REPOST - Asolo Fugitive GTX Boot

Link to Owner Review: http://tinyurl.com/nwgf56x http://tinyurl.com/nwgf56x
 

 REPOST - Asolo Fugitive GTX Boot
 

 REVIEWER INFORMATION
 

 Name: Matthew Wilson
 Age: 38
 Gender: Male
 Height: 5 ft 10 in (177.8 cm)
 Weight: 184 lb (83.5 kg)
 Email address: vasocretaATgmailDOTcom
 City, State, Country: Bellingham, Massachusetts, United Stated of America
 Date: 18 April 2015
 

 Backpacking Background
 

 I began hiking and backpacking avidly around 12 years ago, usually taking short trips into secluded wilderness and high alpine areas. I have a preference toward rugged mountain environments where I encounter snowy and icy conditions.
 

 PRODUCT INFORMATION
 

 Manufacturer: Asolo
 Website: www.asolo.com
 Year of Manufacture: 2009
 MSRP: $236.00
 Size: Men's 10 (US) 9.5 (UK) 43 2/3 (EUR)
 Listed Weight (based on size 8 (US)): 1.5 lbs (690 Grams) per boot
 Weight as Purchased: 26.5 oz (751 grams) per boot
 Color Reviewed: Wool/Nero (black)
 

 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
 

 The Asolo Fugitive GTX boot is a fabric and suede leather medium duty boot with a Gore-Tex lining. It is part of Asolo's Energy line of boots and is targeted at general 3-season hiking.
 

 General Look & Quality
 

 The Fugitive is a well stitched, full height boot with a soft, spongy ankle cuff that has a silky-spandex texture and responsive flex. The boot has a solid build with good protective coverage around areas of high wear, including a tough, rubber toe cap and a strip of suede leather running vertically up the back of the boot, neatly stitched over the thick Cordura that wraps the ankle.
 

 The Fugitive has a light, low profile look that is accentuated with three different colors of Cordura and suede leather. The nylon webbing that runs up the center of the tongue and the light but noticeable decorative stitching patterns that run between each eyelet give the Fugitive a distinct flare that actually aids in showing off the boot's quality workmanship.
 

 Lacing
 

 The lacing consists of round, nylon laces running first through a nylon loop just above the toe box then through four pairs of of metal loops. There are then three pairs of metal speed hooks that bring the laces to roughly 0.5 in (1.27 cm) from the top of the collar on the boot. The combination of the speed hooks and the metal loop styled eyelets allow for quick adjustments to how tightly the boot is tied.
 

 Soles & Insoles
 

 The sole of the Fugitive is glued, not welted, to the upper and maintains the multi-toned appearance by layering over the heel a bright colored piece of rubber on top of the black sole covering the remainder of the base. Asolo describes the lugs as "self-cleaning". This appears to be due to the generous spacing between the sole's treads.
 

 The removable footbed seems to be like any other stock footbed. It consists of a thin layer of responsive foam. The actual built-in insole of the boot, which Asolo refers to to as DUOAsoflex, claims to combat pronation, supination and torsion, while offering shock absorption.
 

 Interior Liner
 

 It is important to mention that the inner lining of this boot is very well made. The material is soft, tough and well stitched. Running my hand over the inside of the boot, I do not notice any stitches or bulges in the fabric that would create unnecessary pressure points or foot rub.
 

 Asolo Fugitive GTX Front   Asolo Fugitive GTX Side   Asolo Fugitive GTX Bottom
 FIELD CONDITIONS
 

 I have put well over 1,000 mi (1,609 km) on this pair of boots (this is my second pair) overall. They are one of the few pairs of hiking boots that fit my narrow heel like a glove and provide lasting comfort over double-digit miles carrying up to 40 lb (18 kg) packs.
 

 I have worn this boot on overnight trips up four 14,000 ft (4,267 m) mountains in Colorado in varying conditions that ranged from hot, dry July days on Mt. Princeton, a rain storm while ascending Pike's Peak to wintry mixed conditions on Mt. Bierstadt and Long's Peak.
 

 Long's Peak, in particular, presented long stretches of trail in the hot sun, some class 2 scrambling through a boulder field at a cooler 12,000 ft (3,658 m) and steeper, class 3 scrambling on icy rock in full crampons to the summit.
 

 I have also taken the Fugitive out in mid-winter conditions in Colorado for overnights where temps got to -2 F (-19 C).
 

 OBSERVATIONS
 

 The Fugitive was a gamble for me. I had not had good luck in the past with Cordura and leather boots; they were prone to fall apart. I was ready to purchase an all leather backpacking boot when I found (by sheer luck) my first pair of Fugitives on sale. I tried them on and they were so comfortable that I somehow forgot that I was dead set against buying a boot with a mixed material upper.
 

 The break-in period was literally two days after replacing the stock, removable insoles with Superfeet insoles. I walked around town in them, then immediately took them to the wilderness on a nearly 14 mile trip carrying a 35+ pound (15.87+ kg) pack on Pawnee Pass in the Indian Peaks Wilderness in Colorado. There was deep snowpack on a majority of the trail and I had to switch often between snow shoes and crampons. This boot had no issue remaining torsionally stiff enough to maintain the integrity of my Black Diamond Contact Strap crampons and keeping my feet dry and warm. The trip was intended to be an overnight, but my brother and I had to turn back due to weather only a short distance from the top of the pass.
 

 On most hikes I wear a thin merino wool sock liner under a light weight or mid-weight merino wool blend hiking sock.
 

 On an ice cold, -2 F (-19 C) overnight into the backcountry near Aspen, I did experience the warmth limits of the Fugitive. My toes became cold but not wet. Unfortunately, I melted the entire front of the boot off standing too close to the fire we started in order to stay warm. I used duct tape to wrap the sole of the boot back to the upper on the walk out the next day. Upon my return, I immediately purchased another pair.
 

 Fast forward dozens of hikes later, I have spent a significant amount of time hiking areas of the Pemigewasset Wilderness and the Adirondacks. Wet weather cannot seem to come close to penetrating this boot. I have never had wet feet in them no matter how much rain the Northeast can throw at them. Very shallow stream crossings are the only scenario where I have experienced internal dampness set in.
 

 I did notice, however, that the suede leather will begin to absorb water much sooner than non-suede leather without proper conditioning. I have experienced this a couple of times on trips in the Mount Washington area where the nighttime temps dipped to freezing. This greatly reduced the warmth factor of the boot for me the next morning when putting them on.
 

 The tread on this boot instills confidence. I have found it to provide confident grip on wet rock, though the lugs themselves have not provided me the best traction on their own in the snow. But that has been my experience with nearly all hiking boots not marketed specifically as a mountaineering boot. And the low profile of the boot allows me to handle some more technical foot work without feeling like I am all of the sudden wearing a pair of moon boots when the ascent line begins to get really narrow.
 

 The rubber toe cap is one of my favorite features. It provides added durability to an otherwise wear prone area but it also aids in those situations when I found myself needing a bit more grip on wet ascents such as the Desolation trail up Mount Carrigain and several fast hikes up the the Spellman trail on Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
 

 I have found the Fugitive to be a dependable, durable and fully waterproof boot that has outlasted all of my previous mixed material boots. I would have no issue taking this boot on week long trips into the backcountry provided the temps stay above freezing and I am not carrying more than 40 lb (18 kg).
 

 PROS: Solid support, confident traction, durable, comfortable.
 CONS: Suede leather requires a bit more care, average stock insoles.