Half Dome tested, professional hiker approved!!
First of all, you should know that I am a professional dog hiker. For the last 3 years I have taken groups of dogs off leash pack hiking in the mountains around Salt Lake City at least 3 times a week or more, all year long in every weather! During the winter months I wear Salomon waterproof full size hiking boots, but in the hot summer months I like something lighter and lower profile. I have tried all kinds of different hiking shoes of various brands over the years and have yet to find anything I like as well as these. Most of what I buy are trail runners because I like that they are light weight, but the problem with most of them is that they have EVA foam soles or just otherwise compromise on durability in the name of being light and breathable. My Hoka One One Speed Goat Mids didn't even last a single season. Most recently I tried the Altra Lone Peak 5's and while they had some nice points, I ended up sending them back in favor of these (check out my review of those for more details). I even wore a similar pair of Salomon shoes a couple seasons back (XA Wild) and they started to come apart by the end of the season, but these have been CHAMPS so far and I have really put them through the ringer! They show no sign of degrading at all and I am so happy I found them!I just got back from hiking Half Dome in Yosemite which is 16+ miles, 5400 ft of elevation gain and ALL KINDS of terrain from slippery waterfall misted stone steps to sand to packed dirt to slick granite rock face and these shoes handled it all! My feet still felt pretty great by the end and that's really saying something! Choosing the right sock/liners makes a big difference but I mostly credit the shoes. Not only are these better than the Lonpeaks in my opinion (they are slightly more rugged and protective than the Lonepeaks while being almost the same in weight) they cost less than half the price. I found that my foot and ankle fatigue was WAY less in these than in the Lonepeaks or any other shoe I have tried. I ADORE the bolo lacing system as it laces the shoes evenly all the way up and down and are super easy to adjust. I never have to stop to tie them and don't get cactus and trail debris stuck in the laces. These required ZERO break in period for me. I hiked mount Olympus in them the day I took them out of the box and had not a single hot spot or discomfort.These are now my number 1 favorite every day AND big hike hiking shoes for dry, warm weather. Now to see if they last me longer than a single season. I will update if/when they start to come apart, but no sign so far and I'm 3 months in. If they continue to perform like they have, I will be wearing them when I hike the Inca trail to the summit of Machu Picchu next year. One other thing, I am a true size 8 in womens shoes and I ordered these in 8.5. They are perfect. While the 8 fits, its ALWAYS a good idea to buy hiking shoes/boots a half size up at least, especially when in doubt, so as to leave room for layering socks. I sincerely hope this review has been helpful to someone else! And yes, I paid full price for these. Feel free to ask any questions! Photo side by side with my older Salomon XA Wilds.