Oboz Men's Wind River II BDry Backpacking Boot

Like it so much I'll probably buy a second pair. Will need to get 1/2 to a full size over your normal size.I have 2 Oboz offerings: this one and the Beartooth. I'd call the Beartooth a true backpacking masterpiece of a boot and this one ever so slightly less so, making it what I'd call a "trekking" boot. That is not a negative! This boot simply seems slightly lighter and more flexible. This boot and the Beartooth cradle the foot in a very supportive, ankle protecting snuggle-licious of a fit. This boot has slightly more flex and less fixity for the ankle, which translates into a better hiking/trekking boot versus the Beartooth's backpacking design. Having said that, this boot could also be used for backpacking and DOES provide excellent ankle support.The "BFit" insole's arch support is the best as-delivered insole of any boot I've ever seen, making these boots among the only ones in which I do not replace the insole. Most other boot insoles seem to be made for flat footed people. The only other boot in which I use the as-delivered insoles is the Rocky S2V since that boot's insole is an integral part of the design.A major appreciation I have for Oboz is how they put old-school semi-rigid hiking/backpacking ideas into a modern design. It is obvious that the Oboz big-shots know about boots and use what they design. They want the best on their feet when they hike/backpack and; therefore, make sure that is what they manufacture. They have succeeded with this boot and the Beartooth.Both boots have souls and insoles that are identical. Where they differ slightly is in the rigidity of overall foot support with the Beartooth being slightly more rigid and heavy. This boot and the Beartooth may seem to some to be too narrow, but that is because - once again - Oboz is going for a TRUE, snugly fitting, ankle supporting, foot-exoskeleton of a design. To get that the boot needs to be virtually molded to your foot; thus the snugness that some will misinterpret as narrowness. The result = superb support.They do not use the "athletic" type soul in this or the Beartooth boot, and I am VERY glad. The athletic soul is designed for flexibility and quickness; thus the term "athletic". To get that foot support DOES suffer a bit. Don't let someone try to convince you otherwise. It is a fact. Common sense: more flexible soul means less base stiffness/support. "Athletic" trades support/stability for nimbleness and lighter weight. This boot is not designed for that "athletic" purpose, thankfully. Athletic souls do have their purpose, primarily for tactical/military applications. In such instances nimbleness and quickness could mean the difference between life and death. I own such boots and love them. But for a pure backpacking/trekking boot athletic souls are most assuredly the wrong way to go since quickness and rapid direction changes are less important than stability and maximum ankle support.In my opinion boot makers seem to often be suffering from some sort to boot bi-polar disorder - not knowing if they are designing a hiking/backpacking boot or a running shoe. Getting a bit crazy. Oboz does it right and has no boot bi-polar disorder whatsoever. Oboz rightly chose a semi-rigid, more supportive and safe, soul. The stiffer soul means definitely better ankle support in all instances since base stability is maximized, which is what I personally feel should be priority one for any boot designed to go off-road in areas where an injury could mean death due to being unable to hike out.Slight break-in is required, but primarily for the lacing. A couple of hours to a day should do it. These boots can be laced so tightly - particularly the strap thing that comes up from the heel area - that it seems possible to constrict blood flow and end up with a dead foot. It's not a bad thing to have such a full range of fit options. It simply means you need to adjust the lacing to accommodate whatever tightness you want.Great boot. GREAT looking boot. (The best in my opinion along with the Beartooth.) Get it.

This is my second pair of Oboz boots. The first pair was the Yellowstone II model. I found both the Wind River II and Yellowstone boots to be lightweight and comfortable. I have never gotten a blister from either boot. My main problem with the boots is the break-in period. With the Yellowstone there was pressure on my right Achilles tendon that caused soreness. With the Wind River II, the pressure is on the tendons above the ankle bone on the outside of my leg (proneal tendons?). This pressure persists even with the boots laced loosely and has caused some swelling of the tendons from the pressure after hiking several miles. I now have more than 30 miles on these boots from hikes in the Sierras and the pain persists. The boots become very uncomfortable after a couple of hours of hiking. Over time and many miles, the Yellowstone II boots no longer caused pain to my Achilles tendon. I hope that same will occur with the Wind River II boots, but in my opinion, this type of pressure to the tendons should not be happening. I have never experienced this before with the many high top hiking boots that I have worn in the past. As reported by others, the boots run about 1/2 size too small. Also, as reported by others, the open lugs at the top of the boot where the laces wrap around are too open and can catch the laces on the other boot. This causes the lugs to bend outward. There may be several solutions -- wear pants or gaiters over the top of the boots, get thicker laces, or, in my case, I used a pliers to bend the lugs closer together to prevent further snagging. Also, the leather on these boots is very soft. After a peak bagging trip to the Sierras, I noticed a lot of nicks in the leather around the sides of the heel. It would be better to have most of the lower heel covered by rubber rather than leave the soft leather exposed.

After twenty plus years since my last backpacking trip, my old backpacking buddy and two of our good friends did a three day backpacking trip in Glacier National Park last summer. We had been doing a number of day hikes over the last few years in Glacier and decided it was time for a more challenging adventure. One of two had not packed in 30 years and the other one had never backpacked at all. It was an excellent adventure but my old Vasque shoes of 20+ years have given up the ghost. Since our last trip was such a success we are planning a six day trip in Glacier this summer as well as a number of day hikes. Needing to replace my boots, I recently purchased a pair of the Oboz Wind River II hiking boots from Amazon.com. I am still wearing them around the house to see if I can make them work. They fit great and very comfortable, except for the arch which seems to be extremely high for my foot. By trying different inserts I am attempting to take the discomfort away as I really do like the boot. So far nothing has worked 100% but I am still working on making them comfortable so I can keep them and take them on a wonderful Glacier National Park adventure this summer. I would give them a 5 star if I can get the arch problem solved. An expensive insert might solve the problem, but I don't want to spend that kind money. Any ideas? A little frustrated, but happy hiker in Montana!