I've been an avid outdoorsperson for many years and have likewise also been constantly fine tuning my footwear. After a number of other boots which wore out by the time they were broken in (frustrating to say the least) I began to search for something which might relieve the pressure on my wallet by actually lasting. I came to the Rio's by way of their Norwegian welt and bombproof leather. The welt, I knew, stood little chance of separating from the uppers - a problem I experienced with most glued sole boots. Also I found that many of the uppers on other boots barely lasted long enough to be truly broken in. Now for the difficult part; I have a wide forefoot with a narrow heel. Because of this most boots are nothing but blister engines. I bought the Rio's knowing that they were tight across the ball of my foot but had ample volume for the rest of my foot. I broke them in aggressively, soaking them completely in water and hiking in them to stretch the leather and mold them to my feet. I also wore them to work and slowly they began to give (I got a few looks for wearing 4lb. boots with a suit). I am a high mileage hiker (20-30 in a day and typically about 600 miles a year) and they are a definitely on the heavy side, but the fit is a true leather boot fit and the sole is rock solid. In the end I have relegated these to my off trail department (along with plastic mountaineering, fly-fishing, rock climbing, running, and other specialty shoes). They look great, feel great, and will last a long, long time, but if you're looking for a trail boot I suggest you look elsewhere (something under 2lbs.) because after a few thousand foot falls you'll be seriously considering running shoes next time.
Purchased 3/99, logged 450 trail miles, two 10,000+ peaks, and many off trail excursions to remote fishing holes.

Customer Service

No need, these things are built like granite.

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Vasque Clarion, Vasque Sundowner, OneSport Moraine, Vasque Superhiker, Garmont Spire