Gear Review: Asolo Fugitive GTX Hiking Boots

Hands down my favorite hiking boot I've ever owned

Trying out the Asolos in the Intermountain West 

Six months of hiking in the Midwest and Rockies in my Asolo Fugitive GTXs has made this my favorite hiking boot I've ever owned. Its sturdy and fairly waterproof design has been delightfully easy on my right ankle which has limited my hiking in the past. Its durability and design make it a boot that's breathable enough for summer backpacking but warm enough to handle most conceivable winter temperatures. 

I would call these my "3.5 season boots". I say this because I can't really imagine getting cold in these boots and they're very compatible with microspikes/snow chains. However, they don't quite replace the need for mountaineering boots in trips with some degree of mixed mountaineering or any setting where crampons are needed. 

Outstanding design for bad joints

I think that most of us have a joint that ends up being the great limiter in our outdoor adventures. For me, that joint has been my right ankle. There's a long history of moderate to severe right arch pain related to my trips involving longer distances. In baby videos of me learning to walk, I was already walking with my right foot turned out and with supination. Its the joint that is the first to get sore and the longest to heal. 

What has made me such an enthusiastic fan of these boots is that after five days of hiking trekking 60 miles with 20,000 vertical elevation gain (all above 8,000ft of altitude) I had no right ankle pain. I walked right in to work the next day as if I had been on a relaxing Bahama vacation. I don't think I've ever experienced this before and I've hiked with sturdy, well-designed backpacking boots for a long time. 

I ran up this class III scree at 11,000ft like it was a paved road

Why I chose the Asolos over the equivalent Lowas, Vasques and Salomons

When it came down to purchasing boots, I was going for something that would be a nice blend of a technical hiking boot but not quite a $500 dollar trekking boot. I wanted something I could take backpacking or for a longer day hike. This is particularly sensitive towards my proclivity to hike through poorly marked routes, not trails. 

Now, when it comes to brands, I'm not married to one but I love my Lowa Mountaineering Boots and my Salomon Trail Runners. The Lowas are now 5 years old and have accompanied me on mountaineering trips from Rainier, Elbert, Hood, Adams, to winter ascents in the Presidentials of New Hampshire. I adore trail runners from Salomon; the've kept me warm and steady when I run on the icy, snow-ridden Chicago lakeshore trail. I started with these two brands for hiking boots.

I somewhat quickly discounted the Lowa Renegades; the angled design of the ankle collar didn't feel right with my ankle. As for the Vasques, I liked them in general but the lace-up design didn't fit my feet as well as the other two. The Vasque material overall seemed more durable but my feet began sweating in them after 5 minutes of walking around the store. They're great boots, but not for me. 

The Asolos were the heaviest of the four, coming in at 3 lbs 2 oz compared to the Salomon Quest 4Ds which were 2 lbs 7 oz. It was a really tough decision at that point. I really loved the lightness of the Salomons which walked and almost felt like trail runners to me. But what really pushed me to go for the heavier Asolos was the lace up design; the boot contoured to my foot better than any of the others. This made all the difference out on the trail. I could hike 12 miles through the trail-less Ruby Mountains and wake up the next day to hike 14 miles through the Wasatch Mountains. My ankle felt no different despite buying a heavier boot.

Asolos passed my test!

Footwear Minimalism

I've gone through several changes in thought processes during the last 10 years of serious hiking and backpacking. At one point I was just a broke college kid who wore through a pair of boots that were thousands of miles overdue for replacement. I suppose every college kid thinks this way but investing in good footwear ensure that you're still hiking on the same joints decades down the line. 

At another point, I switched to either hiking in trail runners or mountaineering boots with nothing in between. This is also somewhat silly as, like everything outdoors, an experienced hiker will have a permutation of boots which can be adapted to many conditions. Now, most of us just don't have the resources to purchase 5 different boots. Call me a minimalist but I think there's three types of footwear that a real outdoorsman/outdoorswoman should have which will accommodate 95% of terrains and trips; Lightweight but sturdy trail runners, three-season backpacking boots and mountaineering boots. Hence, last summer I'm glad I invested in the second category.

I'm so impressed by the Asolos and given my complete lack of ankle pain that's plagued my hiking in the past, I'm sure I'll buy the same pair when these ones wear out. Glad I found my right match!

Read. Plan. Get Out There!