Great LW Backpacking Shoe
This is a really great shoe, and the best footwear for lightweight backpacking I've found since the old Montrail Hardrocks, however a few small things do make me question whether I'll buy another pair when these wear out. I wore thru 4 pairs of older (before Columbia bought them) Montrail Hardrocks on a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike and loved their big support and cushioning in a low-cut trail runner. Now it seems the trend is towards minimalist footwear but for hiking with a pack on, I still prefer some support (altho I never wear any kind of boot unless mountaineering). These Wildcats provide a well-cushioned, supportive ride even when wearing a 25 lb. pack. The traction of these things is unbelievable, the best I've seen in a shoe. I have almost 100 miles on mine and there's almost no signs of the foam midsole wearing out, and the upper have remained surprisingly well kept together despite a lot of rough scrapes. I have narrow heels, with a wider forefoot and really enjoy the space in the toebox, and the way the heelcup wraps over and around, really locking my ankle in place. At first I was worried it would cause rubbing and blisters but have never gotten a single one even on dusty multi-day outings. There are a couple minor annoyances that may have me do a brief search for other shoes when these wear out. First, there's not a lot of arch support. This can be fixed by custom insoles, but would prefer not to have to spend even more on them. Also the tongue could use more padding, and something to keep it in place better. When I tighten don the laces they tend to dig into my ankle at the top, which isn't improved when the tongue always slides off to the side after wearing for a few miles. Other than that this is a great all-around shoe (available in GTX and non-GTX versions) for anyone looking for a strong trail runner or LW backpacking shoe.