Garmont Syncro III GTX

I have worn my pair of Syncros for 2 years now and love them just and much as the first day I wore them. Perfect fit right out of the box with really no break-in time required. I had been looking at a couple of different boots and after speaking with a rep at Garmont I was convinced of their product. I have used them on over night hikes to multi-day trips in the back country, through rain, snow and ice, over rocks, sand and slop.

They have great traction and stability. The tongue is asymmetrically shaped and padded so it does not drift to the side. The ankles are very well padded and the midsole is just stiff enough to make carrying heavy loads stable over rough terrain. I have never developed blisters or had hot spots with this boot.

I would like to see a toe rand added, mine have received several cuts on the front of the toe box from rocks, but they are very durable and they don't leak where cut. The boot breathes well and keeps my feet dry. If hiking in deep snow I just wear an expedition weight sock for added warmth. When and if I should ever wear them out and need a new pair, I would not think twice about purchasing a second pair.

as much as i like the way the boot feels and looks, i just don't seem to be able to break them in.

i tried them carefully on in the shop - with socks, enough space for the toes etc. they felt just great in the shop AND they feet great on hikes BUT only for the first 30 min or so. then they become incredibly uncomfortable.

i thought it was just a matter of breaking them in, so i did a total of 9 day hikes each lasting between 4 and 8 hours, suffering. after the last one the toe nails on my big toes turned blue. this was all in relatively flat terrain, so it is not because of descending excessively.

i'm not going to try any longer. sad, as the quality itself is good. btw, never had this problem with any of my previous hiking boots, and there's nothing wrong with my feet.

p.s. checked on garmont's webpage, hoping for some hints for breaking them in, but no info there other than choosing your boot carefully (size etc).