Asolo Men's Fugitive GTX Light Hiking and Trekking Boots Review

Love these boots, I've had three pairs. These boots are rock solid in the back country but what makes them unique in my opinion is that you can wear them around town and get away with it. They look great with jeans and khakis and so for my job which has me out and about all day in all kinds of weather I can dress these up and wear them in nearly all settings.I've had three pairs of these because with my first pair I accidentally left them in the parking lot of a fishing access site and they were never heard from again. However I had worn that pair down pretty good and planned on replacing them anyway so that experience wasn't as crushing as it could have been. I found my second pair for a screaming deal at Sierra Trading Post. This was when the Fugitives were still at the $180 price point and I got them on sale for around $110, what a steal!This new pair fit the same and as my originals except the only drawback was they were the black grey and green colorway, which didn't allow me to wear them all time with everything like I did my originals.I'm still wearing that second pair and they are serving me great but I always told myself that if another pair of tan color Asolos were ever on sale I'd get them. So I did.Like I mentioned before I'm out in all kinds of weather and in different environments during the day I may have to run into an office setting and then later in the day I may find myself out in the woods or in a farmers field so these boots are great because I can wear them to all of the above because of their construction and style.These boots fit great. To me they fit like a tennis shoe in that they are not clumsy or stiff and I don't feel like I need to relearn how to walk as sometimes happens with a hiking boot. In my experience they are great right out of the box, though, I generally never have issues with new footwear causing problems for my feet, i.e. blisters or hotspots.Cons:1. So one of my major gripes is that through the years Asolo has increased the price point and I don't know if I will be spending $225 or more no these boots in the future. I loved them when their price point was $180. But I guess the function and style of these boots have made them very popular, I'm proof of that, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised but it just stinks and I'll be looking for a different boot in the future if I can't find a great deal on these.2. I mentioned I wear these in bad weather but WARNING these are not warm boots they were not designed to be worn in the cold for extended amounts of time. When my job requires that I tromp around in the snow for an extended amount of time I use a winter boot as the Fugitives have zero insulation. However I do wear these for over 90% of the winter and my feet are fine.3. The suede outer tends to soak in water around the edges where the rubber meets suede. This happens when you expose them to a lot of water like when walking lots of slushy snow or going through puddles or during heavy rain. BUT My feet stay dry, that's not the issue, the issue is that by absorbing water they cause my feet to get chilled quicker. I've used light waterproofing spray to try to avoid this but I think that something more substantial like an oil or balm is necessary to properly treat the suede, having said that I'm not sure if you would decrease the breathability of Gore-Tex insert if you put heavy oils on this boot to water proof the outer suede.4. The last gripe is that while the soles are super grippy and do a great job, they do wear rather quickly in my opinion. But again, I wear them on pavement as well as in the back country so my experience is unique, if you're using them solely for trails and backcountry they may last you longer.All-in-all a great all around do everything boot that is too expensive. If you find them on sale it's a no brainer to buy them if not buy them anyway but it'll hurt.

Let me preface my review by saying I have been living, working, and playing in light hiking boots for nearly my whole life (56 years), starting with lowa and raichle boots in the ‘70s and ‘80s. I have worn and worn out many different brands. Today many boots last me only a few months or a few weeks before falling apart; the worst offenders of late are Salomon and Danner. Now, I have only had these Asolos for a couple of weeks but they are, right out of the box the most comfortable boots of this type I’ve ever worn. The fit is perfect ( 12, EE). The lacing system allows precise adjustment depending on the thickness of your socks. I’ve snowshoed in them for several miles with zero issues and wear them every day to work (I’m a carpenter and am on my feet most of the day). The styling is sharp, garnering compliments wherever I go. The build quality of this boot appears very good; much better than similarly priced boots. The tongue folds in nice and neat without bunching up or pinching like some other brands. No fancy lacing system here; just simple metal eyes and hooks and paracord laces. The gore tex booties do their job well, no leaks so far.The true test will be the test of time; more reviews to follow.Edit; glad to see that Asolo is still manufactured in Romania just like my old Asolo boots. Lots of companies are outsourcing to southeast Asia nowadays. I have never owned a boot made in southeast Asia that lasted more than 6 months. Buy your Nikes and Adidas from those folks; I’ll let the europeans build my boots.

They are so comfortable and worth the price

This boot is a great bridge between an advance day hiker, and mountaineering boot. Besides the overall build quality, and rigidity of the boot, the biggest seller for me was the shape of the outer sole. From the heel, arch, ball, and toe roll(arch from the ball to the toe); this boot followed my natural step. All the other boots I tried similar to this (Salomon, Merrell, Keen) I found my self sitting back on my heels funny and fighting to get past the toe roll. Basically it felt awkward to walk in, and breaking them in would take forever. These however felt ready to go, out of the box. A good boot in the shoe store is fine and dandy, but out in the hills is where it counts.So far I have about 25+ miles on these, all in late fall early spring conditions (not too far bellow freezing, mud, snow, ice, water etc). Build quality is superb. Not a single fray, or imperfection. Warmth wise, they are okay. They have a large toe box which is good for giving the toes enough room for big socks and warm are, however the insulated tongue is fairly bulky if you really try to sinch the laces down (and you'll choke your foot). I wouldn't use these mid winter, or really at all much bellow 20f. When your moving it's fine, but they don't offer much for insulation (nor do they advertise that). They aren't rain boots, but I have yet to get swampy feet from sweat or slush. And when they do get wet, they seem to breath well, and dry out quickly. The lace locks at the heel joint take a bit to get right, they are pretty narrow and lacing is not quick, however they hold really well and I havent had the laces fall even when tied loose. The sole grip is great. We have a lot of boulder trail in New England and these did Washington up tucks and lion head, and didn't miss a beat. Descending in the snow, they were equal to my micro spike (obviously useless on ice like any rubber sole). No slipping on rocks unless they were dripping wet, and even then they had something to give.My one gripe (or I guess 2) is the toe box. Because it's so stiff, you can't lock your toes down well. Some other people I know with these have the same problem of hot spots/ blistering under their big toe. Under 5-7 miles you barely notice it. But on long hikes or steep descents, it can get pretty bad. Now if you haven't hiked upwards of 10+ miles in a day, you have to understand that ALL boots have pitfalls like this. Usually its a toss up. A boot that is flexible and cushy with not support your arch causing serious sore feet and shin splints, plus little foot protection. Or you get a rigid boot with great support and protection, but depending on how it matches your foot, get some blisters. Hiking is not a painless sport... Now, the toe box is definitely a compromise area that I am happy to work around, considering how perfect the boot is otherwise. Second piece to this I will say is get some superfeet. I have Blues and they take this boot to the next level. Do a decent job of reducing the toe burn, but there really isn't much that can be done if your toes/ foot are narrower.Id expect someone with rounder, plumper feet to find this boot great but more snug.

Bought the exact pair 4 years ago. Hike almost every weekend, spring through fall.Very durable and comfortable. Can't wait to break in my new pair. Absolutely awesome hiking boots!!!