AKU-USA Edge Gore-Tex® Mountaineering Boots - Waterproof (For Men)

overall I am very pleased, I was surprised at how light the boots are. They fit about half a size small and are more suited for small or narrow feet.

During 4 day backpacking trip to Sabrina Basin with mixed terrains, this boots handled superbly. My boots got really wet due to the fall into the stream-crossing but dried completely within 24 hour. It is amazingly light and yet performs beautifully.

THIS BOOT WAS PURCHASED FOR MOUNTAIN HIKING BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF SHORT STEEP OUTINGS I MAY ALSO USE THEM FOR BIG GAME HUNTING IN STEEP TERRAIN.

First the good, they are very warm, very light and are well made. (all for a good price) The Bad? They have a lot of rocker (convex sole, not flat) making trail walking easier, BUT, this kills your traction on wet rock and hard pack snow. It also makes edging in steep loose terain a problem as well. I really hated them on the dry steep climb I tried them on. So where do I use them? Snow travel with light weight crampons gave me a fast super-light combo with warm feet. Just don't take the crampons off...

Based on the comments that these boots run a bit long for the stated size, I bought size 9-1/2 although I usually wear size 10. They fit perfectly. For a true mountaineering boot, they are light enough to let this old climber feel a few years younger! I wanted a boot with a stiff lasting board or shank, but actually found these a little too stiff. (Be careful what you ask for - you might get it.) The lacing system is great and easy to use. For climbing, the boot can be laced snugly around my foot without squeezing my toes, yet it is easy enough to loosened the laces a little for more relaxed hiking . The only thing, so far, which keeps me from giving a 5-star rating is the mesh lining around the ankles which is too abrasive. Soft top grain leather there would be a big improvement.

I bought these 1/2 size smaller than I normally take because of the reviews and my normal size wasn't available. Although the length was adequate, the shoe just seemed small in the way my foot sat in the footbed. I own pairs of AKU Utah Lite and AKU Extremes and the length of these AKU's are consistent with the Edge and all are slightly longer than other brands of shoes I own (Merrell M2 Millenniums, Alico Summits, Dunham Mountain Masters). In terms of heel to ball joint length, I think these shoes are consistently sized with all the other shoes I own. That being said, if your heel to ball joint sizing is less than your overall foot length sizing, you probably do want to size down. The extra length of the boot should make that possible. The best strategy, I think, would be to order both, which I wasn't able to do. In terms of use, these boots appear to be comparable in use to the Alico Summits and the Dunham Mountain Masters without the weight or the break-in period. Good for hikes that involve trail hiking and off-trail mountaineering. Heavier duty than the AKU Utah Lites and not quite as heavy duty as the AKU Extremes. I don't have any idea about long backpacking trips, but the shoes are very easy to walk around in because of the rocker soles. All in all a very well made specialized shoe that I hope to be able to find in my normal size.

Very nice boots. Great support and lighweight. Sizing is way off. I ordered a 7.5 and the EU reads 41. A 41 is actually an 8.5 US! Will be ordering the next size down. Great deal on a solid pair of boots!

The American sizing for these boots runs large. Definitely go down 1/2 size. They also tend to fit narrow feet very well. Very lightweight for a cold-weather boot. Only complaint: no toe bail for fully automatic crampons.