Arc Tempo Last provides you with a solid gate

By Mary Webb

While hiking the Cinque Terre in Italy, I was thankful to have packed along the Velocity GTX, manufactured by Vasque.  Having taken a bad step back in the states, my foot was in need of a well supported shoe. I discovered great comfort inside the Velocity GTX. We tested Vasque’s Transistor FS Trail Running Shoes a couple years ago and found the GTX consistent in quality and design.  GTX is spring loaded with an Arc Tempo fit, tapered toe box, Gortex waterproof material, and breathable fabric that worked fine on a full day romp along the Mediterranean Sea of the Ligurian Coast!

Lasting Technologies:

The highest point along the Cinque Terre hiking expedition is about 2400 feet above sea level.  Starting out at the Monteroso Village, we traversed our way up the initial ascent of numerous stone steps towards the next village of Vernazza.

Many technologies come into play here in the GTX.  One such technology is the Arc Tempo fit, providing an asymmetrical curve to the last of the shoe.  The “last” is a term given to describe the approximate shape of a human foot.  Last molds typically come in pairs, and historically have been made from many materials, including hardwoods and cast iron.  Most lasts today are made from high density plastics and are designed to become a mold, modeled by the human foot, to accomplish various performance objectives.  With Vasque’s addition of the asymmetrical curve to the last, the shoe produces an exaggerated arch to the foot, providing excellent toe off for steep ascents.  Trail Blazers with natural arches in their feet may be better served in the Velocity GTX for trail running comfort thanks to the Arc Tempo technology.

Stealth Rubber and Gortex fabric are a dynamic duo!

My foot felt supported in the molded last, but not too tight.  The tapered toe box offered additional comfort and a little wiggle room to stretch my toes on water breaks.  Vasque understands that women’s feet differ substantially from men’s, that’s why the heel is narrower in the GTX to accommodate a women’s exquisitely manicured, petite foot.  In other perspectives, for women with wider feet such as mine, Vasque also offers various widths for a more relaxing fit.   As I completed the steep stone steps of the Cinque Terre hike, it was time to pick up the pace on the trail.  What a joy to jog along the cliffs of the Mediterranean sea in the GTX; EVA midsoles were evident for lightweight cushioning, I was cognizant of the technologies working with me on my Italian run.

Sea Resistant:

Gortex has been around for more than 20 years, providing water resistance for trekkers, trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts around the globe.  Sweat is able to escape the shoe, while moisture and rain are kicked to the curb; keeping you dry when the Tuscan sun decides to hide behind rain clouds.  With higher elevations becoming evident upon the town of Vernazza, we discovered the dirt trails were wet and muddy from recent rains.  The Stealth Rubber outsole of the GTX navigated the mud and the variegated traction underfoot and kept me from slipping significantly along the trail.

Finger Pull at the back makes it easy to slip on the GTX

My feet were dry as Chianti when we entered the Italian Trattoria for lunch.  The gunmetal and herbal green colors in the shoe worked nicely with my hiking pants and the dark grey would accompany a wide array of colored khakis.  With shared technologies, Vasque also manufacturers a GTX shoe tailored for men, colored in Gunmetal and orange.

It’s all the in Details:

I enjoyed the padded thickness of the tongue on the GTX, it provided needed comfort on the down hill slope towards the Riomassiore village.  Finger sized pull grips at the back of the shoe were helpful to slip the shoes on and off, and reflective stitching was appropriate for added safety along the setting sun.

Heading towards the train station, my feet felt great; the injury I sustained to my ankle was no worse for the wear.  As a matter of fact, I will be wearing the GTX around town in the states to help provide additional support for my ankle.  For a suggested selling price of about $120, the GTX will be a fine addition to your river trail runs and jogs along the back country.  Now, off to another Trattoria for dinner!

Specifications:

Weight: 13.9 oz. (394g)

Outsole: Vasque Mako

Last: Arc Tempo

Midsole: Dual-Density EVA

Available Sizes:  Women’s Medium 5-11,Wide 7-10

The Fortis’ construction includes some of the highest quality materials available, including waterproof GORE-TEX boot liners, and full-grain leather and Cordura uppers. These are materials that are sometimes taken for granted as they have almost become the standard. But if you are in the market for a new pair of boots, these are the features you’ll be looking for.

Orange shark-teeth shaped cleats on the Fortis outsole are slightly raised above black tread blocks to offer superior traction on any terrain surface.

The Fortis boots required little break-in time, and they fit exactly as expected with no surprises. A well-designed eyelet and hook lace system doesn’t tear apart the boot laces, and allows you to snug-up your feet for most any terrain you’ll likely navigate.  

Boot tongues are generously padded for foot-top comfort, and attached up to about mid-ankle.  The tongue folds and lace system keep the boot top fairly well sealed from water intrusion through the boot lace system. As with any boot type you choose to own, if you are expecting real wet weather or significant stream crossings, a pair of boot gaiters in combination with the Fortis boots will keep your feet dry and confidence level high.

Padded boot collars at the top of each boot are easy on the lower calves. A concave drop-away on the collar allows the back of the upper ankle/lower calf a full range of vertical motion.

Individual Comfort System (ICS)

Note ICS disk dial and clear instructions molded into underside of outsole. Cool trick!

Yet, with all the above high-end boot making materials and construction design, the Fortis ICS technology is what really separates this boot from the majority of contemporary hiking boots with regard to dialing in foot comfort specific to you. Individual Comfort System means you can physically change the boot suspension at the heels with four primary settings and four sub-settings. Simply snatch out the removable insole, turn it over, and remove the amber-colored composite disk. Instructions are clearly visible; each insole is identified as Right or Left foot.

For example, you like a firm boot but you have an outward pronation (your shoes wear at the outside of the soles because that’s your natural walking gate). To increase foot support and stability with an outward pronation, you simply remove the ICS disc and line-up the amber-colored disk-setting between the firm setting “F” and the “O” setting for outward pronation.  We were impressed just how intuitive the custom adjustments are once you remove the insole and turn it over.

The ICS disc is secured into the insole via interlocking teeth-like structure much like a mechanical gear-set meshes one to the other. That’s it. Re-insert the insole into the Fortis, adjust the other boot, and you’re ready to go. The entire ICS adjustment process takes no more time than lacing up the boots in the first place. However, with this kind of adjustment capability you can truly tailor your fit to your needs. Keep in mind: Each boot should be set at the identical calibration on the ICS disk.

OVER ALL IMPRESSIONS

The Wolverine’s Fortis was an excellent hiking boot, not only for the ICS customization capability, but for the entire package.  You can wear the Fortis day-to-day whether you are walking, hiking, or driving to your destination. They are light on the feet and extremely comfortable with one pair of socks, padded or not.

The boot laces are slightly long, and they don’t double wrap around the top of the boot very well. So the slack in the laces sometimes tend to catch and untie. This is minor, and a double knot is the fix.

In addition to countless daily wear sessions, the Fortis (size 14’s) was worn on sections of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Angeles National Forest of California and a long (almost 20 mile) one-way backpack trip in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico. Now, the Fortis is not specifically a backpacking boot (one with very firm outsoles, midsoles, and firm ankle support structure. But they are very much a sound consideration if you want a sturdy three-season hiking boot where you may call upon them for backpacking with a light to moderate weight load.

Wolverine Fortis on day two of a long, one-way, backpack in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico.

That said, the backpack trip in New Mexico was a hike where the water load in the Gregory Peak backpack (heavy-duty military version) in addition to gear that was distributed to support a group of 16 souls, made for a 60 pound pack on day one. The trail elevation ranged between 6,500 and 8000 feet above sea level on rocky, loose soil, and stream-side terrain. Each Fortis was set on Firm, and for the entire trip, including the energy run-down just before settling into camp for the night, my Fortis-shod feet where the very least of my aching bones.

Fortis is not recommended as a long-haul weeklong backpacking boot, nor does Wolverine market them as such. But these boots did extremely well under the weight of a heavy backpack on a two-day trip, on the feet of a 200-plus pound individual.

Fortis is, however, highly recommended as a seriously well-built boot using cutting-edge innovation in design and best practices for making a hiking boot in general. At a suggested retail price of $200.00, the Wolverine Fortis’ are high-quality, customizable, and comfortable three-season boots. Bring on the rain and rocks. Bring on those elements that attack your feet on the trail. Fortis appears to be a hiking boot that is up to a challenge. They worked well for us.

By Rick Shandley

With more than 90 years building mountaineering boots, Lowa understands how to create an all-weather mountain boot regardless of the terrain and the weight in your pack. Made in Italy, the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX mountain boots are top-tier gear for high alpine treks where rocky, muddy trails and stream crossings can be treacherous.

Rearview of the Mt. Expert GTX with grooved heel for crampon.

The first three qualities noticed in the Mt. Expert GTX was foot comfort, stability, and evident toughness. Perhaps the red and black colored split-leather uppers grab attention and seem a bit loud at first, but any misgivings where dashed simply by the design and quality of performance the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX delivered on the trail with a 40-plus pound backpack.

At slightly more than 3.5-pounds a pair, the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX boots lace up snug on the foot with a single pair of boot socks and rendered a sense of the needed stiffness on the bottom, firm ankle support, and flexibility throughout the heel-to- toe-contact cycle on the ground. Although these boots appear to be on the heavy side, they are rather light; no heavier than any purpose-built mountain boot made for backpacking and serious mountaineering use.

Mt.Expert GTX is Gortex-lined, but split-leather exterior uppers are almost impervious to water as seen submereged in Rock Creek, CA.

However, the Mt. Expert GTX is heavy-duty and not the type of hiking boots you wear with casual clothes as you stroll down the 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica, California. These boots are trail boots of the caliber you lace up just before you hoist up your backpack and lock the car at the trailhead.

Having worn the Mt. Experts on four separate excursions, with and without a backpack, I can tell you they required little to no break-in time. The construction and materials used to create a foot-hugging, comfortable platform to walk in yielded none of the blisters or soreness once expected from any new pair of boots. Even after a couple days of exclusively wearing these boots on the trail, the suspension, stability and traction they deliver make them a superior boot for the conditions they were worn in. Since winter is yet to arrive, these boots will be used for future trips where we will have cold, snow, and ice. However, there was lots of water crossings and muddy trail sections where I did wear these Gortex-lined boots and water intrusion, wet feet, or over-heated and sweaty feet, where not an issue with the Mt. Experts.

The Lace Up
Part of the comfort experienced with the Mt. Expert GTX can be attributed to the Lowa Flex Fit 3D approach that’s also new for 2009. Inherent in the Flex Fit is the LaceLoop where the lace-hook is not anchored to the boot upper, but rather suspended on tough fabric loops that allow the boot laces to be securely fastened over the top of the foot, yet able to flex with the motion of travel. Flex Fit 3D allows the ankle to flex naturally while maintaining the boot stability.

Notice LaceLoops used for top of foot to allow flexibility while maintaining stability.

Vibram Sole
An all-purpose mountain boot requires a rigid out sole for difficult, demanding terrain. The Mt. Expert GTX is shod with a Vibram Mulaz semi-rigid outsole with rigid toe push-off zones for accurate and stable foot placement. These Vibram soles are step-in crampon compatible, self-cleaning, and use an undercut heel front section to assure positive grip on any mountain surface you might find yourself working on. A more expensive Poly Urethane midsole absorbs shock and works with a full-length plastic stabilizer in each boot. The soles are cemented to the Mt. Expert GTX uppers and are fully replaceable; an uncommon feature amongst current manufacturing trends. 

Waterproof Comfort
Lowa uses patented Gor-Tex waterproof lining in the Mt. Expert GTX for a comfortable and smooth fit which lessens the likelihood for blisters and sore feet. Climate-control footbeds, a C4 comfort tongue, and Primaloft insulation combine to make the Mt. Expert GTX extremely comfortable for such an extreme boot. The Gor-Tex lining runs up to just below the second-from-the top lace hook, and almost the full-length of the tongue. Sure, there’s going to be trips where you’ll have to wear your knee-length gators for deep-snow and water-crossings. But the way the tongue, Gortex-lining, and tongue fold are designed, the Mt. Experts will keep your feet dry in most any conditions just like they come from Italy. Bear in mind, the split-leather uppers are fairly impervious to water all by themselves. Check out the photo of the GTX boots submerged in Rock Creek to note the uppers do a good job long before the Gor-tex comes into play; yet these boots can breathe.

Sierra Nevada Trail Test
Starting from the 10,300-foot elevation at the Mosquito Flats trailhead on the Morgan Pass trail, I hiked up the Little Lakes Valley to Mono Pass (12,000 ft. elevation) and spent a night at Chicken Foot Lake sitting at 11,100 feet.

Toe section is rigid to assure your foot stability as you push-off.

 Walking from the lower paved parking lot about a half-mile from the trailhead, the Mt. Expert GTX boots let you know you’re walking on an even surface as the soles are firm, like ski boots. As soon as I embarked on the rock-strewn trail, the Lowa’s hit their stride up Crank Case Hill, across several stream sections and stair-steps where logs and boulders are used to shore up the trail and offer pack horses a hoof-hold. Sections of the trail are fairly steep and sometimes lengthy. Small to large rocks are part of the dusty crushed granite soil where there’s more opportunities to twist an ankle between two-rocks than not. It’s a trail mountain bikers would have to walk up most, if not the entire way.

Arriving at Chicken Foot Lake (5.8 miles from trailhead) early in the afternoon, I had enough time to un-shoulder the Lowe-alpine FTX Cerro Torre backpack, pitch the Hilleberg Kaitum 3 tent, set up camp, and explore the granite slides cascading down from the peaks surrounding Chicken Foot Lake. Without the weight of the pack, the Mt. Expert GTX were every bit as comfortable and stable as they were under a full backpack. Although I was not fully acclimated to the altitude, and had to pay attention to my physical exertion levels, I did climb and tested traction in several steep rocky approaches to the peaks.

Note the undercut heel for bite and traction lugs throughout the foot arch.

Pacific Crest Trail Test
There are approach sections to the Pacific Crest Trail in the San Bernardino Mountains and the Angeles National Forest where the terrain is steep and rocky; approaches such as the Windy Gap Trail out of Crystal Lake, CA. But for the most part, the trail is smooth going. On this type of trail surface, the Mt. Expert simply allowed long-gated strides where the heel touches down and the toe-follows up. At a rather quick pace, with a full pack, the Lowa boots offered momentum and the ability to cover ground in comfort.

Overall Assessment
In general, the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX boots are, as they tested, highly capable mountaineering boots that are hard to beat where traction, rugged construction, quality, comfort, and longevity or desired characteristics. As has been stated above, these boots are not casual shoes you can wear around town or even drive your vehicle with these rockets on your feet. They are designed for severe use in severe conditions and wicked weather. One aspect most valued regarding the manufacturer is that they are Italian made shoes, crafted by alpine craftsmen in an alpine country, for alpine purposes. These are not “pretender” boots. They are the real deal.

It would have been great to see a broader size range made available for the Mt. Expert GTX, as it would to have a more neutral color scheme. Yet these objections are negligible and subjective to individual needs and taste.

When it comes to boots or running shoes of any size, I seek a size 14 U.S. fit so I can wear two-pair of socks and have room for foot swelling on long hikes. To my surprise and relief, these boots fit so well that my usual U.S. size 13 feet (size the boots came in) were never in jeopardy of being uncomfortable. Neither of the above less-than perfect observations would deter me from buying or recommending the Lowa Mt. Expert GTX as a next-generation mountain boot of the highest order.

By Rick Shandley

Specifications:
2100273099 Red/Black
Model Year 2009
US 7 – 12, 13
Weight Per Pair (Men’s 9): 3.50 lbs
Suggested retail price: $ 350.00

Gortex lining enhances boot-fit in addition to a waterproof barrier. Note the tongue folds that also prevents water from surging into the boot.Rearview of the Mt. Expert GTX with grooved heel for crampon.Note black waterproof bumper to protect boot upper against rock and trail abrasion.Note: LaceLoops from toe to ankle top. Crampon ready.

New hiker-mid Wolverine Fortis

Fortis is the new mid hiking boot from Wolverine^®  designed around the state-of-the-art Individual Comfort System (ICS^TM).  The men’s Fortis waterproof hiker is the next generation in performance footwear from Wolverine. Fortis allows wearers to customize their comfort by selecting the amount of firmness or cushion needed with the removable heel disk dial. The Fortis hiker incorporates additional comfort and performance enhancements including a GORE-TEX^® waterproof lining, lightweight full-grain leather and Cordura upper, padded collar and durable outsole for increased stability on uneven terrain. Color choices for this mid-hiker will be black, brown and olive. Also available in Nubuck. Fortis will be available in Fall 2009 at a suggested retail price of US $200.00.

About Individual Comfort System (ICS)

The ICS system is a removable insole with an adjustable heel disk that allows the wearer to set the amount of cushion or firmness where it’s needed. Wolverine ICS offers four options for customized wear. Each dial should be set at the same comfort level for optimum performance.

• Firm: Increases energy return and provides an extra spring in your step for all day wear
• Outer Support: Delivers increased stability for higher arches and for individuals that wear their shoes out on the outside edge or walk with an outward tilt (otherwise known as supination)
• Cushion: Provides additional cushion under the heel for maximum shock absorption
• Inner Support: Offers additional support for flat feet and fallen arches and for users who wear their shoes out on the inner edge or walk with an inward tilt (otherwise known as pronation)