Raichle Mountain Track Backpacking Boots (For Men)

I'm going to keep an eye on these boots, as I had to return a pair of Vasque's that were also made in Romania because of the stitching coming apart. Raichle used to make a great boot called the Palue, which is no longer imported to the US. There aren't any great similarities here, but the inside of the boot is almost as nice, although the tongue design is vastly different. These boots would sell for around $200 in typical outdoor stores.

My second pair in 10 years. My previous Raichle Hikers, I pretty muchly ran them into the ground. Full leather overall without a lot of the plastic and nylon add-ons so common to other brands. No nylon sausage loops or pieced together hides, with this model. Color is more greenish than a gray graphite. Excellent full leather lining and comfortable during break in.

I have a pair of spirit II that are about 15 years old that needed to be replaced so I could not be happier with this find. I also have a pair of Raichle day hikers (not sure what style) that are about 5 years old. Though a couple of reviewers commented on the mountain tracks fitting small, they fit just like the other two pairs I have - true to size. Paying under $100 for a boot of this quality is an unbelievable deal!

This is a great price for extremely well-made boots. Opted for Raichles after trying out a pair of lowcut dayhikers and falling in love with the fit. I bought these to replace my old Montrail Cristallo boots--also grey one-piece nubuck backpacking boots. My old boots were a womens' 8.5 and over the past year have started to feel too narrow, so I decided to switch to mens' sizes in hopes they might be roomier. These Raichles are cut almost identically to my old Montrails, with a nice snug heel. I would like a little more room in the toebox, but as they break in, it seems the width won't pose a problem. These are not Gore Tex, so get some Nikwax waterproof them yourself--works better anyway, IMHO. The chunky Vibram soles are great, and the *external* arch support is nice for us supinators/underpronators. These may not work so well for folks with really high arches unless you add something along the lines of a Superfeet insole. PS--These are on closeout because the company, Raichle, got bought by Mammut, another great Swiss gear company. So boots now made with the Mammut label are actually Raichle boots!

Waterproof these yourself and you have a really fine pair of boots. The 6.5 fits my women's 8 wide feet perfectly. The leather lining is very comfortable. I have added an insole for more arch support. I'd buy another if they still had them. These were comfortable the first day hiking 10 miles after only wearing them around the house one day.