Asolo TPS 535 V

The Asolo TPS 520 GV boots fit like a glove and were the most comfortable pair of boots I had ever worn right out of the box.  I could not wait to get them on a trail with four days worth of gear in my pack. So, I took a 9 hour drive to World’s End State Park to hike part of the loyal sock trail. 

The boots made my 38 pound pack feel lighter and off I went into the trail. The problem began to show when I met the first challenge of navigating some rocks along a stream.  I slipped several times on rocks that were not even wet, but moss covered. I thought it strange, but figured it was me just getting going with a pair of boots needing some break in time.

But, once the rain began the problem became obvious and it was not me or anything that break in time could fix. I fell twice on flat rocks with my feet just flying out from under me as if I were on a ice covered lake! 

I cut my first day goal short and set up camp to wait out the rain.  The next day it was still very wet and after two more close calls along more dangerous terrain I decided to give up the hike and came home two days early. 

The bright side of this story comes from the service I got from Oregon Mountain   I spoke to a supervisor named Robert and he agreed to take back the Asolo boots and replaced them with a pair of Scarpa SL M3's. I would and will do business with Oregon Mountain again.  Although, I was sad to send the good fitting Asolo's back, I could not have boots that gave me no confidence on the trail. 

I think the problem is with the shock absorbing piston like device that is made out of a hard (slippery) material, but that is just a guess.  I do hope Asolo can fix this problem while keeping the great fit and function.

Love this boot. Very sturdy, comfortable and waterproof with a smooth lacing system. Grips like a gorilla to rock, mud and roots.

This boot has clearly been engineered to perform as a solid and durable hiking/tramping boot, and that's where it excels. I found them very easy to wear with virtually no break-in time. I took them on a wet overnight trip and came out with zero blisters or rubbing of any kind.

Most impressed. Highly recommended.