Vasque Velocity

Other than paying full retail, I really like this shoe. It is very stable, very comfortable, and fits my foot well (including orthotic inserts). It's a well-padded shoe, laces up easily and snugly, and the treads are fabulous - great traction right out of the box. Mine are a non-Goretex model and breath extremely well.

It's worth trying the shoe on, especially Vasque, because not all their shoes are made on the same last - I tried on another Vasque shoe that was too wide in the forefoot and had a very different fit.

It is too early for me to comment on durability for this shoe. My past experience with Vasque mid-level hikers was very good in this regard.

This was first pair of trail shoes after years of running on road and trails with traditional running shoes. In reading the other comments, I must also agree that they squeak, the large treads are prone to separating (especially on the edges of the shoe), and they don't really qualify as motion control shoes. I wear orthotics and need a good stability or motion control shoe. These were recommended to me, but didn't perform. With only over little more than 100 miles on them, the control is weak (I pronate in them).

Also, I have a low volume on the wide side. The laces are such that the two sides of the running shoe almost join over the tongue. Hard to explain, but the width is funny, in short. Also, given the abuse that these shoes should be able to put up with, I am surprised that the laces, after getting caught on a chain ring (bicycle), pretty much disintegrated...

My physical therapist commented that she didn't think there were really any decent stability type trail runners. Maybe she's correct.

These trail shoes have worked well for me for trail running, mountain scrambling and fastpacking. Not a very light shoe, but for me were quite comfortable and stable.

The tread is terrific for mud and steep trails. I like that these shoes have a fair amount of cush, but are still rigid enough to protect the feet from rocks and roots. The mesh uppers don't breath particularly well, but they haven't blown a single seam: impressive.

The major downside was that they got flat pretty fast. About halfway through the summer, trail-running 2 hours or so every other day, they were noticeably flat under the heal and the ball of the foot. Tread is starting to go too. I'll be replacing them with the new velocity VST this year because the Vasque last fits my feet particularly well, and I was quite happy with these shoes while they lasted.

These are incredibly stable and comfortable. They are my first pair of hiking shoes. I bought them for hiking, not running and after hiking through wet, muddy conditions they are my favorite shoes! I even carried my 4-year-old nephew through marshy ground and my feet did not get wet at all.

They grip the rocks very well. I'm sure you could run in them, but being a runner, they are not very flexible and a bit heavy. I suggest a separate pair of running shoes if that is your primary focus.

But, if you are looking for a comfortable, stable and durable shoe for hiking in rocky/wet conditions, these are A++!

My first pair of trail runners. Work well, but I like to sprint and these seem a little heavy and kind of flat. Not much rocker. Really nice aggressive tread which holds its own in mud and clay. They dig in and power up hills really well. I wasn't too impressed with the construction. The uppers seem well put together, but the sole has a funky design which leaves thin points of sole near the edges. This weak point in the sole began to seperate from the bottom of the shoe after about a month or so, but I've glued them back and haven't had that problem since. Overall not a bad shoe, but there are better trail runners out there.

The Vasque Velocity is a nice trail running shoe for the money. I think you can do a lot better with some of the North Face with the Boa system but these will work. I would recommend replacing the factory insoles as the ones they come with lack a solid arch and any type of cushion. They have a traditional lace system so on longer runs you can feel the pressure points (wear good socks).

My final knock on them is that they squeak quite a bit. It is a little thing but I have had mine for a while and taken them on numerous runs and they still squeak like the first day I got them. It's the little things.