I will confess, I have procrastinated and delayed investing in a good pair of hiking shoes for quite a long time. I always thought “What is the fuss all about? I have running shoes and I should be just fine.” But as turns out – good pair of hiking shoes can make you love or hate hiking, trust me. My first hike was Mount Monadnock, NH (http://monadnocktrails.com/)and tucked in my running shoes, that hike kicked my butt. With Zero ankle support and a soft sole that literally made me feel every stone, rock, twig against my sole, I knew that if I want to pursue this as a hobby – I need good hiking shoes. Fast forward April 2015 ,I bought my first pair of Oboz and life was never the same 😊. I was loitering around on some websites, searching for slippers for women online and instead came across some really good hiking shoes.
Before I get to the Oboz Women’s Bridger Mid Waterproof hiking shoes review…
A word about Oboz:
Oboz is an American company located in Montana with the motto “one more tree”. Yes , every pair of Oboz that you buy, the company plants a tree in partnership with Trees for the future. The company also donates unsellable or as they say – not trail worthy shoes to feet in need. I am in love with the company motto and things that they are doing to preserve nature. Their head quarter is wind powered and they carbon -offset their shoe shipments and employee travel. You can learn more about the company here.
Coming back to the shoes , here is what I think of Oboz Women’s Bridger :
Utility :
Its not an evening stroll shoe unless you are strolling in forests and mountains. This is a pure hiking shoe – rough and tough. My Oboz shoes have endured multi day hikes in Patagonia , rocky and gravely Atlas mountains, ice caves and glacier hunting in Iceland and Norway , countless day hikes in Applachian mountain range and recently I hiked on volcano in Kalapana , Hawaii. I think they have easily around 500 miles on them and are still good to go. The shoes are waterproof and grippy, providing the much-needed traction when its wet.
Comfort and (light)weight :
No doubt about the fact that the shoe is very comfortable. I felt they did not even need any breaking in. You put them on and off you go.The shoe has incredible ankle supportmaking it good for any kind of terrain. When I bought thisshoe , I had plantar fasciitis.Arch support was very important for me. These shoes are incredible at stabilizing my arches and the hard sole barely makes me feel anything on my feet. These shoes are very warm too. Pair this shoe well with woolen socks and you can do hiking in snow for hours without feeling cold or blisters in your feet.
Coming to the weight part ,I will not label this shoe as light-weight. Its not a kind of pair that you will like to pack in your luggage 😛 . Just wear it and go. I can’t tell you how furious I get on airports when I am asked to remove the shoes. Come onnnnn – its not easy to lace up and down hiking shoes when you have 50 people behind you waiting for their turn.
Appearance :
I am a girl so you know if I am buying something , it has to look nice 😛 . When I picked this shoe contemplating if I really need to buy a hiking shoe as most of them come in shades of grey, brown or beige , the color of Oboz’s Bridger was its absolute best feature – until I wore them. Now I know that comfort can come in pretty looking shoes 😛 . The pair I have ( as you can see in pics) is Reo -Red in color . It is stylish and very chic-like 😊. I love it.
Specs :
Price : 175$
Weight: about 500 gm
Material: Waterproof nubuck leather
In Conclusion:
If you are hiking virgin or if you have ever suffered from any kind of foot pain which has made hiking a little less enjoyable experience for you ,Obozshoes are meant for you. Their aggressive bottoms ,comfortable fit and ability to withstand sand, mud, rocks or any kind of terrain – makes them ideal for backpacking/hiking.There is no doubt in my mind I will be wearing Oboz for the rest of my life.
What kind of hiking shoes are you using? Do you own an Oboz pair yet?
I will love to know your experience. Thank you for stopping by.
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