HI-TECWomen's Skamania Mid Wp-w

These boots are wide and short, and left me wondering what happened to Hi-Tec's sizing. I ordered a 7.5 M in the Alchemy Lite last year, and they fit completely differently - comfortably snug without being restrictive, long enough that there is no "stubbing" against the toe, but shaped so well that there was no slide, either. The Hi-Tec Women's Skamania Mid WP Hiking Boot (also in 7.5 M) are more like shoe _boxes_ than they are shoes: short in length and quite wide across the forefoot.Before you discard these boots as an option, let me explain that my feet are awkward to fit, even for athletic shoes. My feet are wide at the ball and narrow at the heel (think duck feet), and have (or used to have) a very high arch, not to mention the infamous wonky little toe that never seems happy with any shoe type. Depending on the brand, I generally wear a 7 1/2 or an 8 in women's and a 5 in men's/boys' shoes. I also have had an injury to my lower back and legs that requires me to wear orthotics in all of my foot gear. Now that you know what I'm trying to fit, let's get back to the review. Here's what I can tell you about the Hi-Tec Skamania:The Outside:1) The Skamania seems to be of the good quality I expect from Hi-Tec. The soles are thick and beautifully cleated, but don't seem to skid on hard surfaces (mind you, I only wore them indoors on tile and linoleum). The seams from sole to upper all look and feel tight and well-crafted, so there shouldn't ever be a problem with separation. The uppers are thick and well-padded without feeling too bulky or stiff.2) Although I didn't wear them more than a few hours each day before I had to take them off, I didn't feel like there would be an extended "breaking in" period to make them ready for long hours on the trail.3) While they don't feel nearly as agile as the aforementioned Alchemy style and the Skamania isn't what I would call a "light" hiker, by any means, it doesn't feel heavy or clumsy on the foot.4) The laces are rolled (round) nylon laces secured with metal lace points. I've never been a fan of rolled nylon laces because they never seem to hold the tie well and loosen at the most inconvenient moments, but that's my opinion. The hardware seems solid, and is subtle but attractive against the shoe. The colors (I ordered the "Grey/Viola" color) are vibrant without being overpowering. All in all, it is an attractive, well-made boot.The Inside:1) The Skamania does indeed have a molded insole, but it is very subtle. I can feel the slight drop of the heel cup and the low grade down to the toe box. Combine the two, and you get what may pass for an arch. It's very subtle. For most "normal" feet, this shouldn't be uncomfortable.2) The boot is easy to get in and out of, and it has a serviceable loop (one you can actually get a finger through) on the back to help pull them on, if you need it.3) Breathability and Water resistance: Again, I didn't take them out in the weather, but I suspect that the "Dri-Tec waterproof, breathable membrane" is truly waterproof. As for keeping your feet dry, that would be dry from outside sources of moisture... not from your own sweat. These boots (for me, anyway) got uncomfortably hot in a very short time span. Again, that may be because I was indoors (temperature 72-74 degrees), and the breath-ability may be better in an outdoor environment.4) The interior is roomy, but in all the wrong directions. Honestly, I have never seen a pair of Hi-Tecs fit like this, and I've had quite a few different styles over the years. As I said earlier, I ordered another style of Hi-Tec boots last year, this same size, and they fit beautifully. Something went wrong with the Skamania. It is short and wide, and seemed to fit more like a size 7 E than a 7.5 B. These boots actually had so much room inside that I was able to put my orthotics in without taking out the original insole, and I still had plenty of room to move my foot. Too much room, in fact, even with the inserts. I could feel a small lateral shift as the my foot rocked side-to-side with each step. My toes were most uncomfortable with that shift, and I suspect the rest of my foot would have adapted with use. There was plenty of room for up-down and side-to-side movement in the box, but no space at all between toe tips and shoe wall.I didn't intend to write a book, but there you have it - everything I could think of that might help with an informed decision about the Hi-Tec Skamania mid boot. In short:PROS: good construction, solid, amazing tread, mid-range weight, not bulky, should be waterproof (or at least highly resistant based on how quickly they heated up and held a "sweat factor"), roomy interior, good looking, comfortable (not bulky) padding in the right places for a hiker, don't feel like they need extended "break-in" timeCONS: Odd "short-wide" fit, not really "breathable" boots, possible risk of overheating the feet, they are a mid-weight boot (imho) and may sacrifice some agility because of it

I got a size up based on the reviews (and the fact that my size wasn't available with this color) but I found that they were pretty big and clunky. It got me though a treacherous hike without damaging my feet, so I'm grateful for that. They don't tread well on smooth indoor floors for some reason because they don't create any friction, but they work fine outdoors. I also thought the fit around my ankles was kind of weird as it felt like the tongue and laces were suffocating them even though it was loose on my feet. I had some irritation on my ankle right behind the tongue after walking in them for a while, but it went away after I tied the laces behind the tongue instead of in front of it.

I haven't gotten to hike in these yet, but did wear for a day to see how they fit. I ordered a half size up and probably should have just stuck to my size. They seem to fit true to size. Plenty of room in the toe box. I will probably need to put some sort of insole in them because they don't have much cushioning.The main negative to these boots is that the hooks for the laces are made of plastic. I've never seen them made of anything but metal. And it doesn't appear to be super strong plastic. I'll be surprised if they last beyond this summer for that reason. I suspect they may be prone to breaking from use or getting bumped. Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

I’ve had these since Oct. I use them for work at a production facility and these only lasted until last week. I’ve had a pair (slightly different model) that lasted years. Not sure what happened but they’re ok. Not much of a break in time and they are really comfortable just not durable.

This was the first time I purchased shoes from Amazon- I was a bit nervous.However I am happy to say that I was not disappointed at all! Hi-Tech is a well-known brand, and I thought I would be safe choosing it.Size: True to size.Colour: FabulousPrice: Very reasonableLook and feel: They are lighter than one would expect, but look clunky. This would not be a good choice if you want something which has a narrower, sleeker look. Then again, you're going hiking. Comfort, not looks are key...for me. While comfortable, combined with hiking socks, my feet felt hot. The outside temp was in the 90's....this may have had something to do with that. Something to think about as you purchase them. This would account for my 4 stars instead of 5. My feet just got really hot. They are supposed to breathable, so I don't know if these would work better in colder temperatures. I suppose just not where you're going through snow, since they would let that through.All in all, my gamble paid off- I needed hiking boots in a hurry, and didn't have time to go shopping. I was also looking for the best price. I was able to go hiking because I got these boots in 2 days.This has nothing to do with the shoes themselves, but Hi-Tech, but my boots had a tag which said (a portion of) the proceeds from every shoe sale would support rhino conservation. I thought that was awesome.Happy hiker. :)

This is the second time your have bought these boots. The first time was 43 years ago and I am hoping these maybe the last hiking boots I will ever need.

This is an excellent product. It is attractive and extremely well made of quality materials. Even the small details, such as padding the lacing rivets, are taken care of. I bought these boots for my daughter. I also purchased a pair of boots from the same manufacturer for myself and they were the same high quality. My daughter will have to exchange them because they appear to be on the small side. She always wears a 9 and will have to go up to a 10, so keep that in mind.

Good casual hiking shoe.

Can't wait to go hiking Friday!! Lighter than I thought they'd be! Great workmanship and colours (gray & mauve). Comfortable and fit is true to size ( I'm in Canada and we use US sizes) and they arrived a day early! ❤ Thanks Hi-Tec & Amazon!!

does not keep your feet very dry even though it says they are water resistant. Also, my feet freeze in them! Not very warm!