I tried on several shoes at REI.... The Vasque Mantra (light hiking) and Vasque Blur (Trail Runner) fit best. The Vasque Ion Gore Tex was OK fit (Hiking mid ).
Does anyone have opinions on the quality of these shoes...and maybe approx. how many miles do you get from them.
Also - does anyone know if the goretex style would have the same fit as the non-gortex ? They did not have both there to try on.
Thanks !
skinny minnie
10-08-2007, 20:18
This isn't going to be hugely helpful, but for what its worth:
I got Vasque's Kota GTX XCR this summer - it's multi-sport and goretex.
They are fairly breathable, and they've been fantastic in damp conditions. I pretty much threw them on and they were good to go right from the start- didn't have to break them in at all and don't use any inserts. I've tried them running on gravel/dirt and wasn't a hug fan, but have used them on the AT with no complaints.
They are a little harsh on my toes after a long day - I thought at first that the fit was perfect, but it may have been a little too perfect - maybe if my toes had a little more space they wouldn't feel so abused at the end of a long day of downhills. If I buy another pair I'm going to go half a size up. I think that Vasque sizing runs pretty narrow. So far I'm happy with the durability and comfort though, other than that. I'm pretty sure that they were on sale a while ago at my local outfitters.