Columbia Sportswear Women's Ashlane Mid Omni-Tech Hiking Boot

 (7 customer reviews)

I decided to buy these boots after my previous pair (North face) decided to start letting water in and become pretty much worthless. I wore these boots for 8 hours the first day I got them, and I never got a blister! Amazing because it took a full month to break in the North face pair. They provide a lot of ankle support and are very breathable.

The only downside is the sizing. I'm between a 7 and 7.5 usually, so I went with a 7.5 in these boots. They are slightly tight in the toe region, but not enough for me to send them back. If you are between sizes, definitely go for the larger size, if not two sizes up.

I ordered a size 7 for my wife but this shoe is way too small for a size 7. I had to return it, pay shipping and couldn't get a larger size. Buy atleast one size larger than what you normally wear.

I am not a fan of buying shoes online without trying them on first and there weren't too many reviews out there to help me make up my mind, but I decided to just go for it and ordered these shoes. Took them out of the box and went hiking that day. Very light, comfortable (no blisters anywhere!) and water resistant (crossed through mud, creeks and sand). I'm in love with these boots and hope they will serve me well for many years to come, including the hike down the Grand Canyon next month.

I will agree that if you are between sizes, go up to the next size. The shoelaces are thin, but sturdy (for some reason thicker laces seem to have been a better fit for such boots).

Overall, very happy I got them.

*Update:

On the hike to the bottom of the grand canyon, completely destroyed my feet. Not sure if the shoes shrunk somehow or my foot got bigger, but let me tell you, three days of misery and these are back in the box never to be worn again...Read more