ObozOboz Firebrand II B-Dry Hiking Shoe - Men's Earth 10

If you are like me and spend hours reading reviews before making an online purchase, I wanted to provide my review of this excellent hiking shoe to make your decision to buy this shoe easier. I own or have owned merrill's, la sportiva's and salomon's and my new go to shoe is the Firebrand II by Oboz.First, I'm not an avid hiker but do put lots of time in them doing my personal weekend hobbies. Down in New Orleans, the terrain isn't exactly mountainous, but there are plenty of outdoor activities around. Anyway, I took the family to Glacier National Park this July and we hiked pretty hard for the first three days. My kids pooped out by the fourth, so I took it easy on them and only hiked 6 miles that day. While my legs, calves and thighs ached, my feet felt great thanks to the excellent support of the Firebrand II's. As for fit, I was very excited about how well this shoot fit my foot. When ordering from the internet, it's always nerve racking not knowing what you'll get in the mail. I have a standard 10-1/2 size foot and ordered these like my running shoes - a half size up. The size 11 even fit my slightly smaller left foot just fine. The shoe hugs the heel so there's no slippage. The width is standard - again, worked perfect for my standard width foot. The toe box provided enough room side to side, but didn't feel sloppy when hiking on sidehill paths. The one part of a shoe that can begin to heat up for me is the rise of the shoe. Again, the Firebrand II was very comfortable, didn't tighten up, slide around and or pinch at the rise. I wore mid and or light weight hiking socks each day and pulled the laces to a comfortable tightness. Day in day out, these have been the most comfortable pair of shoes I've hiked in and or worn all day. I did purchase the BeDry series (waterproof lining inside) which adds weight, so decide if you need yours to be waterproof or not. Down in south Louisiana, we get lots of rain, so it was a no brainer for me.Out of the box, the shoe has a unique look with the seven eyelets. The colors are bold and earthy and just look like they belong on a hiking trail. I did spend a little time breaking them in, however, I don't think that was necessary. The shoes are not stiff out of the box, but I always like to break my shoe in before embarking on a trip. Once I stopped admiring how good looking they were, I checked out the workmanship. I am leery of the toe's of shoes like this. It always seems the glue gives way. However, I saw no indication these toe wraps would pop. The sole seems very rugged. They did an excellent job with traction. I never slipped going downhill on loose gravel or wet rock. Best thing was at the end of each day, I would hose down the bottom and sides and not worry about the water soaking through.All in all, these are great shoes and you will not regret your purchase. I've cleaned mine up and put them away for my next hiking adventure - Alaska! I hope this helps. My final thought, Oboz are good to go. Buy with confidence.

Very sturdy, supportive, strong shoe. I had another pair of Oboz shoes a few years back and they were exceptionally well made, so I decided to buy another pair. Besides being exceptionally well made, the new shoes are very attractive - with a stylish blend of taupe, gray and black tones - and fit as they should (size 11). They are also warm and have good traction.

I purchased these in late January due to a good experience with the slip on moc.I am a larger person, 6'3" and 355 pounds at the time. Part of my fitness goal included getting sturdy shoes to support my frame while walking 5 to 6 miles every day. They were a little stiff when new. Always a good sign for me having broken in many hiking boots over the decades. That stiffness was good support on sides and arches which appears to have translated into durability.Pros:ComfortableGood lacesStitching stayed sound and intactVery water resistantKept feet warm and dryRubber parts did not delaminate on sole and randColor lasted.Cons:Soles wore through earlier than expected (the rest of the shoes are in good shape, would resole if an option)I am hard on shoes. My size and activity mean prior shoes have fallen apart with stitching coming undone, soles delaminating, and toe rand coming unglued.I was really pleased how remarkably well these held up.Was surprised how the soles were not as durable as the uppers.I put an average of 5.3 miles a day on these shoes every day and found them comfortable untl I retired them today.Over those miles I lost over 30 pounds and appreciate relying upon them for that continuing goal.

Bought these for work and weekend/vacation play. I have no regrets and will ditch the Merrell's. here's my pro's and con's:Pro's:- Comfort right from the box. No break-in was really needed. I walk 5-8 miles a day at work mostly on concrete and I had no soreness whatsoever after the first week. The arch is perfect for me and if they weren't I would have bought different inserts.- Looks. They are different and cool looking and bring LOTS of compliments. I had a pair of Merrell vents and they were nice but very run of the mill looking and provided ok comfort at best (they went in the trash).- Laces. It may sound weird to mention just the laces but the laces are thicker than 550'cord and probably as strong. Could use them in a survival situation! LOL- Fit and finish. Well at least the finish. These shoes are well made. I wish, especially for the price, they were made in the USA but they are made in Vietnam. They have no glue smears, stitch over-runs or misfit pieces. They are just well made shoes. Older reviews mention that they don't come in wide, well they do now as mine are 13E.- Lace loops. Made of metal not the thin fabric as on the Merrells. I never had an issue with the Merrell loops but something to consider.Cons:- They are a little tight in the toe box. Not unbearable but that is the only reason I am not giving them a 5 star rating. If I could have given a 4.5 star, I would have. I am hoping that with further wear they will break in a bit and stretch in the toe. Otherwise I do have a shoe stretcher i may use on them.- Warm on the feet. As stated above, I walk a lot and these shoes are not as cool temperature wise as the Merrell vents. That is to be expected as they are waterproof and have a WP membrane.That's it. My review in a nutshell. Hope it helps someone out there.