Here鈥檚 the truth: it鈥檚 been years since a hiking boot impressed us. Are our grading criteria too rigorous? Possibly. Are we jaded? Almost certainly. But the fact remains, nothing blew us away for almost half a decade. That is, until now. The ($180) is the all-purpose boot we鈥檝e been waiting for.
We put the Anacapa through almost every conceivable hiking scenario鈥攔ocky alpine, muddy jungle, dirt singletrack鈥攁nd it kept our feet comfortable, our strides natural, and our footing secure through all of them. The boot鈥檚 chunky EVA midsole (37 millimeters thick at the heel) cushions weight, the wide last allows feet to splay, and the tapered toe lends it the feel of a heavy duty trail running shoe.
On a four-day trip in Wyoming鈥檚 Wind River Range, the Anacapa Mid piloted us down the rolling trail into Titcomb Basin with a 35-pound pack on; foot soreness was the furthest thing from our minds. Despite all that cushioning, the boot is maneuverable: on that same trip, we scrambled up 13,711-foot Fremont Peak and the boot proved nimble as we rock-hopped to the summit.
At one pound per shoe, the Anacapa Mid is light enough for day hikes, a rare quality in a boot this comfy and supportive, and its nubuck-and-polyester upper breathes well in warm temps, even with a Gore-Tex insert. That membrane proved protective in Panama鈥檚 rainforest, where it sealed out muck and water.
The only gripe we have about the Anacapa is that the EVA on the outsole鈥攚here it鈥檚 not covered in Vibram Megagrip鈥攈as deteriorated a bit after 150 miles of hiking. The flaw is only cosmetic so far, but it might become a structural issue in the future. Still, this boot excels on the trail, and we鈥檙e willing to ride it as far as it will take us. 1.8 lbs (women鈥檚) / 2 lbs (men鈥檚)