Thread: Leather Boots. Vasque -vs- Asolo

Originally Posted by allTandA

Ha! a bunch of deadheads with sundowner. F'n CLASSIC.









bought a pair in 89 that lasted 10 years. from Highgate VT mudpit('92) to T-ride Bluegrass mudpit('98 ?)

I was at highgate, awesome. Wish I was there again

Originally Posted by hutash

Hiking boots are like ski boots, you need to find on that feet your feet well. Find a good shop with a lot of different brands and find what works.

I had some of those salomon adventure 9's with the laceup inner boot that held yer foot into heel pocket which were great till the inner boot ripped after about 6 yrs

After that the only thing that I could find to fit a small foot ,wide forefoot/narrow heel was some of them terrible looking salomon mountaineering boots with the blue plastic bits in womens sizes that were made in china

what brand is good for a small foot / narrow heel /wide forefoot ?

having a small size 24 foot puts me in womens sizing & a womens last which is not so bad in a ski boot with thermofit liners but I am thinking not so good in a hiking boot

Originally Posted by jgb@etree

I used to resole as well, but they just end up being too flimsy by the time the second set of soles are done. I've always used resole.com & they've turned the boots around pretty quickly.

Any tips for breaking 'em in quickly? Normally, I just use mink oil on the leather, wear a thin pair of socks under my normal socks and wear them for day to day stuff until they are comfortable enough for hiking & working outside.

Been looking at the Lowa's that have been recommended, but I don't really see one that fits my asthetic needs. I like full leather boots - not only for durability & comfort, but because you can wear them just about anywhere with khaki pants and be OK because they just kinda look like brown leather shoes. Kinda stupid, I guess, but it's part of what makes the vasques perfect for me.

Be cautious when choosing oil for breaking in boots.
Mink oil, or any wax (like Snow Seal) will clog the leather pores. When the leather can't breathe, your feet will sweat like you've never seen. This constant sweat leads to breaking down of the leather and stitching, and shortens the life of your boots. Plus it's no fun for your feet.
The easiest break in is to fill your boots with warm water and let them soak for about ten minutes. Then dump them out and wear them until they are dry. You can put bread bags on your feet to keep them dry, or just change your socks often. Not recommended for a long initial hike, as the wet is uncomfortable, but walking is necessary to allow the leather fibers to shape to your foot. You could just as easily stand in the stream until they are soaked through, but again, not so much fun hiking unless it's an easy hike.
You could also purchase a solution called Leather Stretch which you can liberally spray on before wearing. It allows the leather fibers to stretch and shape to your foot. You may need to use this a few times, especially for heavy hiking boots. You can find that in many shoe/boot shops.
Also, be sure to remove your boots with your hands. Not with the toe of your other boot. Yeah, I know that's the easy way, but after you spend all day getting the leather at the back (the rear counter) shaped to your heel, you put a big dent in it with the boot of your other foot, and when you put them on the next time, they will have dried with that dent, and it will be uncomfortable at first. No need for discomfort! I can tell which boot you take off first by the size of the dent in your heel counter.

As for favorite boots, I have a pair of Danner boots that I really love. The tongue is sewn in, so shallow creek crossings don't rush into them, and the are comfortable and are wearing great. High on the cost, but well worth it. Just make sure your heel has room to slip up and down so you don't get blisters. (That's important for any boot). I got them at Sierra Trading Post, and they are GREAT!
Thanks for your time, and enjoy the great outdoors!

Originally Posted by Big Steve

This ^ ^ ^

I hated my Sundowners. They provided me the support and lack of torsional rigidity of trail running shoes, but at 2X+ the weight and bulk.

I have zero use for backpacking boots because I'm either in light mountaineering boots or trail runners. Most of my non-skiing alpine travel involves off-trail, scrambling, neve, firm, glacier, scree, talus, death-by-cheesegrater and/or steep heather, etc., so I need boots with torsional rigidity (i.e., light mountaineering boots) for that terrain.

If I'm confined to trail, I'm in trail runners. I'm not alone on this. I see more and more backpackers in trail runners.

Work boots and hunting boots -- that's another issue.

My footwear is either flip flops, light trailrunner/approach shoes, or ski boots. I don't have much of a reason to be in anything in between the approach shoe and the ski boot.

This is my all-time favorite shoe. I've had a pair for about three years now and they're still totally bomber w/ zero blown stitching and the soles are still sticky and wearing evenly.



I can also recommend the Scarpa Mojito which fits and wears much like the Zen, but has lighter and thinner uppers.

Originally Posted by Skidog

One word....LIMMER

http://www.limmercustomboot.com/

this.
order some of these now and until they're done just tide yourself over with whatever else works for now.

Originally Posted by Captain Anal

this.
order some of these now and until they're done just tide yourself over with whatever else works for now.

Finally someone who understands...

You can always get a pr of "off the rack" limmers too to tide you over until the customs are finished...

I was selling boots at a gear shop when Vasque made the switch from Italian to Chinese manufacture, so we had stock from both. You could see and feel the difference in the boots.

Like others have said, Lowa makes quality product, but the footbed is totally different from Vasque. If you have a really forgiving foot, you might find that Lowa works for you, but if you have a really narrow foot with a high arch (typical for people who really love the Vasque fit) you won't like Lowa much (better for a narrow heel but a wide forefoot.

I second the Limmer option. Limmer light-weights will feel a lot like Sundowners.

http://www.scarpa.com/scarpa.php

I found the boot FOR ME the Nepal pro GTX comes in mens or womens model, with a gortex insert absolutely 100% standing in a stream waterproof

it would fit a narrow heel/wide forefoot for 300$ about can

I finally decided to replace my 25 year old Vasques--don't remember the model name but it's one piece leather upper and no GTX and the leather has gotten too porous to waterproof. Got the Asolo 520's. Best fit I've ever had--no heel blisters or need for moleskin for the first time in my life BUT the soles are crap--the rubber is peeling apart at the toe. It's Vibram branded but I think proprietary to Asolo. I don't know about the traction problem people have had on wet rock--the southern Sierra is bone-dry--but I'm taking them back to REI and looking for something with a Vibram Montagna block sole. The Asolo Khumbu looks like it might have a better sole--in pictures--but not Montagna block. Anyone have them?

Originally Posted by jgb@etree

I've been wearing Vasque Sundowners for years. As many of you know, they moved the manufacturing from Italy to China about 5-10 years ago, and the quality has gone down the tubes. Where I used to get 3 years out of the Italian Sundowners, I get less than 1 year out of the Chineese version.

So last year I decided to say fuck it, and dropped a pretty penny on Asolo TPS 520 GV's. They look damn good and are pretty sturdy, but they've got a couple of major issues that I can't deal with.

1. They're too warm. Great for deep snow, etc, but it gets awful swampy in the Spring, Summer & Fall.

2. The traction in wet & icy conditions is AWFUL. You'd have better luck hiking in ice skates.


Other than the durability issues with the Vasques, they still fit the bill perfectly.

I almost wouldn't even mind replacing a pair of sundowners every year if it didn't take 2-3 months to break them in each time.

So, have any of the other Sundowner fans out there found a good alternative? I suppose the Asolo's should be good for the rest of the winter, but I need to have a new boot on hand & broken in by spring.

TIA for any suggestions.

For a mid-level, trekking, non-mountaineering boot...the vasque Sundowners are a very good, well-made boot. I love the fact that they still try to have as few seems as possible. And their smooth, full-grain leather seems of good quality.

Problem is, they don't fit my wider feet. Sundowners have a failry narrow last.

So myself, I DID go with those same exact Asolo's as you have. The GTX520. I'm pretty sure they're made in Romania. At just under $280 they are fairly expensive for a non-mountaineering boot...but they are comfortable, seem well-built for what they are. They were stiff enough for some heavy-duty scree and ridge rocking and scrambling. And their Gore-tex feature is really good, and they remain waterproof as well. With the Gore-tex, they REALLY cut-down on the embarrassment of smelly feet when you take your boots off. Other boots gave socks a nearly permenant stench.

But I found the very same thing as you on snow and ice....slippery as hell compared to other boots I've had. It's the type of rubber.

Yes.....all around boot quality has gone way down over the years.

If you want a REALLY good pair of boots that will last for years or decades, it's best to go with custom-made. And I think Dave Paige (or is it Page?) out of Seattle is still the best there is. The boots will cost twice as much as the Sundowners...at something over $500....but are worth every penny.

You pay him half up front, send in a plaster mold of each foot and then pay the other half when the boot arrives (or is it slightly before, prolly).

You'll then have the most comfortable pair of boots you'll ever have owned. Gauranteed!

And unlike nearly every non-custom bopot maker out there....he'll make you boots with full-leather finely sewn inners...when's the last time you've seen THAT?

--

Originally Posted by Scrubadub

Better be careful....if you say that stuff made in china is not as good as where it was originally made there are a bunch of chodes (that probably work for said company), that will get their panties in a bunch in stating that the items made in china are of equal or greater quality than where they were previously made....

So I have noticed!!!! Eh, Doughboy, et al?

See my "Chinese-Made &@$%#&" thread for reference.

--

These guys make some great boots too. I have a pair that are 2 years old and got a small rip in them. They repaired them free of charge. I am always going to go custom boots. Might be more expensive at first but pay for themselves in the long run.

http://www.russellmoccasin.com/boots...ts_safari.html

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

For a mid-level, trekking, non-mountaineering boot...the vasque Sundowners are a very good, well-made boot. I love the fact that they still try to have as few seems as possible. And their smooth, full-grain leather seems of good quality.

Problem is, they don't fit my wider feet. Sundowners have a failry narrow last.

So myself, I DID go with those same exact Asolo's as you have. The GTX520. I'm pretty sure they're made in Romania. At just under $280 they are fairly expensive for a non-mountaineering boot...but they are comfortable, seem well-built for what they are. They were stiff enough for some heavy-duty scree and ridge rocking and scrambling. And their Gore-tex feature is really good, and they remain waterproof as well. With the Gore-tex, they REALLY cut-down on the embarrassment of smelly feet when you take your boots off. Other boots gave socks a nearly permenant stench.

But I found the very same thing as you on snow and ice....slippery as hell compared to other boots I've had. It's the type of rubber.

Yes.....all around boot quality has gone way down over the years.

If you want a REALLY good pair of boots that will last for years or decades, it's best to go with custom-made. And I think Dave Paige (or is it Page?) out of Seattle is still the best there is. The boots will cost twice as much as the Sundowners...at something over $500....but are worth every penny.

You pay him half up front, send in a plaster mold of each foot and then pay the other half when the boot arrives (or is it slightly before, prolly).

You'll then have the most comfortable pair of boots you'll ever have owned. Gauranteed!

And unlike nearly every non-custom bopot maker out there....he'll make you boots with full-leather finely sewn inners...when's the last time you've seen THAT?

--

Interesting. Glad you're liking them. My initial concerns (too warm, heavy & slipperry) are still present, but outside of that they have been good boots. I beat the hell out of them and rarely clean them up or take care of them and they're wearing extremely well - they still look like they are almost new. But a lot of that could be due to the fact that I rarely wear them when there isn't snow on the ground, where I used to wear my sundowners pretty much year 'round. But yeah, the asolo's are solid & have great support.

Might have to check out the custom guy you mentioned, as I rarely make it up to new hampshire so getting fitted for some custom limmers might be tough.

Originally Posted by XXX-er

what brand is good for a small foot / narrow heel /wide forefoot ?

Salewa makes some narrow, hyper high quality product.

My boot experience:
Sundowners really smell bad because of breathing issues, dont grip on ice or hardpack snow.
Sorels are best for gripping on ice or snow. they have smell issues as well
Old Danner or Red Wings with vibram soles off ebay can be your best spring fall summer boots ever. can be very difficult to destroy, dont have the smell issues.

I may just have to get another pair of the sundowners and be resigned to the fact that they are going to have to be worn for a year, resoled, worn for another year and then replaced. It's just such a bummer because Vasque used to make such awesome boots. My wife still had a pair of Vasques from before we met (15 years ago) and they still look almost new. I just can't wear these asolo's in the summer. They make my feet sweat so much that my sock is literally wet when I take them off. Funny, the boots don't smell at all though. I don't usually have a problem with foot funk in all leather shoes. But if I throw on a pair of sneakers without socks once, those things will stink until the end of time.

I've worn a bunch of different boots & hikers over the years. Have some Vasque now that I wear casually and they are good. But for me, when I am really going to hike or be exposed in cold weather? The best by far are Zamberlans... great fit, solid construction, good support and waterproof.

Welp, I did it. Bought a pair of the chinese Sundowners two weeks ago and they're starting to break in. My feet are finally happy again.