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Oboz Sawtooth Mid

rated 4.5 of 5 stars

The Sawtooth Mid has been discontinued. It was replaced by the Oboz Sawtooth II Mid.

photo: Oboz Sawtooth Mid hiking boot

I have hiked in these boots in the spring, summer, and fall and worn them with snowshoes in winter, and they have been comfortable in all these conditions. I have had them going on five years and they are still going strong. In the spring, fall, and winter conditions tend to be wet here on the west coast, and my feet stay warm and dry for up to several hours of cold, wet hiking.

I highly recommend these boots.

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Great water resistance
  • Durable
  • Good grip

Cons

  • Take at least 12 hours to dry completely
  • A bit too hot for summer weather
  • Light colour shows dirt
  • Could have better ankle support

These boots fit my size 7.5-8 feet really well. I have a hard time finding boots that fit well because I am somewhere between a 7.5 and an 8, but these fit well right away. The laces keep them snug on my feet, but not too tight.

Hardly any break in needed for these. I wore them as my daily shoe the first winter I got them and I had no problems. The sole supports my foot well, I do not get sore feet in these boots, even after hours of hiking. The ankle support could be slightly better. That said I have never rolled my ankle wearing these, so it is adequate.

These boots have great water resistance. I have hiked in rainy, wet rainforest conditions, walked across shallow streams and snowshoed in heavy, wet snow, and they have held up great. The only downside here is that the materials take a long time to dry once they eventually get wet, not quick drying. However I have worn them damp on camping trips where I had no warm place to dry them out overnight and the warmth of my feet dried them out as I walked the next day.

They have good traction. The only surface I have slipped a little on wearing these is packed, slick snow. On dry ground the grip is very good, never had any issues.

Durability of these boots is fantastic. I have had them for five years and have worn them at least 2-3 times a week all fall and winter long. I've done plenty of hiking and snowshoeing in them, as well as wearing them as a work boot on occasion, and they are not showing much wear at all. Laces have not frayed at all, soles are not separating at all, no seams coming undone.

The light colour of the design does show dirt faily easily, so unless you are super careful at keeping them clean, they will start to look dirty quite quickly. Personally I don't mind though, they look worn like a good, comfortable hiking boot should!

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $119 CND

Love this boot. Great waterproof boot, decent breath-ability and moderate price line.

Pros

  • Very durable
  • Waterproof
  • Great soles

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Could have better breath-ability

Fit: These boots are snug. When you push your foot in, it's almost like you are clicking into snowboard bindings. Your foot feels right. There are no hot spots, decent arches and the boot really contours to your foot well.

Comfort: It took me no time to break them in. The first day I got them, I took them on a ten-mile hike throughout the dunes. They handled everything great.

Support: Could be better. I have a tendency of being dumb and rolling my ankles, most mid-height boots prevent me from being able to roll an ankle, these don't. I haven't hurt myself yet wearing these boots, but definitely a concern for me.

Waterproofing: The waterproofing is great, my feet always stay dry. If I was to use these in truly wet situations I would put on a pair of gaiters. Around the laces it lets in a little bit of water, but that's only when the boot is completely submerged. For puddles and rain, these boots have no problems.

Traction: Traction is probably my favorite part about these boots, I've used them for disc golf and hiking and put a decent amount of miles on them, and the traction is just like when I bought them. I tend to rip through soles, solomon's didn't stand a chance, Merrells lasted me 5 months, Cushes lasted me 6 months. I've had these for around 6 and they are holding up great.

Temperature Control: With most of my boots I've had problem with my feet getting too hot, and getting blisters and soggy feet. With these I've only had that a little bit. I wore them for about 10-12 hours straight and towards the end my feet were pretty sweaty. I was active all day, and that's probably why. This can be prevented by having an extra pair of socks, or taking them off after 8 hours.

Bottom line: Great boot. For the price I wish I could have a little more support and a little bit better breathability, but the traction and comfort make up for it.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $140

Fit, function, breathability, dryness, warmth? (yes, warmth.)

Pros

  • Fit!
  • Keep my feet dry and relatively warm for a non-insulated boot
  • Awesome footbed (no need to go spend $40 on an overpriced Superfeet footbed)

Cons

  • None yet

Can't recommend these boots enough! Bought these after having Salomon, Keen, Merrell, and even Danner (still in the closet). While they were all good boots in their own right, none of them really fit well or covered all of my needs.

My OBOZ seem to do it all! I have a narrow foot, even narrower heel, and these fit right out of the box. Support is exceptional, and the heel pocket seems to just grab my foot and hold it just snuggly enough. My feet seemed to stay cold anytime I was outdoors in other boots. I spend a lot of time on the snow doing ski demos for a ski company during the winter and my feet actually stayed warm on a 23-degree day with 3-4 inches of new snow two weeks ago (they are not advertised as winter/snow boots)

The water-proofness of these boots is outstanding—snow, slush, rain, puddles, wet grass, even shallow creeks are not a worry. The wrap around traction of the sole lugs are great in the mud and snow.The best thing about the boots is the incredible footbed! Every other boot I've purchased ended up having to have a pair of Superfeet footbeds to fit right and be comfortable for all day use, not my OBOZ!

I'm eager to try some of the low-cut models if my other brands were to accidentally disappear. Seriously... I'm disappointed it took so long to come upon this great boot company, but now I'm a huge fan for them. You won't be disappointed.

Source: bought via a "pro deal"

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Specs

Men's
men's size 9 women's size 7
Price MSRP: $135.00
Historic Range: $19.96-$150.00
Reviewers Paid: $140.00
Weight 1.5 lb per boot 1 lb per boot
Materials Nubuck leather, BDry waterproof membrane
Women's
Price MSRP: $135.00
Historic Range: $74.83-$150.00

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