ashenThe footwear plays a crucial part of the success in any type of hike you undertake. Even if the trail is rough and the backpack weighs you down, if your “wheels” are in good condition, then your hiking experience is mostly positive. Therefore, in today’s post we are going to introduce and review the hiking boots manufactured by a brand committed to making functional, innovative and aesthetic footwear. Vasque is a company that specializes in manufacturing innovative hiking boots for both Men and Women and in this post we will talk about the Vasque Skywalk boots that were released quite a while back.
Vasque Skywalk Boots: A Quick Introduction
Released in 2016, the Vasque Skywalk boots is an innovation from the existing original boot from the 1980s. Blending in with the modern day technology to accommodate various ground conditions. The GORE-TEX waterproof-breathable liner manages the Skywalks internal climate, while a Vasque Pyrenees sole holds you firmly on the trail.
It all began in 1964 when Vasque founder William Sweasy traveled to Europe and saw a hiking craze sweeping the continent. This led to him initiating a footwear line to empower outdoor loving Americans, who are fond of backpacking, hiking and walking. In the years that followed, they managed to upgrade their product to meet the customers demand resulting in the inclusion of Gore-Tex material to further strengthen the quality of hiking boots. One piece of trivia here is that the Women’s version, which is the Vasque Women’s Skywalk Gore-Tex Backpacking Boot is more popular than the Men’s version. So, we will start our review there.
Vasque Women’s Skywalk Gore-Tex Backpacking Boot
- Made out of 80% USA Tanned Waterproof Leather and 20% Mesh
- Synthetic sole
- Weight: 2 lbs 13 oz.
- Molded polyurethane and thermoplastic polyurethane shank midsole
- Impressive grip and traction control
- Waterproof, durable and breathable
Let’s start with the material. The polyurethane is quite popular among footwear manufacturers because of its strength, durability and water resistance. Also it is supportive and comfortable for long treks. The blend with nylon mesh makes the boot abrasion-resistant and breathable. But the key feature here is the embedded GORE-TEX technology that we have discussed previously in our posts on various hiking boots. It is a special construction that combines stretch laminates, lining textiles, and connection seams. Optimized breathability, comfort, weather protection and regardless of the external environment.
No doubt that it is sturdy and the first time experiencing wearing them might not be so pretty. Afterwards, the shoe naturally adjusts and you are in for a good outdoor time. Users specifically commented on the waterproof nature of this boot and how well the inside keeps dry even when water surrounds more than half of the shoe. One user clearly mentioned that even while his feet were in up to 4″ of water with the boots on, no wetness was felt whatsoever. This was when he went canoe camping. He was also so sure-footed even on wet, slippery rocks at the shoreline and never slipped a bit. The thread also shed the mud quickly after walking through some of it.
Summary
To conclude, the only downside that most users complained about was the size. Saying that it was quite narrow, which could be due to the cushy insoles that come with boots. So you are going to have a tough time breaking in and having the shoe adjust to your foot size. Apart from that, Vasque holds their word for performance and high quality. Even if you are fashionable and in need for a classy design atop functionality the Vasque Skywalk boots do have colour variations. Just order a size one bigger and you’ll be fine. For instance, Jeff who says that is wife wears size 10 ended up getting the Skywalk 11 size because both the 10 and 10.5 did not fit well.
Vasque Men’s Skywalk Gore-Tex Backpacking Boot
- 80% USA Tanned Waterproof Leather/20% Mesh
- Synthetic sole
- Molded polyurethane and thermoplastic polyurethane shank midsole
- 2.4mm Waterproof Rough-Out Leather, Abrasion Resistant Mesh
- D-ring lacing
Vasque Men’s Skywalk GTX Review
The specs as you can see are pretty much the same. So we won’t procrastinate you with the actual details that matter to make a durable purchase. The lugs are comparatively heavier duty on this model compared to the previous Skywalk GTX models. The breathability, waterproof nature, aesthetics, ample traction, ankle support and stability are all well bundled together.
The user reviews are a mixed sensation for this shoe as well and it is mostly due to the stiffness than other lightweight hiking boots. For example, a user who ordered a size 10.5 says that it fits in perfectly with his standard wool hiking socks. Furthermore he states that “the soles have great traction and the waterproofing is excellent, water beads right off.” So after reading most of the reviews online, what we can commonly agree is that the boots perform very well on slippery grounds, snow and other wet areas by maintaining excellent traction and great stability.
However just like the Women’s version, this too has its “narrow sized issues”. Since we are completely honest with our reviews, it is our responsibility to state that most users ended up with blisters in their heels and side of the feet. So, even if you order a size 10, it will most likely not fit or take quite some time to break in. Therefore, we best recommend the Vasque Skywalk for guys with relatively smaller feet. These are mostly referred to as high volume boots because most users commented that the traction and sole is good and stiff for hiking over rocks with considerable weight on the back. Some of the more experienced climbers say that it would have been much nicer if arch support was added with the insole.
Conclusion
That is pretty much there is for the Vasque Skywalk boots review and all you need to know. As you can see they are quite exceptional, equipped with the latest apparel technology, breathable, lightweight, waterproof and highly stable. However the major disadvantage remains the narrow build quality of the boot making it extremely uncomfortable to most people resulting in blisters and cuts. Therefore, choose to go ahead with these if you have small feet or you live in a wet area and absolutely require the traction and good grip these boots provide. Most users say that the original Vasque boots were better than the innovative ones. However don’t forget that despite all these, there are still hikers and backpackers who have gone with Vasque. So you could be one of them as well!
