Had them since the late 80s. Climbed Mt. Blanc in crampons with them. Wonderful boots, very light but strong. I'd still be using them but they were always too narrow and I can't get them stretched enough to keep up with my widening feet. And now none are available in Wide.

Customer Service

All customer service tells me is that they no longer carry them in my size.

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Vasque

Its a sad story with these shoes. They were comfortable but I had to backpack the last 7 miles of a trip in Yosemite barefoot because the crappy soles fell off of the shoes. If you are a serious backpacker, stay away from these shoes.

Used in conjunction with the Superfeet insoles I broke these boots in for a month wearing them around town. Took them on a week long backpacking excursion to Vermont's Long Trail. Verdict: Love the construction--Superfeet insoles did not provide enough padding to the ball of the foot causing extreme pain after a mere 2 days worth of walking. The Vibram soles used with this boot are horrendous as I found them from week one be slippery when wet, and wore down extremely easily. I love the construction of the Norwegian welt design however the soles had me falling on a number of occasions walking on wet rock--or slipping while walking to a seat in a train. These are my 2nd pair of Merrell boots in under a year--and certainly my last. Conclusion: Superfeet insoles were not worth the $32.00 paid for--I had more comfort from a $10.00 pair of rubber insoles purchased from DICKS sporting goods. After 20 years of outdoor fun I've finally come to the realization that "heavy" boots suck--and cause far more problems. If you're looking for boots to go backpacking with buy something light in weight, and flexible. From now on I will use either light hikers, or waterproof approach shoes (adventure sneakers).

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Merrell Altitude Other boots of which I do not remember Timberline light hikers--purchased for $50.00 in some department store and gave me 6 years of dependable and comfortable service.

I found these at Marshall's, one of those discount stores that sells irregular and last season's products. I couldn't believe they were $32! Mine are brown, but I think these are black now. I generally wear a 10D but these are marked 10N and they fit my foot just fine. I had a very short break in period, and have found these boots just the ticket for supporting heavier pack loads. The Wilderness is the classic hiking boot, no bells and whistles, just a solid all-leather upper on Norweigan welt sole construction. Less is more.

Customer Service

None

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Vasque, Zamerlan, Trezeta, Asolo, The North Face.

I've has mine for over 10 years. The soles wore out, so I replaced the them a couple years ago with the heavier Montanga Vibrams. They are now stiffer and heavier. I like the stiffness better for off-trail use, but needless to say I wish they were just as light as before. This is the best full-leather boot I've ever owned. There was never any trouble with break-in and amazingly the liners have held up. I keep looking at new boots, but I can't think of a good excuse to replace these. I even have the original shoe strings.

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Lowa, Pivetta, Vasque, Raichle, Garmont

Best boots ever of all time. I wanted some for a long time before I found these on the clearance table at REI. I've worn them every other day for 5 years alternating with other boots. I will buy another pair as soon as I find another semi good deal. If I don't find a good buy soon I won't mind shelling out the 250 for a new pair. I walk long distances in the dity, and in the mountains. My feet that were once boarderline healthy are in great shape. My only problem is finding them. I think such care is put into their making that they can't keep up demand, but that's just a guess. PS I don't work for them.

Similar Products Used:

Red Wing, Nike, Vasque

Best boots ever of all time. I wanted some for a long time before I found these on the clearance table at REI. I've worn them every other day for 5 years alternating with other boots. I will buy another pair as soon as I find another semi good deal. If I don't find a good buy soon I won't mind shelling out the 250 for a new pair. I walk long distances in the dity, and in the mountains. My feet that were once boarderline healthy are in great shape. My only problem is finding them. I think such care is put into their making that they can't keep up demand, but that's just a guess. PS I don't work for them.

Similar Products Used:

Red Wing, Nike, Vasque

I've Been wearing the wilderness for 8 years just about 365 days a year!
have had one re-sole. Break-in before hitting the trail was about one month for me. I bought them a little oversized for heavy wool socks and the fit was great for my somewhat narrow foot.

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None

Very nice boots; overall fit and comfort are quite high, especially for wide feet. Break in period went without a hitch, and I have never had foot problems with the boots. I have owned these now for about 5 years.
Nice support for all loads; excellent for trail use, and some rough trail; Off trail is ok, but would like a slightly higher boot with a tad more lateral support.
Waterproofing generally OK: requires lots of attention though, with plenty of Nikwax. After about 2 to 3 days in wet weather, the boots will become sodden. I found using a pair of Sealskinz makes them just about watertight.
Overall wear and tear are just about negligable; Vibram sole shows some wear and tear, but even scrambling about on scree over the past couple of years, the upper leathers show hardly a scratch.
If I had to choose just one boot, it might just be these.

Similar Products Used:

Vasque
Merrell Superlights M2
Danner Shasta

These boots are the best overall one piece full grain leather boot I have ever encountered. I have had minimal break-in time (if you do it right) and maximum usage. Not a friggin problem at all. Bomber sole, too.

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None