Asolo Synchro Gore-Tex® Hiking Boots - Waterproof (For Men)

The day before I ordered the Asolo Synchro boots from STP I had gone to several outdoor retailers with the intention of buying a pair of hiking boots for an upcoming backpacking trip. I tried on several popular brands and sizes ranging from 9 to 9.5 with varying widths. I was unable to find any boots I liked; either they were too tight, too loose, too aggressive, or didn't offer enough support (this is kind of like a Goldilocks story, isn't it?). We like to hike and backpack occassionally; however, we are not experts and I do not need boots that are made to climb Everest. I was looking for a pair that offered good support, were lightweight and comfortable. I ordered the boots and when they came in, I put them on and was immediately pleased with the fit and comfort (finally the right bowl of porridge). There was the perfect amount of room in the toe box and my heal didn't slip. My third and fourth toes on right foot were barely, and I mean barely, touching the front of the boot. I thought this may be an issue, but you will have to wait for later in the story to see if it is.... The downside of ordering on-line was I received the boots one day prior to our backpacking trip. I was going to be carrying 54 pounds (I know it's a lot of pounds, but we have small kids, we stayed two nights and they eat of lot of food!) and although we were only hiking 4.1 miles to our destination, it worried me to be using boots without first breaking them in. Another review on STP that I read said someone used them right away and all went well, so I was hopeful I wouldn't need to be assist out by a search and rescue helicopter. Anyway, the day came to leave and off we went. The boots were EXCELLENT. I have never used a pair of shoes or boots of anykind that didn't require some sort of break in prior to use of this nature. They were comfortable, light, offered the support I needed and my right toes never had a problem with slightly touching the front of the boot. Three days, two nights and the boots were fantastic. I hope this helps.