Customer Reviews Patagonia Drifter A/C

I wore these boots "out of the box" on a ten-mile hike at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and found them comfortable and easy to wear. The thick tread and roomy, cushioned toe bed made me feel like I could hike in these boots forever. I'm sure they will last me for years. I was glad that I ordered them a half-size bigger than my usual shoe size in order to accommodate thick hiking socks.

These shoes are awesome! Although I am an amateur hiker, I wore these for the first time on a 7-mile hike, and then on a steep 1-mile hike up, 3 1/2 mile run down and they were excellent! They didn't rub my heels, they were able to withstand the rugged terrain and although a little dusty at the end of the trip, they were in pretty great shape. My feet felt great, they were protected by the thick rubber on the toe, and even though they did not cover my ankles, they were very supportive. The tread was super great, and took the loose gravel much better than my counterpart's shoes! I would recommend this shoe to anyone!

Wore these shoes two days at work. Extremely comfortable and sturdy. I have bunions - no problems so far. Much more comfortable than my Merrill Moabs. I gave them to a friend after wearing them a few hours. The Merrells were way too stiff. Disappointed in Merrell shoes overall in last year. Sent Keen Voyageur shoes back - Drifters were way more comfortable right out of the box! Love these Patagonia shoes! Can't wait to go on a hike!

I have a lot of trouble finding hiking shoes and boots that fit, but Merrells often work for me. This year, however, their hiking shoes felt too light - more sneaker than boot. In the search for a substitute, I've tried Asolo, Lowa, Salomon, Vasque, Keen and Patagonia hiking shoes. These Patagonias were the first ones that fit, and I really like the weight - more boot than sneaker. Plus they are good looking. Note that I replaced the removable footbeds with SOLE Signature EV Ultra footbeds (if you haven't discovered them, they provide awesome arch support). Without the SOLEs, I thought the back of shoe felt a little too high and like it might rub (it was noticeably higher than the Keens I ordered at the same time). With the SOLEs, it seemed perfect. So a few hours wearing them around the house - so far so good. I'm a pretty reliable 10 medium, and I'd say these are sized accurately.

These shoes ran short and wide on my foot. I usually wear an 8, but every now and then I need an 8.5. Although the Drifter A/Cs were plenty wide, I suggest going up a half size if you are between sizes. Not sure whether the issue is the toe box being little tight or the length a tad short; however, going up a half-size seems to have solved the problem for me for the most part. I will know more after I wear them hiking, so may be back to revise my review.

This shoe felt so comfortable! Based on some reviews, I ordered in medium (the only width) even though I can take a wide. The shoe was plenty long enough but too narrow. My big toe metatarsal joint rubbed even without socks. I tried with medium socks also but that was worse so I knew I couldn't wear them. I was so disappointed!

I read all the reviews and was really hoping this shoe would work. I have no foot problems but apparently have a difficult to fit foot. I wear a size 6 and have squarish toes and a narrow heel. This was the 8th pair of hiking shoes I have tried with no luck. After reading the reviews I first bought the size 6 which was too small, I sent them back and I bought the size 6.5. Too large in the heel so they slip and too large in the toe-box so they pinch when I bend my foot. Sending them back as well. I love Zappos! They have been absolutely wonderful through all of this back and forth shoe traffic. I swear I will never buy shoes from anyone else again!

Really hoping the shoe would work, it was so comfortable to walk in. Unfortunately it ran a little short and could feel my toe just grazing the front of the toe box.

These are really good-looking hiking shoes. I so wanted to keep them, but they are just too narrow for my spreading forefoot and growing bunions. I didn't get to wear them in the street, but they sure felt like excellent support and look very well-made.

Overall I am satisfied with these shoes. I especially like that they have *normal* laces that stay tied! I also like the extra thick soles; good in the snow and mud. They grip really well when I have to walk like a dainty girl on the ice (not ice-safe, just a bit easier when crossing icy patches). What I do not like, though, is that they have just a bit too much width in the heel for me. I had to go for a several-mile walk to discover this. It's enough extra heel play that my sock can get bunched up. If you have narrow or narrow-leaning feet, this may be an issue for you. Tying the shoes tighter only caused compression of the nerve along the top of my foot, which was not pleasant.

I wanted a walking shoe for winter that would protect my feet in inclement weather. This is a bit heavier than others I tried, but I chose this for warmth and traction. Overall I'm happy with the shoe.

These shoes are very sturdy. They will last a long time even if you wear them on rough hikes. I like the way they look; they don't make your feet look small but they don't make them look big, either. They are comfortable.

These are not waterproof. I ordered them thinking they were because when using Zappos search filters, these show up when "waterproof" is checked as an option (I guess because the product description lists the soles as being "waterproof" -- duh, of course the soles are waterproof). Regardless, these were the most comfortable shoes I've ever found. Roomy toe box for my wide forefoot, arch support for over-pronators such as myself. There was a little heel slip, but that's not unusual for me since my heels are fairly narrow. However, since I specifically need waterproof shoes, these have to go back. I then found and ordered the Gore-Tex version, but the fit is completely different even though it's supposed to be the same model.

These shoes felt great! Except a big pinch over the top of my left foot, where the lace is tied. I tried tying different ways and tensions -- didn't help. Anyway, it is most likely an anomaly of my left foot (as it has all kinds of issues that make shoe shopping difficult) but wanted to write this review just in case others have the same problem. If I'm the only one, assume it's my foot and not the shoe. By the way, this shoe does have a stiff feel, not like my Merrells. A good thing for a more serious shoe but not for just knocking around.

Love this shoes. Light shoes with firm support.

I needed a lighter weight hiking shoe, and I'm hoping this is it. So far they are great. Out of the box I've done several miles. I have sore hips, maybe bursitis, and they even feel better. It hasn't really been hot yet, so that will be the next test. My feet don't like to get hot. The toe box is nice and wide, heel may be a bit too wide.

I hike professionally at Grand Canyon. I'm always looking for shoes that are lightweight and breathable, yet sturdy. These almost fit the bill but after about 9 months of regular use the webbing in the lacing system broke on one shoe. The other shoe broke a month later. This may be in part because I cinch the laces tightly for the long, steep downhill terrain here. I would give these shoes an excellent rating if it weren't for this significant flaw. The rest of the shoe has held up well but the webbing is far too flimsy.

I tried four pair of hiking shoes before I settled on these. These seemed like the best choice in terms of enough room in the toe but also not something that my heel slipped out of when I walked. I was able to forget I was wearing new shoe when I was in the field with them - until the laces loosened, on their own, and I had to stop to retie them, more than once. Not a desirable situation when on uncertain terrain.

I wore these on a hiking trip in NH. I thought that they were waterproof, but they aren't. Walking on rocks through really shallow puddles and brooks got my feet wet. But the shoes do have good tread and were pretty comfortable overall. The only other issue was that the tongue hit the front of my foot in an odd place and created some discomfort.

I think of Patagonia as making quality products that fit well - assuming one has the right size. This was the first time I had seen Patagonia shoes and was excited to get a pair. This is also the first time I have ever written a review and I do so because these shoes were the most uncomfortable shoe in my size that I have ever put on. I took them off within minutes and sent them back. Although the style is attractive looking, I was much disappointed in overall fit and comfort.

Absolutely loved the look and feel of these shoes. Wore them hiking at Yosemite, and out and about a couple of times around town. In total, I have worn these shoes 6-7 days total for (approximately 35 hours in all). I noticed yesterday that a chunk of the tread at the ball area of the shoe has broken loose apart from the rest of the tread. In my many years of buying and wearing hiking shoes, I've never had a pair of shoes start falling apart this quickly. I'm completely disappointed. Don't waste your money on these.