Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Oboz Ws Juniper Mid Waterproof Boots > Owner Review by Gail Staisil

Reviewer Information

Product Description

I have worn the Oboz Women's Juniper Mid Waterproof Boots for almost five months.The Junipers are a women's specific, light weight and waterproof hiker. They come in two colors: Mocha (reviewed) and Glacier. They are also available in sizes 6-11 US (36-42 EU).

  The outside of the boots feature a combination of waterproof nubuck leather

with a tough abrasion-resistant fabric. The top of the boots and inside collar are glove leather lined. The boots feature a Swiftcurrent outsole. This women's specific design according to the manufacturer allows durability, stability and comfort. The uppers as previously noted are waterproof, featuring B-DRY lining. The latter is a proprietary tape-sealed polyurethane film bootie. That combined with uppers that are hydrophobic and the wickable lining provides for a comfortable experience. I have worn them extensively in wet conditions during the fall and winter months including wet vegetation and surfaces, deep water holes, mud and sloppy snow conditions. Even though the uppers appeared to have wet water spots, my feet remained happily dry.

The insoles of the boots worked well. The OFit insoles are contoured for a women's fit and have a supportive arch with a deep heel cup. I have not replaced the insoles as they are super comfortable and my feet have felt fine even after a five-day backpacking trip with double-digit days.

My only nitpick with the boots is that I really dislike the glove leather lined collar. As it sounds, the leather is comfortable or soft against my ankles but what really stands out when I remove the boots is that my socks are always wet from trapped moisture only in that area. During the fall and winter months during which I have worn them that provides a cooling sensation which isn't always welcome. It has happened every single time I have worn them.

Traction has been great except for one issue on a particular dayhike in rugged terrain. The ground had been frozen and then it was followed by warm weather causing moisture to come to the surface. It was extremely slick and after a couple miles of slip sliding, I decided I was better off curtailing my hike before a possible injury. I have to think that this was an isolated incident as I regularly have hiked those trails without issue even when it was raining. 

I have worn and enjoyed many models of Oboz footwear throughout the years so I noticed right away that the toe box is slightly smaller than many of the other models. This has not been a problem however as I always wear lightweight socks or toe socks not producing any bulk. I wear the largest size that is available for women at size 11 US (42 EU). I do hope that more manufacturers start offering even larger sizes for women to provide some extra room as I have noted this is an issue for many women who don't necessarily like the fit of men's footwear. I have found the footwear to be very supportive as well as very stable on so many different surfaces including rock, mud, sand, snow and ice. The boots are non-clumsy looking and perform well, meaning that I always felt that they were as comfortable as a pair of trail runners even though they have more stability.

The durability of the Junipers has been excellent. They have remained in great condition other than an area on one of the toe caps that started to separate from the fabric upper. I actually noticed this not too far into the test (Oct 17, when I had only had them three weeks) however it still hasn't changed since then that I can tell. The Junipers have been very dirty at times but as soon as they dried most of the dirt just fell off and since December the snow has taken care of any dirt remaining.



Field Information
 

The boots have been actively worn on a great deal of adventures including four backpacking trips including two trips in the snow. I have also combined them with gaiters while wearing snowshoes and ice traction devices. Usage during the review period was at least four days a week including 15 days of backpacking and numerous day outings. I also wore them to shovel the driveway and just do errands around this snowy town. All of my activity has been in the State of Michigan, USA. Elevations have ranged from 700 ft (213 m) to almost 2000 ft (610 m) and temps have ranged from a high of 60 F (16 C) to well below O F (-18 C). 
 

The Oboz Women's Juniper Boots were provided to me by the manufacturer for review. I wish to thank Oboz Footwear, LLC for that opportunity.
 
 Pros:

• Easy to put on and remove
  
• Women's specific fit
• Easy care
• Very supportive and traction has been great except one time in unusual conditions
  

• Glove leather collars traps moisture around ankles

Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Oboz Ws Juniper Mid Waterproof Boots > Owner Review by Gail Staisil