Review of Vasque Talus Hiking Shoes
Vasque Talus is the only hiking shoe, actually the only shoe, I have bought back-to-back. Meaning, I bought the exact style, color, and size and am going on more than 18 months of wearing this particular shoe, pretty much every day. Since I garden, hike, commute, and kick back in this shoe, I figured I should log some of the reasons why I endorse it full-stop.
The Basics
Vasque Talus is a lower-cut hiking shoe that is durable and highly water-repellent. Vasque tags the shoes as "ultradry" and that is accurate. The shoes are highly resistant to water. I have hiked significant mileage on moderate and slightly difficult terrain in these shoes and have found them durable and resistant to wear and tear. The Vibram soles are efficient on moist rocks typical in an Appalachian forest.
Above: past (l) and present.
I kept the old shoes and use them around muddy sites, while using the new shoes to commute and appear more presentable. For me, the shoe must be somewhat presentable as urban(ish) footwear, since I loathe the inefficiency of changing shoes to walk the dog, work in the yard, etc after interacting with the sphere of humanity outside of my zone of operations.
The Background
I first became a proponent of Vasque after purchasing my original Talus pair at REI. I was zeroed in on Merrill hikers, but asked a sales guy who looked competent what he thought of alternatives. Most REI folks are competent, it's just this guy seemed non-partisan. The dude said Merrills fine, but that Vasque is better. The guy was stone-faced and seemed to have some experience behind the comment. So, I opened up and gave the Vasque Talus a try.
Apparently, and from very brief online searches, William Sweasy founded Vasque while spending time in Europe mountaineering. The namesake of the company is Fort Vasquez, Colorado. If it true, it is pretty cool of Sweasy brought Vibram soles to the U.S., according to the site attributed to Red Wing Shoes.
In Sum
Happy trails, and a nice shout out to Vasque for easing my transition to multiple activities.
The Basics
Vasque Talus is a lower-cut hiking shoe that is durable and highly water-repellent. Vasque tags the shoes as "ultradry" and that is accurate. The shoes are highly resistant to water. I have hiked significant mileage on moderate and slightly difficult terrain in these shoes and have found them durable and resistant to wear and tear. The Vibram soles are efficient on moist rocks typical in an Appalachian forest.
Above: past (l) and present.
I kept the old shoes and use them around muddy sites, while using the new shoes to commute and appear more presentable. For me, the shoe must be somewhat presentable as urban(ish) footwear, since I loathe the inefficiency of changing shoes to walk the dog, work in the yard, etc after interacting with the sphere of humanity outside of my zone of operations.
The Background
I first became a proponent of Vasque after purchasing my original Talus pair at REI. I was zeroed in on Merrill hikers, but asked a sales guy who looked competent what he thought of alternatives. Most REI folks are competent, it's just this guy seemed non-partisan. The dude said Merrills fine, but that Vasque is better. The guy was stone-faced and seemed to have some experience behind the comment. So, I opened up and gave the Vasque Talus a try.
Apparently, and from very brief online searches, William Sweasy founded Vasque while spending time in Europe mountaineering. The namesake of the company is Fort Vasquez, Colorado. If it true, it is pretty cool of Sweasy brought Vibram soles to the U.S., according to the site attributed to Red Wing Shoes.
In Sum
Happy trails, and a nice shout out to Vasque for easing my transition to multiple activities.
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