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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Vasque Kota Mid > Owner Review by Ray Estrella
Vasque Kota Mid boots
TESTER INFORMATION
I have been backpacking for over 30 years, all over California, and in many of the western states and Minnesota. I hike year-round, and average 500+ miles (800+ km) per year. I have made a move to lightweight gear, and smaller volume packs. I start early and hike hard so as to enjoy the afternoons exploring. I usually take a freestanding tent and enjoy hot meals at night. If not hiking solo I am usually with my wife Jenn or brother-in-law Dave. The Product
Manufacturer: Vasque Product Description
The Vasque Kota Mid boots (hereafter refered to as the Kotas or the boots) are boots that Vasque describes as, "Multisport shoe meets day hiker". While they position them for use between a trail runner and up to day hiking, I use them for multi-day backpacking as well. The ankle cuff has excellent padding. What is different is that the padding extends down into the boot further than I would think by looking at the green fabric covering the cuff. The cuff runs at an angle down towards the back of the boot, but it swoops up right over the heel where it has a very shallow divot at the back center to allow some relief for the Achilles tendon. It has an excellent pull loop at the back that I have no problem getting my beat-up fingers through. The padded tongue has a short wing of material to help keep debris out, so short as to make me wonder at it usefulness. But when laced up the sides wrap around it quite well and nothing gets in. The tongue does not have a lace loop on it, but again as it was held so well by the sides it too was never missed. The round nylon laces run through four pairs of nylon loops, then through a pair of plastic D-rings that are attached to the small straps that make up the Keystone Control System. This is a nylon strap that runs in a V pattern from the bottom of the boots up to a spot just about where my ankle starts. As the laces are tightened it pulls the sides of the boot in closer to my foot to give added support and stability. Above this D-ring the laces run through two pairs of regular metal ringed eyes. The Kotas come with some very thin insoles that are ridged to give added cushioning. The outsole system is what Vasque calls Racer X. They say that the, "Cleat-inspired lugs provide exceptional off-road traction. Stealth rubber version offers superior friction." "Compression molded EVA midsole is reinforced in the heel with the ExoTec fabric & TPU wrap. TPU plate delivers underfoot protection and enhanced rearfoot support." My Kota Mids do not have the Stealth rubber version. Field Data
I wore them for the first time on a two-day 11 mi (18 km) trip to the top of Mt San Jacinto by way of the Marion Mountain Trail. I spent the night in Little Round Valley. This little break-in hike gained over 4400 ft (1340 m) in 5.5 miles (8.9 km) over rough trails in temps reaching 81 F (27 C) carrying a pack that topped 37 lb (16.8 kg). Welcome to Ray's world Kotas… The next weekend I took Jenn to the same place, but we made a three-day trip out of it, stopping the first day at Little Round Valley where we made a base camp. Temps ranged from 54 to 81 F (12 to 27 C). Total miles for the weekend was around 14, or 22 km for my metric friends. Next was two days in Yosemite National Park for a very hot and hard 44 miles (71 km) in temps up to 84 F (29 C) with 7790 ft (2374 m) of gain carrying a 36 lb (16.3 kg) pack. I wore them on a 23.2 mile (37.4 km) hike in San Gorgonio Wilderness to Mt San Gorgonio via the Dollar Lake trail. This hike starts at 6680 ft (2040 m) and goes to the summit at 11500 ft (3505 m) elevation. It is a very rough trail with a lot of loose rock and scree in places. The trail had a lot of ice in it above 10000 ft (3050 m). The temperatures only went from 45 to 31 F (7 to -1 C). The picture above is at the highest rock on the peak. Gettin' high… Next Jenn and I went to the Ortega Candy Store trailhead and did the Bear Canyon/Bear Ridge loop in the San Mateo Wilderness. 6.8 miles (11 km) in temps to about 80 F (27 C) on up and down trails that were either sandy or rocky. We had 1100 ft (335 m) of elevation gain and loss. Below is a picture from this trip, I am on a rock pretending that I am high… Lastly Dave and I went 27 miles (43 km) on the PCT from Green Valley to Vasquez Rocks. This hike saw 5000 ft (1525 m) of gain as we went over three passes in temperatures that hit 70 F (21 C). The terrain was either dirt, scree or rock. Observations
I have owned a couple pairs of Vasque boots in the past and had to stop using them as the last that they built their boots on was just too narrow at the front of the foot for me. While my foot is narrow at the back and middle (along with high arches) at the front my feet are wide and low. Think of a duck, give it a backpack and point it at a peak. Now you have Ray… The quality of construction and durability has been very good. The uppers are still in good shape. But the good traction has a trade-off in sole longevity, at least on the terrain I frequent. They are wearing quite fast. As the picture here shows the lugs are wearing fast, especially at the front as all the climbing I do puts a lot of pressure on this area. Again, I doubt that Vasque had crazy guys like me in mind when they made this, yet it works well for what I do anyway. The insoles leave a lot to be desired. On long days or when I would get into scree fields my feet would feel every rock. The only reason I did not put an after market pair of insoles in was I did not have any thin enough to fit without wrecking the fit of the boots for me. One thing I would like to see different is the two boot lace eyes at the top. I would like to see these changed to hooks to make it easier to put them on and take them off. This was the only thing that I did not like about the Kotas. I can live with or fix anything else. Winter is here and it is time for the Kotas to go away. Maybe next year there will an improved version that will make this an even better light weight comfortable hiking boot. I leave with a pic of the Kotas taking me up the trail near the Marion Mountain/Deer Springs junction on the way to Mount San Jacinto. This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Read more reviews of Vasque gear Read more gear reviews by Ray Estrella Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Vasque Kota Mid > Owner Review by Ray Estrella |