Montrail Torre GTX

Review Date
August 9, 2010

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Reed Jones(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $89.00 at EMS

Summary:
Excellent boots! Wore them more or less right out of the box on a 7-day trip to the horse packing trails and high trail-less plateaus of the Bridger Teton Wilderness, where they performed flawlessly. I am a frequent blister sufferer, even with boots that I've worn for years, and these Montrails were kinder to my feet than any pair I've worn in recent memory. They also were very supportive and had excellent traction on some incredibly varied surfaces and terrain. Hard to say how effective the Gore-Tex was, because the boots were constantly getting wet, muddy and dusty from the "trails", but on those rare stream crossing where my boots weren't swamped, they stayed dry and comfortable. I will go ahead and order a second pair for when these finally wear out. I always know a good thing when I see it.

Customer Service:
No problems with the online vendor.

Similar Products Used:
Salomon, Tecnica, La Sportiva, Merrel

Review Date
April 18, 2010

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by: Tortoise(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $200.00 at REI

Summary:
This boot lasted 1000 miles of the AT and the better part of 2 years with little show of wear. It was waterproof- I stood in streams- and did not stink after all this time. Sometimes the boot was all that held me onto the trail. My will was lagging. When it did wear down it was not the sole that wore out but rather the upper that gave out. This was after hiking the AT. It is a little heavy but durable boots are not running shoes. I have bought a new pair of the same make and model for a discount and will likely buy another pair as a backup. I recommend these boots to anyone on a long hike.

Review Date
February 5, 2010

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Daniel Soebbing ,  Mountaineer

Price Paid:  $140.00 at Bivouac Ann Arbor

Summary:
I purchased a pair of these boots on sale at a local outfitter. I had tried on several different boots from other manufacturers, but these were by far the most comfortable. There was essentially no break in period. As soon as I started hiking these felt great.


First I took these boots on a week long backpacking trip in the Wind River Range. They performed well, though the gore tex seemed to do more to hold water in than it did to keep it out. Overall, though, I was pretty happy with these boots at that point. They were definitely the most comfortable boots that I had ever worn for any length of time.


After their maiden backpacking trip, I took these boots on a NOLS semester course. For the first month we were back in the Wind River Range. This time, however, these boots were not up to the task. Within two weeks the leather upper was separating along a seam near the inner side of the toe box on both the left and the right boot. As the semester wore on, the separation grew worse and worse, as the seam continued to unravel. There were large holes in both of my boots allowing you to see all the way to the gore tex liners and beyond. Sand crept into my boots and started to painfully scour my feet.


As far as I'm concerned, these boots are now essentially trash. I might be able to send them back to Montrail to get them fixed, but I'll never trust them again for anything more than a day hike. I'm never buying anything for serious hiking other than single-piece, full grain leather ever again.

Review Date
November 4, 2009

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Dom(Unregistered User) ,  Climber

Price Paid:  $140.00 at REI

Summary:
These are best desert boots I have ever owned. And I've owned a lot of boots. I just ordered a replacement for my current pair. The pair looks pretty terrible now - no tread left, a couple stitches coming out and a hole or two; but any boot upper that outlasts the sole is a good boot in my opinion. The boots survived 2.5 years, probably 300-400 days of hiking, and who knows how many miles (literally thousands). The sole stands up to sharp desert limestone and volcanics that destroy softer rubber. The fact that I am buying them again is a testament to their worth.

To all the people complaining about the narrowness - they come in wide sizes - buy them. I have wide feet and often have problems with other boots. The wide sizes from Montrail fit me perfect.

Customer Service:
Never dealt with them.

Similar Products Used:
Various models from Asolo, Vasque (terrible!!!), Solomon, REI, Scarpa, La Sportiva, Merrell and others.

Review Date
March 15, 2009

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: Dave(Unregistered User) ,  Day Hiker

Price Paid:  $0.00 at REI

Summary:
I bought these after an exhaustive fitting session at REI to find something, anything, that fit properly. The Montrail Torre GTX Wide fit the bill perfectly. They have been awesome in snow and ice and the waterproofing has yet to be penetrated. They are comfortable (like a heavy high-top sneaker, if you're a bit old-school and remember those) but they might be trouble in summer because they don't have breathable areas. That doesn't worry me as I would consider the foot sweat a great trade-off for having a boot that fits my flat feet.