Shoe Report: Oboz Women's Hiking Shoes/Boots
This isn’t a short story. But. (Original Post 2018)
Oboz women’s Sawtooth Mid BDry boot
These boots are $150 on REI and come in Iceberg (pictured) or Violet (which are mostly a tan color with a pop of violet). The price is fair for a quality pair of hiking boots.
Pros: I was initially excited about these boots as they have great arch support without being bulky (listed weight for the pair is just at 2 lbs 1 oz) and this seemed the perfect combo for my chronic foot problems & foot pain. I wore them on hike up Elephanthead Mountain, just east of Livingston, MT which is mostly on trail with a short section of off-trail.
The boots worked great on the uphill, and I (accidentally) tested out their waterproof-ness by slipping into a creek. Socks stayed completely dry!
Cons: The trouble started on the way down, when my left ankle started aching painfully. I re-tied the boot & attempted a looser or more secure tie, but neither one seemed to improve my ankle pain. I don’t usually have ankle issues, so this was a new type of pain for me. I tried moleskin, but this did not help either & the pain seemed worse than that of a simple blister but both of my ankles were quite erythematous. These boots hurt so badly by the end of the hike that I walked in my socks…I’ve had some horrid boot-related blisters before but I don’t think I’ve ever been in enough pain to walk in socks. My husband even carried me for a very short haul, which was also a first on a hike!
Verdict: Nope. I usually give boots more of a chance to break-in, but I knew this was a boot-fit problem and not a breaking-in problem and returned them for a refund. My left ankle was sore for days. Wish these would have worked out, because they were very supportive for my other foot issues. Great boots if they don’t destroy your ankles!
2. Oboz women’s Luna Low Hiking Shoes
These boots are $125 on REI & come in Mineral Blue color only.
Pros: These are light-weight (listed at 1.9 lbs 9.2 oz for the pair) and really a decent shoe for trail hiking. There is no chance of ankle pain with these as they are a low hiking shoe. They have breathable mesh. All Oboz shoes have a really creative topo map on the sole & this one is of the Granite Peak area in the Beartooth Mountains in Montana. In fact, I think this sold me on the shoes.
Cons: These shoes are very wide, which might be a pro if you have wide feet, but certainly not for those of us with narrow feet. The arch support is, er, not very supportive so by the end of a (even short) hike, my feet are aching. These are certainly not waterproof & even dew will cause your feet to be incredibly damp. I tried waterproofing them, but this was only partially successful. Despite being more breathable than other shoes, these shoes tend to get stinky maybe because they are so easy to get wet.
Verdict: Decent hiking shoe for on-trail (or around town) and for those with a wide foot. Not very supportive if you have chronic foot issues and/or do a lot of off-trail hiking.
3. Oboz women’s Sawtooth Low BDry Hiking Shoes
So, these shoes are essentially the same as #1, but a low-top shoe. The waterproof version is $140 while the not waterproof version is $110. Waterproof comes in Mineral Blue & Violet (pictured). Not waterproof comes in Chestnut/Beach Glass (best one!) or Clover.
Pros: Good support for a low-top shoe & better fit for those of us with narrow feet while still remaining light-weight (1 lb, 11.6 oz for the pair). The waterproofing is a plus, but still doesn’t feel too hot or non-breathable. Seems to be a sturdier shoe overall in comparison to the Luna Lows. I’ve used these shoes off-trail several times and they are holding up well so far.
Cons: I wish that they had an eyelet type lacing system so that you can tie down the lacing for more stability. Chestnut/Beach Glass does not come in the waterproof version, which it should!
Verdict: So far so good for me. Great for those with a more narrow foot who hike a combo of on/off trail and can’t seem to find a good high-top boot alternative.