Oboz Yellowstone

I've owned a pair of Yellowstones for a bit over a year. I've put quite a few miles on quite a few trails around the PNW and I've been fond of them. They're comfortable, lightweight, and durable enough for a 150 pound guy with a 20 pound pack.

They have all of the basics that you'd expect from a decent mid-range light hiking boot. Tongue gussets that are low profile enough to stay out of the way, waterproof B-DRY liner, good lacing system that keeps your toes from bouncing off of the front of the shoe, and a nice sturdy heel cup to keep your foot supported. The sole grips well in wet and dry, and they break in very well to your foot.

The only real downside is the rounded off heel on the sole that makes things a little less stable on off camber/sketchy trails. My particular pair also had the B-DRY liner fail 4 or 5 months into its lifespan. It's really a shame, because they function very well otherwise.

That being said, Oboz is killer on the customer service front and are sending me a pair of Sawtooth Mids to try out. I'm excited about them and we'll see how many miles I can get out of them.

These boots are very comfortable right away. They break in within 1 mile.

I hike/scramble over 600 miles per year and that seems to be the mileage limit of the boots. The toe are tends to disintegrate after 600 miles. 

I'm a woman, but I got the men's version of the Yellowstone. They are pretty comfy but require some breaking in (at least 30 miles prior to a serious backpacking trip). They are comfy and offer great stability. My feet got a little hot in them (but my feet get hot in most any shoe).

Good hiking boot overall!

Update: October 12, 2009

This review is an addendum to my previous one. I really hoped these boots would break-in better. After a summer of hiking and backpacking with them they have been nothing but a footsore.

They are good up to about a 5 mile hike. After that expect blisters, and bruising on your ankle bones.

I really had high hopes for these boots--suffice it to say they are not what I will be using next year.