Customer Reviews Asolo Grid Mid GV

This is a painful review for me to write. I'll start off by saying that I LOVE Asolo boots. I have a pair that I have worn since 2002, and they are my all-time favorite boots. (Yes, they have been re-soled.) I needed to update my footwear, and wanted to go with something lighter and with less of a heel brake. I didn't need anything as heavy duty as my old boots, but still expected something that was sturdy. I loved the look of the Grid Mid GV and the description seemed promising, so I ordered. What a waste of money. I spent $175 on what is essentially a tennis shoe. The shoe is comfortable if you are going wandering around town, but the soles are not firm at all. The item description specifically recommends them for "lightweight day hiking, overnight trips, and hiking on mixed trail conditions." I walked across a gravel parking lot, and felt every rock under my foot. By "day hiking" they must mean "mall walking," because there is no way I would wear these on a trail of any kind. The fit was great (still the same size as my 2002 Asolo boots). I love the color and the look of the shoes, but these are not cut out for hiking or trail use. I didn't think these were going to be as stiff or robust as my old Asolo boots, but I definitely thought they would be more sturdy or firm than they are. I could have bought a pair of high-top basketball shoes to get the same feel as these. The laces are also extremely thin and have come untied several times. I have had to start putting a different knot in them. I really wanted to love these, but (I hate to say this) they are not suitable for hiking. My feet would be a wreck at the end of the day if I wore these on a hike. I'm keeping them solely because I like the style, but I definitely won't be taking them on my upcoming hikes- not even as a backup.

I've put this boot through close to 600km of serious abuse over the past five months including 40+ km day hikes, and so far have only good things to say about it. In short, it looks great, fits great and performs great in virtually any trail conditions i've thrown at it so far. Performance wise i couldn't be happier. The boot is nimble, has excellent traction on almost any surface. The concave sole profile is a very interesting idea and allows "edging" the boot on steep terrain like you would a mountaineering boot, to some extent. (If i had to nitpick, i would have preferred a slightly more aggressive heel brake). The more difficult the terrain travelled, the more obvious the advantages of this boot seem to become. Durability wise, the impression is good so far, after 5 months of heavy use it seems to be living up to Asolo's reputation for bombproof footwear. The only signs of wear are slight delamination around the edges of the toe cap and very noticeable abrasion damage to the midsole foam material from rough rocky trails (although this is merely cosmetic it might be an issue for some users - i personally don't mind). As for sizing, i stuck to the 11 i've worn on past Asolo models i've owned and it fit like a glove, with superior heel locking and a very adequate toe box (a tad on the narrow side maybe, but this is typical of the brand). Ankle support is reasonable for a boot in its category. The lacing is good quality and feels solid despite looking unnervingly thin on first impression. In my case at least, it works best at default configuration (i tried several others but none were an improvement) and not cinched too tight (overtightening will cause pain on the top of my foot on steep downhills). It may be worth mentioning that the factory insole is basically useless and investing in a decent aftermarket insole is almost mandatory IMHO, which brings me to the next point. This is probably the most "minimalistic" boot Asolo has produced, and as such compromises were made in the area of padding/foot protection. Hitting sharp edges, sticks, roots, etc with the side or top of the foot definitely hurts. Also, the boot felt a little rough on the feet at first, although this improved dramatically after a short break in period (and the insoles i mentioned above). Therefore i subtract one comfort point from an otherwise flawless rating. Bottom line: If this model is still available when this pair reaches the end of its service life (i hope it is), i'll seriously consider repeating.

Not the best Asolo shoe but does the trick

I really love the design and model these boots ? but I sadly returned them. They felt loose on the trail. Especially on rocky ones. I normally wear size 12 on Merrell but Asolo size is a lil bit different. I would recommend to check Asolo size chart before buying. Zappos shipping service is highly accurate and easy to work on returns. Thumbs up!!!