User Review: Vasque Sundowner

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

Reviewed September 27, 2000 by Kirk Kandle

Rating:
Materials: Leather Medium Duty Hiking
Use: Rough Trail and Backpacking
Break-in Period: Two weeks in town
Weight: see the Vasque Web page
Price Paid: $179.99

I thought this boot was a little above my price range. Then I found a perfect fit at a second hand shoe store in Louisville. The best news: they had never been worn!

On sale at a local outfitter for $179.99 plus sales tax, I found the same exact boot for $125, tax included at Second Step. BEND THIS BOOT TO BREAK IT IN! The boot will pinch at the base of your toes if you do not flex the boot really hard. Don't give up until the pinching stops. I used liberal amounts of Kiwi Mink Oil several nights in a row and wore the boots for several days to my office, just to get the boots softened up. If I had worn them on the trail right away, my feet would have been killing me. No wonder these boots are so popular. The leather is heavy duty yet they have a finished look that can fit in with khakis and a blazer while you break them in.