SALEWA WILDFIRE EDGE GTX MID

Overview

If an approach shoe, hiking boot, and trail-runner had some sort of weird outdoor love-child shoe, this would be it. Lightweight and feature-rich, this is a really interesting boot. If you're a run and gun day-hunter this might be your ticket. I really enjoy it, but there are some drawbacks.

The Best

- Light as a feather - Each shoe weighs right around 17 ounces. I wore a 9.5 which is the same as any Nike or running shoe I'd buy. These fit "true to size."

- Climbing features - Like I mentioned before, this boot is essentially a high top approach shoe. Similar to many climbing shoes, the laces go all the way down to the toes to get a fit that works for you. Like it looser up top but tighter down towards the front? You can do that. If you like it tighter around your ankles but want some room for your forefoot to breathe, you can run 'em that way too. Another feature that is similar to climbing and approach shoes is the flat edge on the front of the sole. It's for gaining purchase via surface area when you're ascending and need some precision.

- Rubber Quality - Comprised of Pomoca Rubber, the outer sole is pretty sticky. I had no problem leaning into steep slabs with confidence. After a few summer scouting sessions and about 20 days of hard September archery hunting, there are no chips or chunks missing. There's a little wear but the sole is holding up great.

The Worst

- Gore-Tex - So Gore-Tex has been pretty hit and miss with me. In rain gear it usually works great. But in footwear, I have little confidence at this point. While I'll admit that walking through the woods after a heavy rainstorm is a tall order for any boot, this Salewa Wildfire performed poorly. A half-day hunt after some weather rolled in left my socks soaked. I believe all the stitching from the exo-shell didn't help much in preventing seepage.

- No Protection - The trade-off of having ultra lightweight boots is that there's not much armor to protect your feet when smacking into rocks and blow-down. Unlike other mountain boots, when you kick the top of your foot into a limb, you're gonna feel it.

Closing Thoughts

I got close to 30 days and hundreds of miles out of these boots so far. I hunted sage flats for antelope in 100 degree temps and mule deer above 12,000 ft. These boots performed great on both fronts. I was skeptical of how these boots would handle the weight of a full camp on my back for the deer hunt, but was pleasantly surprised how they absorbed the shock while climbing and descending.

If your next outing is a day hunt or summer scouting trip, this is a boot is a light and fast option for the modern western hunter.