If you are in the market for an all-weather, winter hiking boot, take note.   The new Delta Boot by KEEN is made for both men and women, and is a very capable option for you winter activities.  While KEEN is best recognized for their summer waterfront shoes, their sturdy boots are also very much worthy of attention.

I was a little worried I wasn’t going to be able to test the Delta Boot in snow, since winter has been taking its time in arriving this year.  I have been hiking in the Delta Boot for about 4 months, in temperatures ranging from 5 degrees to 30 degrees, without snow.  Then finally in late December, Big Sky Montana was blessed with a dumping, and I was able to hike and snowshoe to test them in a true winter environment.

The Delta Boot is geared toward winter hiking.  It features a 200-gram KEEN.WARM insulation, which is toasty enough to keep you warm and dry, but also breathable enough so your feet aren’t sweating when you’re putting in the miles.  Along with the insulation, the Delta boot offers KEEN Dry, a waterproof, breathable membrane.  The waterproof Nubuck covers the boots’ upper.  The Nubuck keeps the water out, while also allowing your feet to breath.  My feet were always warm and dry.  My boots still look great after trekking them through a few feet of powder.  The Nubuck is high-quality, and has not shown any signs of water spots.

The Delta has amazing traction.  KEEN strategically placed 4 mm, multi-directional traction lugs throughout the sole.  The lugs kept me upright, even on steep, icy descents.   Along with the dual-climate and ice-traction rubber outsole, the Delta also rocks KEENs signature, patented toe protection.  I love this visibly recognizable characteristic of KEEN shoes, not to mention the toe protection always comes in handy when you are hiking through rocky terrain!

Keen also placed in the Delta Boot a TPU stability shank to keep you upright and stable while hitting the trails. The collar height is 7.25 “, making the Delta stiff enough to keep your ankle protected, but just flexible enough to offer you full range of motion.  As I said before, I used the Delta Boot while snowshoeing.  The boot was slender enough to use with my snowshoes.  They felt fairly light while I was navigating through a few feet of snow!  The Women’s Delta Boot weighs in at 18.23 oz, and the Men’s weighs in at 22.15 oz.

When I first put the Delta Boot on, I noticed they were a little stiff.  My first hike with the Delta Boot actually gave me a blister.  I wore fairly thin, Smartwool hiking socks, and took a longer hike than I perhaps should have in new boots.  As with any new boot or shoe, you should always wear them around the house for a few hours, or out on shorter ventures, to break them in before hitting the mountains.  I learned my lesson.  After the third hike in the Deltas, the boots felt great, and clearly will deliver long-lasting comfort and support.  Once I broke in the boot, my feet fell in love!

On KEEN’s website, it states that the Delta boot runs about a ½ size small.  I am typically a US 8.5 (EU 39).  That is what I ordered, and I found the boot fit perfectly true to size.  I usually wore a mid-weight hiking sock during my testing.   Before buying the boot online, I recommend going to your local KEEN dealer and try the boot on first.  You always want to make sure you have a well-fitted hiking boot.

The Women’s Delta boot comes in 2 colors:  Chocolate Chip/Nile Blue & Black/Madder Brown.  The Men’s also comes in 2 colors: Stone Grey/Madder Brown & Black/Laurel Oak.

MSRP $130.

Happy Hiking!

My initial suspicions about this beast proved to be true. I tested the KEEN Revel boot in extreme conditions, including hikes in temperatures between 10 and 40 degrees, and terrain varying from packed trail to mud to deep snow, and never experienced cold or wet feet. The Revel boots are seriously warm! I wore these to work on a particularly cold and snowy Colorado day, and found the Revel to be almost too warm for long-term indoor use. The KEEN.WARM Trapolater wool insole, along with the 200g KEEN.WARM layers in the upper of the Revel, provide superior insulation over other winter boots.

The boot upper, made of waterproof nubuck, is quite supportive, and more reminiscent of high quality mountaineering boots than most other winter boots. The patented KEEN toe wrap is even more substantial in the Revel, and does an excellent job of protecting the toes from impact. The Revel is definitely up to the challenge for extreme winter adventures. I found the KEEN Revel to run about half a size smaller than other KEENs, possibly due to the amount of insulation in the upper. Be sure to try on the Revel before buying, or just go up half a size from your normal KEEN size.

The outsole of the Revel also shines. Those of us living in cooler climes know that getting your car tires ‘siped’ can help with traction on ice and snow. Siping involves cutting slits across the tread of the tire to create edges which grip the road surface. KEEN has decided to employ similar thinking in the Revel, visible in the photo at left. The result is perceivably better traction on slippery surfaces.

Overall, I consider the KEEN Revel to be one of the few cold-weather gear rockstars, and should definitely be on your shortlist for cold weather extreme outdoor adventures.

The KEEN Revel retails for $140.

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Sanuk Vagabond Women's

This being my first experience with Sanuk’s I wasn’t sure how the sizing would work out because Sanuk makes only whole sizes instead of half sizes, and wouldn’t you know it, I typically wear an 8.5. I couldn’t find a good recommendation on the website as to whether to order a size up or down from my normal size, so I opted to try a size 8. That proved to be the smart decision because when I put the sandals on they fit like a warm snugly glove out of the box. I have to admit, the Charcoal color is very cool, and at a retail price of $55, not so much that a pair will break the bank. Sanuk also offers a six month manufacturer’s warranty on their products, so you feel there is some guarantee on the quality of the product. And if you’re still a little curious as to how to pronounce Sanuk, head to their website at www.sanuk.com and roll over the “how to say sanuk” link for an audio representation. Keep on rolling over the link for a variety of interpretations. Don’t question me on this one, just do it, you won’t be disappointed.

Sanuk Vagabond

The first time I put them on was on my way out the door to drop off the kids at school and head into work. I went for function over form, but I have to admit I was rockin’ this pair of Sanuks, even with my professional getup. In fact, by the time I made it into work my feet were so relaxed that I opted not to change footwear. I have a privacy panel on my desk so who would know anyway that I still had my Sanuk’s on.  Using this mentality, the Sanuk’s have become my go-to wear to work sandal, changing into my heels is optional.
My office is fully carpeted with that industrial low pile-minimal padding-might as well be concrete flooring. The Sanuk’s were plenty comfy to be trekking around the office all day with lovely cushioning in the sole. However, when I took a gander through the lobby, the sandals were a tad slick on the marble floors, though not so much that I felt like I’d jettison across the room a la Tom Cruise in his tighty-whiteys in Risky Business. I decided these Sanuk’s would be perfect for the drive home after a day of snowshoeing, or for those of you who prefer skiing or snowboarding, they would work just as well on your drive home too. Just take care not to slip and slide on the ice traversing the short distance between the rear of my truck and the driver’s seat.

The Vagabond Chill has a lining for warmth. Is it fleece? Sheep’s wool? Something else manmade? Who cares (though for the record it is a faux shearling), all I can tell you is that is it sweetly soft and provides just the right amount of warmth, but without the icky feeling of having my feet sweat and stink, and considering that in my part of the country we’re having a late summer with plenty of warm days, no sweaty feet is quite the achievement. Sanuk says their sandals are protected by the Aegis microbe shield that controls odor, staining, and deterioration. A few 90 degree days here and no stinky insoles with the Vagabond Chill. If there is anything negative I could possibly say about these sandals is that the lining does shed a little, but it is not huge clumps to where the inside lining becomes threadbare, more like little fuzzies. So really, why quibble over the small stuff? By the way, for those of you who are eco-conscious, the Vagabond Chill is in fact vegan and vegetarian.

So, who has noticed that I keep referring to these Sanuk’s as sandals and not shoes? Gold stars for all you observant readers! Sanuk claims their products are “handmade…not shoes, they’re sandals”. At first glance, the fabric upper looks as though it is glued to the sandal sole. I pulled and pried the upper to see if I could get it to separate from the sole; no such luck. This is one well made little sandal. Upon closer inspection one can see the stitching on the upper that holds this sturdy sandal together. With the sandal bottom, Sanuk claims the result is “ridiculous comfort…that allows your feet to bend and flex the way nature intended”. While many people look for arch support in their footwear to prevent fatigue, I wore my Sanuk’s all day multiple days and still felt fresh and ready to go another round with them.

Where did Sanuk come from? Supposedly a Southern California surfer with a “whacked out taste in footwear” developed these little puppies that are as much about funk as they are function. Who could argue with that? So, say it with me…SANUK! Sannuuuuuuk. Sanuk. Smile and pass it on. Pssst, did you know that Sanuk translates from Thai to mean fun and happiness? Pass it on, but don’t pass up a pair of these sandals.

With Fall upon us, it’s time to break out the jeans, long sleeve shirts, jackets, and boots.  For Fall 2011, Chaco is introducing the new Otis Nurl Boot which has a suede upper leather that screems Fall.  When I think of the classic Fall look, the Otis Nurl Boots are what I have in mind, as least for men.

The Chaco Otis Nurl is a mid cut boot that looks great with jeans or khakis for around the office, classroom, or out on the town.  As many of our reviews are active and outdoors in nature, these boots help you maintain that outdoors look for when you are off the trail.  For when Mother Nature starts to unleash the cold air and snow, the boots are sure to keep you upright.  This is because they have a Vibram Icetrek outsole that helps grip ice and snow better than a traditional outsole.  The Chaco Otis Nurl fits true to size and if you are in between sizes, I suggest to size down.  The insole of the Otis Nurl has the standard Chaco footbed, so if you are one of those people that like to have a little more support, this is a perfect option.

The Chaco Otis Nurl retails for $140 which is on par for most casual high quality boots.  For those that must wear their Chaco’s in the winter time or for the outdoors person that wants to complete their casual outfit, this is a perfect option.

The Pathway Moc by Merrell is an extremely comfortable lightweight moc that works great for summer bbq’s, yet they can hold their own city walking and light hiking.  I recently took a trip to the Northwest where I played tourist and I ended up doing a lot of walking.  Not only did I use the Pathway Moc’s because they were comfortable, but I also really like the styling to these shoes.  They have a low cut making them look good with both shorts and pants.  The suede in the Pathway has a clean look, yet it has a hint of outdoorsiness to it.  The rubber sole in the toe of the Pathway Moc comes up and over part of the toe box as shown in the pictures.  This gives the shoe some flair and function as this area often gets most dirty and it also helps protect your feet and shoes from getting wet when stepping in a puddle.  I found this to be true when I was doing some light hiking in Portland, OR.

While playing tourist, I walked about 6-10 miles a day in the Pathway Moc’s and while my feet were a little sore from being upright for a long time, I thought they performed just fine.  They don’t have the support of a Chaco per-se, but if you don’t need a ton of support, they should be just fine.  I think they work great as a travel companion as well.  A shoe that is lightweight, compact, looks fashionable with a number of outfits, and can handle multiple terrains is a good travel partner in my mind.  They also feel really nice to slip into after more rigorous activities when your feet swell.  Since the Pathway Moc is pretty roomy on the inside, it should be able to accommodate most foot volumes.  The Merrell Pathway Moc retails for $85 and if you can get half as many miles and years as you can in the Jungle Moc, I think these shoes are an excellent deal!  For more information, please visit Merrell.com

I’ve been testing out the Columbia Master than Faster Tech Lite’s for a few months now and while I was a little skeptical at first, I have grown to really like them.  When you first try these shoes on, they are pretty snug and a little stiff.  Something that I am not a huge fan of in the first few miles my first hike out, but after that, it’s all gravy!  For traction, Columbia uses its traction system called Omni Grip which is a 3-pronged lug that gives you traction in all directions, not just forward and backward.  I found the Omni Grip sole of the Master of Faster to provide ample amount of traction on all my hikes.  I hiked rocky dry and wet Colorado trails and I also tested these shoes out in Northern CA, Oregon, and Washington where the ground is a little moister, wet, and there are a lot more roots in the trail.

To keep your feet dry, the Master of Faster Omni-Tech comes with Columbia’s Omni-Tech membrane which is their form of waterproofing on a shoe or garment.  While the Colorado trails generally weren’t all that wet, the trails in the Northwest were wet and there were plenty of water crossings.  The end result of hiking in all these varying climates, my feet stayed dry no matter what the environment was.  While the Omni-Tech keeps you dry, keep in mind these are low top shoes and water will come over and into the shoe if you step in a river.  The durability of the Master of Faster is exceptional to this point.  I’ve put many miles on these shoes and there is no said stitching or piece of fabric that is coming undone.  For those of you that accidently stub your toes on rocks or roots, there is a nice protective toe guard to help you from bruising your toes or losing a toe nail.

For stability, Columbia has added a TPU shank to the midsole of the shoe that gives this shoe some rigidity.  I took the Master of Faster on an overnight backpacking trip with a 35-40lb pack and I felt I had plenty of support.  The shank runs about 2/3 of the way up the foot in the midsole.  While backpacking, I also was able to use the Master of Faster as my trail running shoe as well.  I didn’t want to take a separate pair of trail running shoes with me, and it turned out they worked just fine on my 6 mile trail run.  I wouldn’t buy these shoes for the sole purpose of trail running, but a run here or there, they will do just fine.

In the end, I really enjoyed the Columbia Master of Faster hiking/multisport shoe and feel they are a great shoe for day hikes, occasional trail runs, and weekend backpacking trips.  For more information, please visit Columbia.com

First, a quick rundown of the practical details. The women’s Obōz Firebrand II is a worthwhile investment to make in an all-around multi-sport shoe. It is made of waterproof nubuck leather, weighs in at less than two pounds, and retails for approximately $125. The shoe needed no breaking in, I slipped them on right out of the box and took off on the first of many adventures. I should note, the shoe runs true to size. There was no rubbing or uncomfortable binding anywhere on my feet while wearing the Firebrand II (read: no blisters!), and I found the shoe to have plenty of arch support, especially since I over-pronate when I walk and run and need as much support as I can get. As a bonus, I prefer a roomier toe box so I can wriggle my toes, and this shoe does not disappoint in that respect. Even better, the toe box is covered with a full rubber toe rand, saving the wear on the toe of the shoe (yes, I tend to kick and rub the toes of my shoes). I tug hard on the laces when I tie my shoes, and the eyelets stood their ground with the abuse I directed toward them. Oh, and lest I forget, the laces are superb, really. They are a thick weave that feels like it will last and last and last. While I typically am not fashion conscious, I must admit these shoes are as cute as they are functional – I was the envy of the other girls in my social circle.

I live in the Central Valley of California and have plenty of opportunities to hit up a variety of terrain, from flat wetlands, to oak woodland foothills, to granite peaks. Our higher peaks out west still have snow on them so I took off to explore lower elevations. Our first adventure was to a nature preserve on a river and wetlands with the kiddos. Spring has been extended out here with quite a bit of rain making everything muddy. The Firebrand II kept its traction on the slick mud and I could tromp through it all while everyone else around me tended to slip and skid on the mud. At the end of the day, it was a snap to hose off the mud and set the shoes out to dry before the next adventure.

I prefer a high cut book for my hiking activities because I tend to roll my ankles when I walk…a lot. So, I was a bit skeptical to go back to using a low-cut shoe. However, I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t roll my ankle once wearing the Firebrand II. Of course I rolled my ankle on the uneven terrain, but what set this shoe apart from others was the severity, or lack thereof, of rolling my ankle and the recovery after. I have to complement the good folks at Obōz for making a very stable shoe that still maintains the comfort of a more casual sneaker. I rolled my ankle on some loose gravel, but the Firebrand II took the brunt of the instability so that I didn’t have to stop after rolling my ankle and could continue on right away with my hike. These shoes were so comfortable that I would use them on long day hikes, or even a quick overnight or light weekend backpacking trip.

Let’s talk multi-sport for a moment. When I think of multi-sport, I envision a shoe that can handle a variety of activities, and while the Firebrand II looks like a hiking shoe, what else can it do well? Most of the time I ride my mountain bike on easy graded roads in my neighborhood, as well as on asphalt that rides more like gravel, and is more rough than smooth. I don’t use clip less pedals and special biking shoes; rather I prefer a toe basket with the stock pedals. In the past I’ve used a shoe that is a bit more narrow in the toe box to fit comfortably in the basket. As I mentioned previously, the toe box is a bit more roomy in the Firebrand II and I was curious as to how well it would fit in the basket, and whether I would need to make adjustments. Needless to say, any concerns I had were quickly removed as the toe box fit comfortably in the basket. Entry and exit was smooth each time, and since I was riding with my young boys, we had quite a few stops and starts on our rides for me to test that aspect. Now that my boys are getting older, my goal is to start getting out on more challenging trails, even a few downhills, and I think this shoe will continue to perform well in any of those conditions.

I am also a runner, though I do most of my running on asphalt. There are not a lot of off-road trails in the neighborhood that allow me to test the performance of the Firebrand II as a trail running shoe. While the shoe is slightly heavier than other trail running specific shoes, in a pinch I think these shoes would handle well on shorter runs off road, though I wouldn’t recommend them for a daily run, nor do I think that was the designer’s intent when creating this shoe.

With all the rain we’ve had lately that I talked about earlier, and this being little league baseball season and all, I decided to test the waterproofing function during a downpour that lasted an hour while I was stuck outside cheering the team on. The Firebrand II was supremely comfortable and wearable in an urban setting. After the ball game I spent the remainder of the day running errands around town. While the motto at Obōz is “True to the Trail”, I’d recommend these shoes for exploring the wild places in the urban jungle because they are just that comfortable. The shoes kept my feet dry and toasty with no aches at the end of the day.

Some waterproof shoes have a lack of breathability, causing feet to sweat, but not so with the Firebrand II, which is a nice bonus after a long day of hiking. On one such hike, there were a couple of stream crossings I needed to manage. The larger of the streams had enough rocks that I could hop across, and the shoes had enough grip on the slick rocks. However, one shallow stream was too wide for me to leap across, and no rocks to hop, so I had to plow right through it. The water was cold snowmelt, but my feet stayed dry. The outer layer of the boot also dried rather quickly; another half-mile hike back to the car and the boots had quickly shed any significant wetness. I did a little digging on the Obōz website and found that they use something called BDry, which “is a proprietary membrane, laminated to the liner” of waterproof shoes, and provides breathability via vapor permeability outward, while being waterproof from the outside. Big words, but the end result is the stuff really works.

The bottom line…the women’s Obōz Firebrand II shoe is about both form and function, making it a complete package, whether trekking in the great outdoors or the urban jungle.

My feet are a little wider then normal feet and thought the Ecco Xpedition Lite fit my feet very well. I sometimes even throw them on when I take a walk in my neighborhood on the pavement because of the comfort level they offer. I really like the sporty design and the protection the shoes offer. The durable yak leather makes it easy to clean and I normally just brush/wipe them off with a little towel.

Since my first hike using the Ecco Xpedition Lite, I have used them 40 to 50 different times on the trails. I also had the chance to use them on some west coast trails in Colorado and thought the Ecco Xpedition Lite handled the Rocky Mountain hiking trails very well. The weather was warm and the breathable lining helped wick away moisture so my feet never really sweat and stayed dry.

I also wore the Ecco Xpedition Lite on a 3 day camping/fishing trip and they are a solid shoe for beating around the campfire. I also wore them fishing off the river banks and I felt very sturdy and secure whether I was on dirt, or wet or dry rock.

The only negative issue I came across was one of the eye rings for the shoe laces came off and I had to super glue it back on. This might occur because I pull my shoe laces extremely tight when I tie them. Outside of the eyelet, I have been super happy with the Ecco Xpedition Lite and would suggest these hiking shoes to others.

MSRP $150

Guest review by Todd Mower

While Boston has the Green Monster at Fenway Park, Mammut has its own green monster in the Redburn hiking shoe line. The Redburn is a hiking/approach shoe that is perfect for someone looking for a low cut hiking/approach shoe.  I personally like a low cut shoe as I don’t need a ton of ankle support, but I still like a firm supportive shoe that can hold up to the punishment I often put shoes through.

In recent times, I’ve taken the Mammut Redburn shoes out hiking on trails with; dry dirt, wet mud, tree roots, sharp rocks, steep ascents and steep descents.  On almost all surfaces, I found the shoes to hold up very well.  While hiking in the wet conditions, the shoes absorbed water pretty fast through the suede leather outer, but the inner fabric did a great job at wicking away the moisture and keeping my foot dry.  On one of my hikes I accidently slipped into a stream while crossing on a wet log.  My foot and shoe became totally immersed with water.  After 20 minutes of hiking in temperatures of 50 degrees, the inside of the shoe felt dry and back to normal.  The outside of the shoe remained wet for a little while, but that did not bother me.  As you can imagine, having a shoe that properly wicks moisture away from your foot is important whether you are hiking, running, or participating in any other activity.

For dry log crossings and steep uphill bouldering, the grip on the sole on the Mammut Redburn held up very nice.  There were a few times when I was on a wet rock and a wet log and the shoes didn’t grip all that great, but that was partially expected and I find that to be pretty standard in almost all hiking shoes.  Some Vibram rubber soles do well in wet conditions, but you typically sacrifice in other areas.  The inside of the Mammut Redburn has a sock like molded fabric that keeps your foot very snug in the shoe.  I greatly enjoyed this as every step I took in the shoe was very stable and secure.  While hiking uphill, the heel cup of the Redburn did an excellent job at keeping my foot in the shoe.  Typically in hiking shoes or trail running shoes, the heel often slips out a little while going uphill.

For toe protection, Mammut uses an abrasion resistant rubber that holds up great while playing footsie with the rocks on the trails and also gives you a little protection if you mistake some of the rocks on the trail for a soccer ball.  The EVA used in the midsole is lightweight, yet it does a good job at keeping sharp rocks from pushing up through the shoe.  On a long hike, this comes in very handy.  As for the Mammut Redburn’s stiffness from heel to toe, I would give the shoe a 7 out of 10.  In my mind, the stiffness of this shoe is just right for hiking as I don’t like hiking shoes that are too flexible.  A stiffer shoe allows your feet to work less and helps keep them from getting fatigued, allowing you to hike longer in comfort.

The Mammut Redburn comes in 3 colors options; green, red, and gray.  I tested out the green color theme and while they were pretty loud when I opened the shoe box, I warmed up to them very fast.  In the end, I am super happy with the performance of the Mammut Redburn hiking shoes and I plan to use these shoes for years to come.  For more information, please visit Mammut.ch

MSRP $119