Asolo Fusion 95 GTX Hiking Boots

Owner Review September 23, 2005

Reviewer Information

Name: Ryan L. Christensen
Age:  41
Gender:  Male
Height:  6’ 2” (1.88 m)
Weight:  225 lb (102 kg)
Email address:  bigdawgryan@yahoo.com
City, State, Country:  Idaho Falls, ID, U.S.A

Backpacking Background:  I began hiking, camping, and backpacking when I was twelve, and continued until 25.  After a long hiatus due in part to a bad back, I resumed hiking, camping, fishing, and biking three years ago.  Now, I have early teen-age boys with whom I can share my love for these sports.  The past three years, we have hiked, or camped, nearly every month, year-round.  We vary our experience: desert, forest, meadow, and mountain; in the spring, summer, fall, and winter; be it sunshine, rain, wind, or snow.  Together we took up backpacking this summer.  I am not an ultra-light packer; I carry a full array of gear. 

Product Information

Manufacture: Asolo

URL:  http://www.asolo.com

Year of Manufacture: 2005

Listed Weight: US men’s size 8 = 2 lb 14 oz (1.3 kg)

Delivered Weight: US men’s size 11 = 3 lb 3 oz (1.4 kg)

Height: measured from bottom of sole to tallest portion of the scree collar = 7 inches (17.8 cm)

Material of Construction: water-resistant suede and Cordura uppers, Gore-Tex lining, polyurethane and rubber soles, and rubber toecap.

MSRP: $155.00 US

Product Description:

I wanted a lightweight, medium-height, Gore-Tex boot for hiking and short (3 -5 days) backpacking trips.  A friend suggested I consider Asolo.  Therefore, I went online and selected the Asolo FSN 95 GTX.  The boots arrived in a typical cardboard shoebox complete with tissue paper in the shoes.  The box also contained a card with the Gore-Tex guarantee, which states, “If you are not completely satisfied with the waterproofness and breathability of your Gore-Tex footwear, we will repair it, replace it, or refund your purchase price.  This guarantee does not affect your statutory rights.”

Right out of the box, the shoes looked great.  They appear to be well designed and constructed.  I really like the fact that there are only two sets of eyelets to lace up each time.  The particular boots I ordered are three colors: gray, dark gray, and rust.  The actual colors are identical to those shown on the website. 

The very first time I put these boots on my feet, they felt great.  In my case, they fit true to size, the foot bed was comfortable, and I really liked the padded top portion of the boot.  Although my friend claimed Asolo boots require minimal breaking in, I decided to wear the boots to work a few times in order to break them in.  Although I work in an office, during my lunch break, I walk outdoors for approximately 30 minutes.  The first day I wore the boots to work, I had them on my feet for approximately fifteen straight hours.  This included the 30-minute walk at lunch.  I wore Smartwool crew hiking socks, and had no blisters, or hot spots, even after wearing them for that long.  The second time I put these boots on, they seemed to fit as if I had worn them on many outings.

Field Information:

My first field outing was a three-day hiking trip on the prairie of Wyoming.  The weather conditions were ideal: clear skies, little wind, and temperatures from the mid 50 F in the early morning to the upper 80 F in late afternoon (10 C - 27 C).  The first day, I hiked seven miles (11 km) on a sandy trail.  The boots felt quite comfortable, with excellent arch and ankle support.  I did not get a blister, or even a hot spot.  With the tongue attached most of the way up the shoe, I did not get any sand in my shoes, which I really liked.  The pattern is such that small rocks are not caught in the tread (I hate rocks in my tread).  The second day, I hiked about twelve miles (19 km).  These miles included sandy trails and a few small scree inclines.  The soft rubber sole provided excellent traction and support on the scree.  Again, I was blister and hot spot free.  The last day, I hiked the seven miles (11 km) back out on the sandy trail.

The second field outing was the first test of my Asolo FSN 95 GTX boots on a backpacking trip.  This was a two-day trip up Sheep Creek Peak near Swan Valley, Idaho in June 2005.  Again, the weather conditions were ideal: clear skies, little wind, and temperatures from the mid 50 F in the early morning hours to the upper 90 F in late afternoon (10 C – 32 C).  The trip plan was a hike of eight-miles (12 km) and nearly 5,000 ft (1,524 m) increase in elevation.  The hard-packed trail had occasional loose rock.  There were even a few downed trees and larger rocks to overcome.  In addition, there were several large snowfields to cross.  I was carrying a forty-pound (18 kg) pack.  Under the load of my pack, the Asolo FSN 95 GTX boots provided great footing and stability.  The soles of the boots were firm enough to support the load, but soft enough to provide good traction on the hard pack inclines, rocks, and tree limbs.  Although the lugs of the sole are not overly deep, they were deep enough to get good traction in the mud and the snow.  Although I did not apply a water-repellent coating like Nikwax, true to Asolo’s waterproof claim, these boots kept my feet dry as I crossed runoff streams and hiked through the snow.  Unfortunately, as we climbed higher, the snow became too difficult for our group of Boy Scouts.  Therefore, we stopped our hike at four miles (6 km) and a 3,500 feet (1066 m) elevation increase.  On the descent, the boots provided good support and traction.  In other boots I have owned, my foot has slid forward when descending, and I end up with bruised toes.  However, the close-to-the-toe lacing on these boots held my foot in place quite well.   I was very pleased with how they performed on this trip.  Although Asolo does not tout the FSN 95 GTX as a “real” backpacking boot, I believe they are quite suitable for three to five day trips with a moderately heavy pack. 

My third field outing was a fishing trip that required climbing down and over a large lava rubble field to get to Warm River in Island Park, Idaho.  This trip was in July 2005 with great weather conditions: clear sky, 97 F (36 C).  The boots provided great ankle support and stability.  The sole was flexible enough, and the rubber soft enough, to provide good traction on the lava rocks.  On the climb down and back up, I bumped my toes several times.  However, the rubber toecap protected my toes somewhat.  I was glad to have the toecaps, a first for me.

Summary:

Since receiving the boots in May 2005, I have worn them approximately 25 days.  They are comfortable, provide good stability and traction, and keep my feet dry, even on a recent fishing trip where I was caught in a major cloudburst and my clothes were soaked.  Thus far, I have not noticed any loose stitching, fraying of material, or pilling of the interior lining.  Tread wear appears to be normal.  Unfortunately, I do not believe you can resole these boots.  I believe the Asolo FSN 95 GTX to be an excellent choice for lightweight, medium height, waterproof hiking and backpacking boots.  Furthermore, I recently learned that Backpacker magazine likes them too—having selected them as an Editor’s Choice in 2001. 

Things I like:

1. Easily broken in
2. Durable
3. Good ankle and arch support
4. Toecap
5. Close-to-the-toe lacing, with only two sets of eyelets to lace up each time.
6. Clean up is quite easy with soap and water, and a light brushing
7. Padded scree collar

Things I do not like:

1. None at this time.