo was my second favorite and was significantly less expensive.

To sum up, I am very happy with my Tenacity XCR shoes for trail runs and walks in damp conditions. They are well-designed, well-built, reasonably dry and breathable, and with a very comfortable fit for my foot. Dislikes: I suspect durability might become an issue as there is much less in the way of leather reinforcement on these shoes. So far, so good though...