badlands boots

research can only tell you so much about hiking boots. the fact is, you have to go and try them on and walk around in them before you know for sure. after almost 2 hours in the store this afternoon, i altered my decision to purchase the vasque sundowner boots. Along with those, I tried on the vasque breeze, merrell phaser peak's, (i've got a pair of their moc's that are fabulous) and the columbia frontier peak. I wanted to give the Asolo brand a shot, but alas, Outdoor World doesn't carry them. All of them were good boots but it came down to fit and weight. The Merrell's were the most comfy but a bit narrow. After 5 or 6 hours of hiking, your feet swell and i was concerned that I wouldn't have enough room. If you have a narrow foot, go with these. The Columbia's were good but very heavy and didn't breath well. After having them on my foot for 2 minutes, I was ready for them to come off. The Vasque Breeze ended up being the winnner. Light, breathable, and when you walk in them, they have a VERY good heel-toe transition. I look for this when I buy running shoes but had thought that hiking boots were all pretty standard in their outsole shape. I was wrong. I rate them at a 4.5 out of 5 stars.