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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Vasque Breeze III GTX boots > Test Report by Bob Sanders

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Vasque Breeze III GTX Boots

Test Series by Bob Sanders
Initial Report: May 22, 2017
Field Report: August 27, 2017
Long Term Report: October 22, 2017



PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name: Bob Sanders BobBackpacking Background: I went on my first backpacking trip as a Boy Scout at the age of 16. Over the years I have hiked the Wonderland Trail in Washington and section hiked parts of the Florida Trail, Appalachian Trail, Colorado Trail and 740 mi (1191 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail. I continue to backpack and hike year round in the Colorado mountains. I have evolved from a heavyweight backpacker to a lightweight backpacker and sometimes reach ultralight weights. My three day Spring/Summer solo adventures (using a tent) have me hovering around a 12 lb (5.4 kg) base weight.
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email: sherpabob(at)mac(dot)com
Location: Pagosa Springs, Colorado USA



INITIAL REPORT

May 22, 2017


PRODUCT INFORMATION (Image from website)
Vasque
                      Breeze III Boots

Manufacturer: Vasque
Year of Manufacture: 2017
Manufacturer's Website:
www.vasque.com
MSRP:
$179.00 US
Listed Weight:
2 lb 10 oz (1198 g)
Measured Weight: 2 lb 12.5 oz (1262 g)
Color Tested: Brown Olive/Pesto (Shown above) - also available in Brown Olive/Bungee Cord, Magnet/Yellow
Size Tested:
11 Wide (US), 44 (European) - Also available in 7 to 13 (US), 39 to 47 (European) medium and wide widths
Last:
Arc Tempo+
Upper:
2.0 mm (.08 in) Waterproof Nubuck Leather, Air Mesh, Gore-Tex waterproof membrane with extended comfort
Footbed: Dual Density EVA
Midsole: TPU Shank, A.T.C. (All Terrain Compound Midsole with EVA cushioning Pods
Outsole: Vasque Exclusive VibramĀ® Contact Grip with Megagrip Compound

Front View
Front View (Sorry they are a little dusty, already took them out for a spin)

Side View
Nubuck leather with lots of mesh!

Soles
Vibram Contact Grip with MegaGrip Compound

Product Description:

The boots are constructed of Nubuck leather and lots of mesh. A Gore-Tex liner makes them waterproof. At first glance these boots are well made with tight stitching and attention to detail. The soles are stout and nicely lugged. The toe bumper wraps up high enough in the front to give good protection. A pull-on loop at the top back is big enough even for large hands. There are 7 lace points on each side (4 fabric and 3 metal). The website refers to them as a speed lace system. First time on the lacing was easy and pretty fast. I like the fact that the logo is understated and the color choices are earthy.

Initial Impressions:

At first I was a bit hesitant to test a high-top boot with a Gore-Tex liner. My usual go-to hiking boot is a low-top non Gore-Tex version. Getting the sweat out has always been more of a concern than keeping moisture out like rain or puddles. The few blisters I have gotten over the years have almost always been the result of a combination of sweaty feet and toes rubbing or heal slippage. I am hoping all that mesh will keep my feet dry and happy both inside and out.

Straight out of the box they felt good on my feet. The toe box is wide and the heal cup is nice and snug with no slippage. I've worn Vasque boots in the past and I remember them fitting well. I am super glad I got the wide version. My toes have plenty of room to splay out as I walk and there was no rubbing.

After a quick 4 mile (6.4 km) shake down hike my feet feel pretty good. My feet were a little sweaty but no more than normal. Also no hot spots and no rubbing. These boots are not going to need a break-in period.

Likes:
  • Well made and solid construction
  • Nice grippy sole

Dislikes:
  • None so far

FIELD REPORT

August 27, 2017

Taking a break

Field Conditions:

For the past 2 months I have used these boots for my almost daily walks of approx. 4 mi (6.4 km). I have also gone on 5 day hikes and 1 quick overnighter. Probably close to 100 mi (160 km) total so far. All of this walking and backpacking has taken place in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. Mostly on local trails in and around Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Temperatures have been between 85 and 50F (30 and 10C) and the weather has been sunny to partly cloudy with mild afternoon rain showers. Elevations have ranged between 7,500 to 12,000 ft (2,286 to 3,658 m). The terrain has been quite varied including gravel roads, dirt trails, scree, boulder fields and wet slippery downed trees. These boots have held their own anywhere I have been.

Observations:

I really like these boots. Right out of the box they have been comfortable. I have not experienced any major foot discomfort with the exception of a couple of blisters and hot spots that I really point the finger at sock selection, not the boots. Once I changed the socks the problems went away.

I was also a bit concerned with how sweaty my feet would get while using boots with a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane. I normally hike in low-cut trail running shoes with lots of mesh. They keep my feet fairly dry because they breath so well. The Breeze III boots are almost as good. I believe there is a minor increase in how damp my socks are. I don't believe they breath as well as my trail runners.

They have done an excellent job of keeping my feet dry from external moisture. Of the few times I have been caught on the trail in a brief afternoon shower and small creek crossings the boots have done a good job. The boots were obviously wet on the outside but dry on the inside. By the time I got home in the car the boots were pretty much dry on the outside.

Traction and durability have not been an issue. They have held up to everything I have thrown at them.

Engineer Mountain
Clouds starting to build near Engineer Mountain

Summary:

I have been on lots of short trips with these boots, under 10 mi (16 km). No real long days and they have been very comfortable. I have taken them off sometimes during lunch breaks which has helped air them out. I will continue to use these boots on nearly a daily basis. I really do not have any complaints so far.


LONG TERM REPORT

October 22, 2017



Field Conditions:

For the past 2 months I have continued to give these boots a lot of use. I put them on every morning before my daily walks. I have also used them on 3 additional day hikes of approx. 7 mi (11 km). During this test period all of this activity has taken place in the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. All on local trails in and around Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Temperatures have been between 65 and 40 F (18 and 4 C) and the weather has been sunny to partly cloudy. Elevations have ranged between 7500 to 12,000 ft (2300 to 3700 m). The terrain has been quite varied including gravel roads, dirt trails, scree, boulder fields and rare stream crossings. These boots are the ones I grab for my walks, hikes and backpacks.

Observations:

These boots have exceeded my expectations. My initial worry that my feet were going to be overly sweaty because of the Gore-Tex liners has been unfounded. While my feet are usually damp after every hike it has not been more than normal. On longer hikes I usually stop for lunch and take my boots off to let my feet air out. This technique has worked well for me over the years.

The only water encountered so far has been several small creek crossings that were quickly crossed in a couple of steps. The outside of the boots were only slightly damp and were dry by the time I got back to the car. I have not noticed any discoloration of the leather.

I have also solved my previous sock issues that were creating hot spots and blisters. No more foot issues during this testing period.

The soles have worn well and other than a few scuffs the boots have had excellent durability. The only cleaning I have done is with a stiff nylon brush that I use to knock off dirt and mud.

Conclusion:

I like these boots. They fit me well and seem to have good durability. I have not been able to test these boots in the snow but with the higher tops I think they are going to come in handy. The Vibram soles have had excellent traction and with all the mesh the boots seem to breath well.

I don't have any negatives with these boots and I will continue to wear them for all my hikes and backpacking trips.

____________________________________________________________________________________

I would like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Vasque for the opportunity to test these boots.



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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Vasque Breeze III GTX boots > Test Report by Bob Sanders



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