User Review: Vasque Sundowner

Vasque Sundowner
Above: The current Sundowner, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed December 17, 2007 by Daniel Kelin

Rating:
Materials: Leather
Use: extended backpacking
Break-in Period: 1 week
Weight: 3.4 pounds
Price Paid: $170

I'm back from Greece, here is my report:

Backpacking over several mountains, very rough, rocky terrain, with thick brush, and extremely hot desert conditions, and urban environments with a 50 lbs. for 1 month continuously, The Sundowners (Made in China Model) performed decently, with a couple of key problems ---

Breathability: GOOD
Even with the Gore-tex lining, my feet never over-heated, and temps frequently exceeded 100 F (FYI I cut the obnoxious Gore-tex advertising off). I wore Smartwool trekking socks or standard rag wool with a coolmax liner and my feet stayed relatively cool.

Durability: EXCELLENT
The boots are very durable - I suffered no technical problems with the boots, no loose seams or soles, everything stayed intact even though they suffered extensive abuse. The boots go on easily and tie up nicely with that good solid "locked down" feeling. The original laces have not frayed. The leather uppers got scratched up a good bit, especially towards the bottom, however, this is to be expected if your using these over rocky terrain. The leather is definitely Chinese quality - looks and feels cheap.

Comfort: POOR
Most important quality in a boot. These boots were somewhat comfortable at first, but after about a month they started to hurt my feet, legs, and lower back. The steel shenk is too long, and interferes too heavily with a normal walking gait to be functional. From reading some other Sundowner reviews, this is a reoccurring problem. To be fair, I was in these boots pretty much all day every day for a month through Greece, which is obviously more than what they were designed for, or the money I paid for them (a modest $170). The tongue was also a source of discomfort for me since it tends to pinch the anterior of the ankle. I've run in these boots for training and to break them in, about 5 miles, and it hurts like hell when you stop. Poor arch support.

Looks: GOOD
Decide for yourself. I've worn them with dress pants and I think they look fine in the snow, at work, or at class. If you cut the stupid Gore-tex ad off then they actually look quite casual.

Conclusion: NO-GO
Don't buy this boot if your looking for something serious (unless you invest in a good pair or orthopedic quality insoles) There is much better value out there. The once Italian-now-Chinese-made Vasque Sundowner is more of a beginners boot, or a designer boot. Best suited to light hiking and general purpose field work. These boots are cheaply made and will frustrate you sometimes with leg, foot and back pains.

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