The Montrail Torre GTX is a medium weight, waterproof hiking boot. The boots have Vibram soles for good traction.
They have enough flexibility to make them comfortable
walking but are definitely sturdy. The boot is made of Nubuck leather with a rubber toe cap. The leather is
very supple and has a suede texture. The Gore-Tex liners are meant to be
fully waterproof but still breathable. The tongue of the boot is fully attached to the rest of the boot and there are 7 metal eyes on each
side of each boot to lace it up, with the top 3 being the quick-release type rather than feed-through. They are
high-cut boots, the top reaching maybe an inch over the top of my ankle. This part is really well padded. The boots
come with insoles which are stuck down and provide decent cushioning. The bottom
of the shoe is shaped so that it only goes up slightly where the arch of the foot is. The heel is almost rigid
to about half-way up, made of thermoplastic. At the top of the heel is a thick loop for hanging the boots from
a pack or to dry.
Field Information
I have had these boots for over two years and they have seen pretty much all you can imagine.
From day hikes up volcanoes in Nicaragua and Ecuador, to long weekends in the Appalachians
(Georgia and West Virginia) and the desert in Utah, to 10-day trips in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.
Terrain has gone from flat sand in Florida, to mountainous trails, to extremely uneven, rocky lava
flows (believe me, boots do not like those!) Weather from 35 C (95 F) to snowing to torrential
rainstorms. They have seen it all, been well over 300 miles (480 km) and served me great throughout.
Review
I had a pair of totally rigid, heavy-weight mountaineering boots for many years that were great for
ice-climbing and cross-country skiing. Finally the solid soles and heavy weight were too much for
me and I decided to get a mid-weight boot for my backpacking and fieldwork. I have wide, fairly short
feet and it took me many months and pairs of boots before I found the Montrail Torre GTX. It was love
at first sight!
Right from day one these boots were comfortable. They did not really require any breaking in and did
not give me blisters initially. I have only had blisters 2 or 3 times out of many trips, and that has
been hiking recently in extreme heat in Florida where my feet have swollen. Sometimes the tongue rubs
on my instep a little bit too, but after moving it around and re-lacing it's not a problem. I have also
found that my feet are far less tired and achy than they used to be with my mountaineering boots, or than
my hiking companions generally complain about.
Unusually, the wide fitting for these boots really is wide. The heel is snug but the toe area has lots
of space. I have low arches but found the insoles comfortable and supporting. High insteps (the top part
of the foot opposite the arch) have always made it difficult to find boots that lace and fit comfortably
(I know, I have strange feet!) but after some readjusting of the boot tongue these are flexible enough
and lace high enough to get them to really fit my quirky feet. The flexibility also means that they do
not rub on my ankles where the bone sticks out, a problem I have had with previous boots. The ankle support
has saved me many times in uneven, rocky lava flows which put a lot of strain on the ankles. My biggest
complaint is probably the leather on the lower half of the boot – it scuffed really badly the first time
I wore them and now has some rips in it. It has not affected performance in the two years so I don't think
it is a real problem but it doesn't look as good and I am worried that it could one day affect the waterproofness.
The boots held up really well in a range of weather conditions. I use SmartWool socks and although my feet
do get a bit sweaty, it is never uncomfortably so. As most of my hiking now is in the tropics or sub-tropics
this was something I worried about and with synthetic socks it was quite unpleasant, but with the SmartWool
socks it hasn't bothered me. The boots have done a great job at keeping my feet dry in torrential rain and snow.
Summary
These are well-designed, well-constructed hiking boots that have lasted fantastically over two years and many trips.
The only real issues I have with them is that the lower half of the boot scuffed and eventually got a few small rips
in it, and that the tongue of the boot can sometimes take some readjusting to get comfortable. They are a really
good fit in general though, even for wide feet like mine. They provide great support and are very durable. I would
(and have) recommended them to anyone who goes hiking, even on rough, abrasive terrain.
Pros:
Fit even my crazy shaped feet
Durable
Comfortable, even when new
Great support
Cons:
The lower half of my boots scuffed easily
The tongue of the boot can take some adjusting to get comfortable
In very hot weather I have got heel blisters a few times