Customer Reviews Oboz Firebrand II Low B-DRY

I have a narrow heel compared to the rest of my foot. The Sawtooth Low has been my go-to for years, but I thought I would try another style. The Firebrand does not come up as far on the top of my foot as the Sawtooth, and sadly that meant that my heel slipped. Luckily I had also ordered my regular Sawtooth, as my old pair's outsole was so worn down on the outside of the right foot that it was twisting my right knee. Happily kept the Sawtooth, but had to return the Firebrand.

After wearing the Sawtooth for a year I was looking for something a little different and liked the look and color of this shoe. These are my everyday shoe and while I think they are good overall I CAN NOT wear them on the trail for one reason: the heel is too loose. Doesn't really bother me on a daily basis but the few times I actually tried hiking in them and being super aware of where I put my feet I found the looseness in the heel so distracting I fell once and did more then my usual stumbling. Not sure if the way they fit me is typical but they are fine for wearing to work and on the weekends but I'll never try wearing them on the trail again.

I purchased these at a local sporting goods store without having read any reviews, desperate because my old Keens had developed a hole in the upper. So far I don't regret it. They have good arch support and felt comfortable right away. We went straight from the store to a short trail and though they initially felt clunky, I was really impressed with the traction on the rougher, gravelly terrain as well as the comfort. They are not terribly cute (other than the awesome purple color) but I would definitely recommend them for those who are not overly concerned about fashion. I did not test the water-proofing as it was a dry day, so I may update my review later. For reference - I have a medium width foot, a fairly high arch, and my feet are sort of "skinny" for lack of a better word. I wear an 8 in regular shoes, usually an 8.5 in boots, in these I went up a 9 with a good hiking sock.

The mid-foot was very wide compared to the toe box, very sloppy fit. I found the proportions to be all off!

These would have been great, except for the tight stitching where the bottom of the laces starts. The width was actually great (I have wide feet) but the top of the shoe was so low and tight at the tip of the food, I had to return them.

Overall this shoe gave me better arch support than the Merrell Moab 2 GTX and the ASICS Numberis 22 (sp?). So arch support is good but not great. I have very high arches and would have liked there to be more but you can definitely feel the support. Also, I ordered a Size 8 (I normally wear 7 to 7.5) and my other Oboz hiking boots are a size 8 and fit fine but these Firebrand II Low B-Dry shoes are slightly bigger and I could have gotten away with a 7.5 I think. The style is nice but I'm not too sure about the lilac color. I would have preferred a neutral color. I have already been wearing them or I would have returned them for a smaller size. Also, they have been hurting the top of my feet but I'm hoping that they just need to be broken in. Like I said, I have very high arches so the arch on the top of my foot tends to hit the roof of the shoes and hurts. I might have to loosen the laces or just let them soften over some time. If you are looking for arch support, they are better than the Moab 2 GTX for sure and also the ASICS 22. But, the best arch support shoe I've found so far is the Vionic Walker. I was looking for a hiking shoe this time though.

I love Oboz and this is a great looking boot, but I couldn't even get my foot into it with tennis socks on. Way too small. I'm waiting for the Firebrand style to get back in stock, hopefully soon.

I love how these look, but they didn't feel good on my feet at all. The arch support was in all the wrong places. I have trouble with shoes that have too much arch support on the instep and these had huge arch support.