I got these shoes many years ago, so long that I have forgotten. I have the old Italian ones. They have been with me for many miles of great hiking. I did take them into the desert outside Tucson and that heat made the soles start to let go. They were old by then but I love them so much I sent them in (my expense...they were really worn afterall) and had new soles installed. That was nearly ten years back and I still wear them. I have other newer boots I use for serious hiking but somehow I still love the comfort and fit of my Sundowner's and I take good care of them, wanting them to last ten more years! I wear them almost every day walking my dogs in the woods and for some light trail walking.
Nothing else has ever felt as well to me. I can not speak for the new Chinese ones as I have not tried them. I sure love my old ones. Like an old, dear friend. I have now and have used other great hiking shoes. These are light to medium duty hiking shoes in my mind and they excel at that usage.

Customer Service

Never had to deal with them so I can not comment.

Similar Products Used:

I have or have had an assortment of other hiking shoes including Montrail and Merrell, both fine shoes.

good boots, but my soles fractured and fell off after a few years. Nowhere near as long as other reviewers claim. It appears vasque customer service no longer replaces damaged soles, instead they contract out to a regional repair service paid for by the customer

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.