Women's Asolo Stynger GTX (11 M U.S. in Alpaca/Black)

I'm sorry to disagree with those who had such a good experience with these boots, but my 6-month break-in period with them was absolutely horrible. I couldn't even walk a few miles in them before getting large blisters on the backs of my heels.

They seemed to fit best in the shop when I was trying on different pairs, but throughout the weeks of hiking a few miles here, a few miles there, trying every combination of sock, blister protection, etc., they were literally killing me. Finally, I had to admit that my big walking trip(Wainwright Memorial Walk in the English Lake District) was definitely going to be ruined if I tried to wear these boots for it.

Going against everything I've ever known about walking, I bought another pair of boots on-line -- Brasher Supalite XCR (superb!) -- had no time to break them in, and walked in them for 12 days of hard terrain like a dream. The irony is that the Brasher and the Asolos were supposedly the same size, but I'm sure the Asolos fit much smaller as I couldn't wear two pairs of socks comfortably, but could with the Brasher.

I just recently bought this pair of boots, and took them directly on the trail with 25lbs on my back. With these boots I went 27 miles with no blisters after no break in period! I was on very rocky terrain, and felt that my feet were extremely well protected. I have narrow heels, and usually my heels get blisters on them from other boots, but the Asolo Stynger GTX boots seem to have a narrow enough foot bed to keep my heels happy.

I go on a backpacking trip usually about twice a month, and normally I just wear low cut hikers. I am planning a lengthy winter hike, so I felt that I should buy some heavier duty boots that would provide me with more warmth and protection. I was hesitant because of the added weight of going from shoes to boots, but after trying these out last weekend, I am almost to the point of wanting to wear these now instead of my normal hiking shoes even in the hot summer months! I feel that the foot bed is extremely stable, and the gore-tex lining will most assuredly keep my feet dry. And for being a rugged pair of boots, these are not that heavy compared to full leathers.

THE most comfortable mid/light-weight hiking/backpacking boots by far! No break in time needed. I'm a 5' tall, female, had 37 pounds on her back and with the help of the Asolo Styngers, made the trip easy!

My entire foot was submerged (briefly) in mud/slushy water and the foot stayed dry (thanks to the Gore-Tex lining).
The boot has a nice grip on boulders and rocks.
Cannot stress enough on the comfort, no break in time needed of this boot.

Highly recommend!

The Asolo Styngers may not be the boot for you so I recommended you try on this (and other brands) before making your final decision since we all have unique feet.