Montrail Kenai Gore-Tex® Hiking Boots - Insulated (For Women)

I bought these boots because I wanted to use them as snow/rain boots and for hiking. I just spent a week hiking around Mt. Hood and the weather was cold and rainy. Luckily, these boots kept my feet warm and dry the whole time and I didn't even have to break them in. It has great traction and felt comfortable around wet rocks. I read the other reviews and they were right - buy a size smaller. Luckily, they fit perfectly now. My only complaint is that although it has great ankle support, it's a little stiff. It's the only thing that needs to be broken in though. Other than that, I highly recommend these boots.

Bought these boots towards the end of the season last year and just had the opportunity to use them now. And oh boy, my poor ankles are in pain! Just a bit to stiff in the ankle area. Even when I loosen the laces to given my ankles some breathing room, that didn't cut it. I have knots near my ankles now! Will be returning......

good product

I wore these boots for the first time last weekend on a trip to Big Bear, CA. It snowed the entire time, temperatures got to about 28deg. I wore them for about 10 hours straight - in the car on the drive up and back, walking around in the snow, and snow tubing. With only one pair of wool socks, my feet were dry and warm. No blisters, no break-in (though one ankle was a little stiff), very comfortable sole. I agree with a previous reviewer who wanted hooks instead of eyelets for the ankle section - it would make for taking the boots on/off alot easier. Great traction on the snow, and since I don't walk in snow very often, that was a big concern. Some folks say the size is too big. These are hiking boots, and you want them to be roomy. One thing to consider with hiking boots is that you typically want to purchase them 1/2 to 1 size larger because your feet will expand as you hike. Also, these are boots for colder weather, and the extra room is appreciated to accomodate thick socks. When I first tried them on, I did experience a little bit of heel slippage. I tied a single knot at the locking eyelet (last hole before the ankle section - a trick a salesperson taught me), and that eliminated the problem. The blue color is very attractive (more like a blueish steel grey), and looks good with bootcut jeans or cords, so you could wear these into town w/o looking like you are expecting a snowstorm. For the amount of warmth they provided, they are relatively lightweight boots. You could find more "fashionable" boots for snow, but they are generally heavier than these Montrails. Also, these are quite versatile - you can't hike very comfortably in fashionable snow boots. For the price, I think these boots are a high value item. Not only are they perfect for playing in the snow, they are attractive enough to wear around town, and seem to be durable enough to hike in less than perfect conditions. Three uses for the price of one - that's value to me.

These are nice-looking boots, they have the warmth I seek for an average hiking day in winter when heavy duty snow/glacier/ice boots aren't called for, they have the good edging/traction I seek, and they lace up more securely than most casual winter boots... but the ankles/heels were too stiff/confining compared to similar other boots, rubbing too much, the lacing is hard to work with (no hooks) and the toe area was too wide even with an extra insole. I'm sad to say I have to return them.