Vasque Sundowner

Review Date
January 1, 2004

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: Riitta(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $200.00 at Wildware, Ithaca

Summary:
Good design, crappy quality, that pretty much summarizes these overadvertized boots. Fits my scandinavian feet like nothing else, but did not last longer than one week in New Zealand trails - after a couple of intensive hikes the leather in boots started sagging and pressing the nerves on my feet resulting in numb toes at the end of the day. NOw the botts are used for dog walking, as they offer no adequate support for actual backpacking. After 3 weeks the outsole on right boot came practically off, glued it back on myself. Why? See below. I guess these are good bots for paved US trails, but not for real hiking.

Customer Service:
I bought these boots while still in US, and the Ithaca Wildware people were helpful, although not superknowledgable - they changed the first pair with bad tongue. But the actual Vasque service sucksc: after hike I moved to Europe and tried 5 times (!) contacting Vasque customer support about sagging, collapsed boots with loose outsole. Not a single reply. And why should they bother, they have enough customers, regardless??

Similar Products Used:
Meindl Scout (superb quality, design not for me), finnish nokia (!) boots.

Review Date
August 24, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Susan (Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Cincinnati, OH

Price Paid:  $200.00 at Davidson Shoes (Onli

Summary:
This boot is a great all-around shoe. Has good quality leather uppers for nice ankle support. The soles (on the MX-2) model are heavy but flexible. The workmanship (pairs made in Italy only-check first) are superior. Mine are now a year old and have held up very well. I expect them to last many years. Liked them so well, bought a pair for the husband!ã

Similar Products Used:
Tried other mfgs. "light duty" types with fabric/leather upppers. They are cushy, but lack good ankle support. Save the cushiness for street shoes.

Review Date
July 6, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: Greg(Unregistered User) ,  Day Hiker , from Boulder, CO

Price Paid:  $210.00 at Red Wing

Summary:
God said, let there be light, and there was light. A bit later, He created the Sundowner is His own image. Only as an afterthought did He create man, as he needed something to use the Sundowner.

New owner (~months), used to have Salomon Fronterra? that I loved. Now use Sundowner MX2, made in Italy. Not quite broken in yet, so still a bit uncomfortable. The soles are GREAT!

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
April 16, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: P Swanson(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from Cheyenne, WY, USA

Price Paid:  $106.00

Summary:
Ive had my Sundowners since 1986, and they are awesome! Ive used them nearly every season since, and they have help up to unbelievable use. They are now pretty ugly, and they need to be resoled very badly, but they are still functional, waterproof, incredibly comfortable, and I still use them for all kinds of backpacking, approaches to rock climbs, etc. Fantastic hiking boots, if you can get a pair, do.

Similar Products Used:
Vasque makes nice mountaineering boots too, as does Scarpa.

Review Date
March 5, 2001

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Reviewed by: Jen(Unregistered User) ,  Climber , from San Diego, CA

Price Paid:  $125.00 at altrec

Summary:
The fit of this boot is great (I have wide feet with a narrow heel), and it took me virtually no time to break them in. With a 35 lb backpack, I appreciated the support of the steel shank and my ankles didn't roll once. This boot would get 5 stars if it only had decent traction. I had read on backpacker.com about this boot's lack of traction on slick rock, but I ignored the warnings because of its comfortable fit. But with the kind of hiking I like to do, this boot isn't what I'm quite looking for. If you don't do much boulder-hopping, scrambling, or hiking on steep or wet rock, this boot is for you. If you do, it's best to try another boot.

Similar Products Used:
None