User Review: Vasque Zephyr GTX

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

Reviewed August 30, 2007 by Badoix

Rating: rated 4.5 of 5 stars
Materials: Leather and nylon, goretex lining, vibram sole
Use: Light- to mid-weight backpacking
Break-in Period: short, maybe 10-15 miles
Weight: 3 lbs 4 oz (mfr spec)
Price Paid: $105

This is a very good light- to mid-weight backpacking boot. It served me well on a 3-day backpacking trip in the Sierras with a 25-30 lb. pack, 10 mile days with 3000 ft gains (no blisters!). It had just the right amount of sole and ankle support for hiking both on- and off-trail without feeling too heavy or stiff. The Vibram sole is very grippy and was good enough for scrambling up steep boulder fields.

I didn't put the waterproofing ability of the Gore-tex liner to test. The lining is somewhat breathable but not as much as, say, the Vasque Breeze (or other boots with mesh construction) but I'd trade that for the durability of leather.

Break in was minimal - I just wore it to work for two days to loosen it up. It is a low volume boot, so get the wide size unless your feet are narrow.

I have rated this boot 4.5 stars instead of 5 for the
following reasons (and the fact that I don't know how well it will hold up over time). The heel pocket of the boot isn't as snug as it could be, so it's necessary to lace up the heel well to prevent blisters. Thankfully the locking eyelets allow different lacing pressure on the forefoot and heel sections (a great feature) and help achieve this without cramping up your toe box. Also, the earlier comment about the lack of stiffness in the lugs is true - they do twist, but I didn't find this to be much of a problem.

Shoebuy.com has great prices on Vasque shoes, and you get 10% off for registering and I got another 15% off using a coupon code I found online.

Where to Buy

Buy Online We found the Zephyr GTX at 1 online store:

StoreProduct DescriptionPrice

Moosejaw		Men's Zephyr GTX Boot (Fall 2007)$107.25Buy Now

You may also want to check availablity with these other Vasque retailers:

Similar Footwear

Compare
See how the Vasque Zephyr GTX stacks up against the competition: read more footwear reviews or more about Vasque.

Contribute
Have you used a Vasque Zephyr GTX or a similar product? Write a gear review.

Discuss
Still have questions? Answers? Opinions? Join the converstation in the Trailspace Forums.
email this page

Ready to Buy?

Men's Zephyr GTX Boot (Fall 2007)
Price: $107.25

Buy Now »

at Moosejaw