Oboz - Sypes Mid Leather Waterproof - Men's - Cedar Brown

These are 'light' hiking shoes (a little taller than a shoe, a little shorter than a mid-height hiking boot). Does not have the ankle stability or sturdiness of some mid-height light/medium backpacking boots. Feet may get a little tired feeling on long walks especially if you carry extra body weight or backpack weight. The leather upper and sole are a little flexible / thin and the leather gives in to the foot if pressured making these pretty much ready to go hiking right out of the box (not a lot of break in needed). The insole seems to have maybe a medium arch that might bother some people with lower arches. Forefoot sole is a touch flexible and soft /thin for harder hiking but overall the boot has basic comfort. The sole seems to have pretty good traction, except on wet rocks, with good tread depth. Ankle support is not that good but better than a regular hiking shoe. They cheapened the shoe making it a little less tall than a mid-height boot, did not provide a Vibram sole, did not use Gore-tex, thinner/lighter leather, not a lot of padding, and provided only 6 sets of material / non-metal lace holes (needs 7 sets). The lower 5 sets run through holes in the leather upper with no metal / grommets and not sure how they will hold up over time, but seem fine for now. The shoes do not feel like they would hold up well to regular long hard hiking, but it is not intended for that purpose, although it should handle some occasional tougher terrain. Stepping on hard roots or rocks with the forefoot is slightly felt in the foot, and does not hurt, but could cause some discomfort and foot fatigue / soreness if regularly subjected to hard edgy/pointy surfaces like rocks and roots. The fit of the shoes matches up well to other D width shoes I have including my old Columbia low height leather hiking shoes and my Lowas, but it is also a touch wider in the forefoot / toes compared to some other boots. I sized up slightly to allow more big toe room and toe splay and it worked out well. The heel has a decent lock up too despite lack of padding in the back of the heel and around/above the heel. They did a good job on the sizing of this shoe and seemed to fit slightly roomier than the Oboz Bridger. Foot bed seems to have a medium arch that seems to start providing support near the heel. If you have a lower arch like me, it can provide some slight pressure and discomfort, but not terrible. I find if I tighten up the shoe laces and get feet tied in well, the arch bothers me a little less as my feet don't flatten as much when walking /standing. The shoes also get noticeably more agile and connected to the foot when laced tightly. Hopefully, the shoes lace holes hold up from laces being tightened. The Sypes also has some foot give to it as the leather is thinner and pliable. Toe protection is medium firm in the very front of the shoe but softens as you move away from the shoe tip. The water proofing seemed to work well with an initial check, although water seemed to seep in through the fabric collar above the heel where I believe they did not put water proofing. Water proofing will be a little lower than a regular mid height hiking boot, and just a touch higher than a hiking shoe. This shoe is similar in function / feel and better quality than the Keen Circadia light hiker. The Keen had to be returned as the water proofing did not work from the factory and the front toe protection starting delaminating quickly. The Circadia had great toe splay room though and I did not need to upsize. If the Oboz boot had a little thicker leather, was full mid height, had water proof fabric above the heel, slightly plusher forefoot sole for more comfort, a touch more toe and sole rock protection, and a better lacing system, it would be rated higher. A Vibram sole and Gore-tex would be a nice upgrade too. Overall, true to D width and size length, basic comfort (not plush), good basic performance, decent quality (not high quality), the water proofing actually worked, and a good fit. Decent shoe as long as the user does not stretch the shoe past its intended use. I have used the shoe only very moderately so far and did not experience any negatives quality wise like I have seen in some reviews online. My toe cap does not appear to be separating, toe leather isn’t cracking/tearing, my size was not smaller/narrower than listed size. If the size is off for some reason, you can always return it. I do have a slight irritation under my right heal bone from the horizontal seam inside, but not terrible and is hardly noticeable when hiking, and may go away with more use. A touch extra padding might have helped here. I have also read online numerous places that Oboz can be bad about customer warranty service, so hopefully I won’t need to file a warranty claim.