I've had the China boots for 4 years - best boots I've ever had and I plan on buying another pair. They look great, feel great, and are great all purpose boots. I wear them everyday.

These boots are no longer made in Italy and are now made in china. I have had 2 pairs the first pair (made in Italy) I had for about 3 years until a dog chewed them apart they were great. The second pair (made in china) I have had for 5 years now. They have been great except one of them is no longer waterproof and leaks. Other than that the quality and construction seem to be the same.

Customer Service

about to find out.

Don't buy these boots if you plan to hike in hot weathet. I bought my second pair of sundowners several years ago, then moved frome Northern Cal to San Diego, where I live and hike in Eastern San Diego County. By the third hike the soles atarted to peel of and by the fifth, the sole on one came off completely, the other half way. Obviously not cut out for the heat, but a $200 boot? I've recomended these ovewr the years to many because the fit is so good. So I sent them back (with new soles, peeled off), and they sent them back to me, just as I'd sent them - unusable. Ill never buy another pair of Vasques.

I had my Vasque Sundowners for close to 10 years. They've been everywhere with me - Borneo, Kili, NZ, Denali, Amazon, to name a few. And, these boots have held up through the years of abuse. On my last trip to Northern Canada, the sole on the left boot peeled off. I had to duct tape the sucker for the remaining few days. I sent Vasque a nice letter, asking them to replace the pair and they did. So, I think both the quality of the boots and customer service is top notch.

Just sorry! They wreck my feet and the longer I've had them, the worse they get. After 3 years of missery, I'm buying from Cabelas. They offer real quality and stand behind their products 100%. Dealing with Vasque customer service is a joke.

After blowing through several pairs of cloth-type boots, I purchased these for summer climbs and scrambles. I thought the one-piece uppers would be more durable. After the first season of use, the leather on the side of one heel abraded all the way through to the plastic heel cup. The rand near the toe started separating on both boots, letting sand and gravel seep in. Finally after another season, the sole completely separated from one boot while I was on a trip and far from the trailhead.

Compare this with a pair of Fabiano leather boots that I have owned for over 2 decades and are still in great shape - although my feet are a little bigger hence they are not comfortable anymore.

I was very disappointed with the poor durability and short life of these boots. My first pair of leather hiking boots were Vasque Cascades; I wore them for years and even got them resoled to get more miles out of them.

Vasque needs to improve the durability of the leather and the quality of construction of these boots!

Customer Service

Way out of warrantee so there is not point in contacting the company.

Similar Products Used:

Vasque Cascades; Fabiano Mountain Masters

I am on my third pair of Sundowners and they are in my opinion the best hiking boots - no seams, they fit and feel great immediately. However, I still have the boots made in Italy and am sad to see later reviews of poor quality. I bought mine at EMS in Pittsburgh, the last pair my size of the Italian mfg. I will probably not buy a pair of the made in China boots.

I've noticed some negative reviews and have had a completely different experience with my vasques. I have had my current pair for about 5 years now. I have worked landscaping and walked many hiking trips in them. While not keeping my feet warm, they are still just as comfortable as the day I bought them and i have never had problems with leakage. I still like to walk through puddles just because i can.
Overall, I have been completely satisfied with my vasques.

I am very disappointed with my new sun-downers! I was a truly dedicated customer since my last 2 pairs were awesome. However this pair leaks and doesn't keep my feet warm at all, maybe because they are wet! I literally rang water out of my socks. My last pairs would withstand standing in water over the laces for over a hour! Ive done it! These boots have really gone down hill. 190 bucks wasted!

Customer Service

The store went out of business and the local outfitter wont help me with the "warranty info". Customer service is a thing of the past

Similar Products Used:

I have a pair of vasque waterproof shoes and no complaints. They are actually pretty good trail shoes.

I have had vasque sundowner's for 20 years, they were the best hiking boots out there. I got several good years out of each pair, until my last pair. I usually go out to Montana for a 5 day backpacking trip every year. I purchased my latest pair several weeks before the hike. This pair did not feel as comfortable as prvious pairs. When I got back from the backpacking trip, I noticed a poping sound with every step I took. There was no support anymore, the boot would bend very easily. It appeared the the support in the sole broke (were your foot bends). I E-mailed Vasque and asked about a warranty, since they were only a couple months old. They told me there is no warranty if I abused the boots. They told me to get a hold of the business I ordered them from. I kind of lost my cool and vowed never to buy another vasque boot again. I continued to wear them until about eight months later when I noticed my sock got wet when I was walking on a wet sidewalk. Took the boot off and the rubber sole split in half were the boot bends. There was a plastic support (imbedded in the rubber sole) that broke in half , and the sharp edges must have cut into the rubber sole , causing it to split. Its been several years now, and still wonder if the boot has lost some quality or if I just had bad luck on that pair ?