Description Rugged construction and Gore-Tex® liners make these boots an excellent choice for backpacking in all kinds of weather.. Supportive, water-resistant leather uppers are backed by waterproof, breat...
Reviewed by: Richard Buckner(Unregistered User)
,
Backpacker
Price Paid:
$80.00
at Sport Chalet, La Can
Summary: After several years of inactivity because of ilnesses and injuries I began day hiking in my Asolo Sport(s) Ridge boots I paid $80 for (they might cost double that now). These are my "new" boots and although the calendar age is a decade or two have very little wear on the vibram soles and fit well. After a couple of hours the area where the filler material is under the ball of the foot depressed making the ridge where the upper curls under to provide sole attachment very uncomfortable. I thought it would be a simple matter to remove the insole, pad the depressed area to make the insole level under the ball of my foot and replace the insole. Asolo refused to do this after I shipped the boots to them at my expense and insisted on having outside cobblers replace everything but the heel, upper and insole at the original cost of the boot plus shipping. The boot expert where I bought the boot says this is a materials defect. I would not buy Asolo boots again or deal with their customer service. I will try to repair the boots myself.
Customer Service: Asolo customer service was not knowledgable enough to discuss the insole depression problem with my boots on the phone. I drew a detailed diagram and faxed it and snt a hard copy with the boots to their plant in New Hampshire and they tried to farm the problem out to cobblers that just wanted to make the maximum amount of money and charge me for it. They got very defensive about their product and service. They refused to make a reasonable repair.
Similar Products Used: I have an oler pair of boots, presumably not as good as Asolo, that I have had resoled with Vibram soles. They are fine and I have to use them. The filler material never broke down in them and hey are 46 years old. I got a much better price dealing directly with the cobbler Asolo recommends than going through Asolo.
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Summary: This is a follow-up to my earlier review.
I did a 50 mile thru hike with a heavy pack through the rugged Uinta mountains with these boots. The terrain was rugged with lots of boulders, water, some snow, etc. and the boots performed very well.
I did have a couple of problems. One was that these boots (a replacement to an earlier pair that was sent back to the Asolo because of a broken shank) fit me larger than the same sized pair I had previously worn. Just a note to be careful about sizing your boots. The other problem was a persistent pain that developed just over the right ankle. I finally figured out that the pain was being caused by the little metal "gore-tex" tag that was placed right over my ankle. I cut it off and the next day my pain was gone.
I would buy this boot again.
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Summary: The other guys above me pretty much sum up my opinion. My first pair of boots went with me backpacking once and then hit the garbage. I swore I'd never buy cheap footwear ever again! These boots were doing fine until the leather on the left foot cracked and exposed the gore-tex. I tried Rhino Lining the boots (re: spray on truck bedliners) and after about 200km that is now starting to crack.
Fit: excellent
break in: 6 months
comfort: good, needs better insoles
durability: fair
Customer Service: Asolo said that they had never seen the 650's crack the leather like mine. They wouldn't do anything as far as warranty because they were about two years old.
Similar Products Used: Vasque's
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Reviewed by: dell711(Unregistered User)
,
Day Hiker
Price Paid:
$150.00
at Out n' Back
Summary: Bought these boots on sale last Summer for long day hikes along the Wasatch Front. They are surprisingly comfortable and easy to wear with a short to moderate break-in period. I first thought that these boots may be a little too much for my purposes, but they been great for the relatively light use I give them (rugged terrain, but not extended and not with heavy pack). I am eager to see how they hold up to longer backing trips.
Customer Service: I actually broke the shank in both boots. My local retailer said they had never seen that before and Asolo said the same, so I am hoping it was a fluke. Service was great though as Asolo immediately sent me out a new pair without even waiting to recieve the defective one!
Similar Products Used: Solomon
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Reviewed by: Andre S(Unregistered User)
,
Backpacker
, from Boston, MA
Price Paid:
$219.00
at Bob's Wilderness Sto
Summary: I went on a 3 and a half week Colorado Outward Bound trip two summers ago. I can't lie, when I was at the store I figured I should've taken another boot for my purpose but, ended up choosing these for style and looks. However, the boots actually far surpassed what I needed them for.
These boots are amazingly comforatable and amazingly durable. For three weeks these were just about my best friends. I went from boulders, to water, to grass, to mud, to gravel. These boots held up great, and actually are still holding up(I'm wearing them as I type this, it snowed today in Boston). They provided great grip on smooth and jagged rock. Kept my feet dry when I went through good up to 8 inch deep creeks. My feet stayed warm during the night when the temperture fell. And the ankle support was up to par for these boots.
I was truly impressed especially when I found out how much other people had paid for there boots and they were having numerous issues around, comfort(i.e: rubbing, not good shock absorbtion, get wet to easily). Now don't get me wrong I still think the boots are expensive. But I look at them as an investment.
I still wear them now for hiking,when it snows, or when I just want a rugged image. And they still look pretty good after the mud, water, rocks, and dirt they went through for ruffly 65 miles.
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