Salewa Men's Wildfire GTX Approach Shoe - Durable, Waterproof Gore-Tex Trail Shoe for Hiking & Climbing

Updated review:After ten months of use, three-four rounds per week, the soles have held up nicely. There is definitely some wear around the toes due to drag, but it is relatively minimal given how often I play/use them. The mesh upper has started to tear in a few places which I wasn't expecting and it has caused some frustration on my part; however, I have been using the shoes rather consistently for almost a year which is about 4-6 months longer than any other pair of shoes has held up for me. Disc golf is very hard on shoes and these are definitely still useable. For comparison other high-end hiking shoes, which I have purchased, usually wear out after 3-6 months. These hold up much better than Northface, Addidas Terrex and Solomon shoes, when playing disc golf.Original review:I have only had these for a week. I will update later with information about durability. This review relates solely to fit. These shoes are terrific so far, they fit perfectly!!! These are performance shoes which are meant to fit like a glove, so to speak. They are meant to feel more like a cleat, or more accurately a turf shoe, versus the clunky comfy shoes most people are used to wearing. In short if you are thinking of ordering these half a size up, don't! If you are ordering them in an incorrect size to make them more comfortable then you should save your money and buy a lower quality shoe because you probably don't need a high end performance hiking shoe to begin with. Get some North face or Solomons if your looking for a comfier clog like feel, these are meant for a more athletic experience. I should also note that these are my first pair of hiking shoes with a climbing lace setup which makes them easy to dial in for a more exact fit. I purchased these for disc golf and so far they are perfect.

This is my first pair of Salewa shoes which I decided after lots of research. I wore Salomon for 10 years, then Merrell the past year and a half. I really like Salomon trail running shoes as day hiking shoes, and the Merrell's I had were good, but never loved them, too stiff and a little clunky. My criteria for shoes this time was one that would be good for the high desert I am often in here in New Mexico as a rural land photographer. The priority was breathability, as the Merrell's had a Goretex waterproof lining, not needed for the desert. Then I wanted good protection from cactus spines and similar. I needed to shoe to be light as well. This brought me to looking for an approach shoe. Salewa appealed to me from a breathability standpoint with its all mesh upper, but ballistic mesh so it would be strong enough in the desert to resist spines and rocks. Loved the styling of the blue as well. The issue then was what size. I wear size 11 universally. After reading the few reviews for this shoe in particular and Salewa in general, including the similar Vent model, I decided to go a half size up. For my universal otherwise size 11 shoe foot, the 11.5 Salewa fit perfectly. They have met all my needs, as my feet sweat less in the desert, they have held up to cactus spines and rocks, and they are very light. The surprise was how comfortable they were on trail, possibly the best shoes for that I have ever owned. I would not wear these as daily shoes on pavement. I wear them specifically for when I will be in the desert, on trail, etc. These are a specialty shoe and for the price, should be kept for that use only, not wearing the lugs down on pavement anyway. I am now a Salewa loyalist for hiking shoes! They won me over from the very first step!

I bought these due to reviews of the comfort out of the box - true as reviewed by others. I am a size 8.5 and ordered as such, very, very comfortable.Better grip and more sure footed that many other low-cut trail/approach/hiking SHOES.They appear quite narrow in appearance, but I have not found them to be in how they wear. This is obviously foot/person dependent.Water proof a plus for my wants/needs for intended purpose.Worn for shorter hikes (few miles) and on hilly forested terrain - where they performed very well both up and downhill and also laterally walking across the slope.Again, these are SHOES, not boots, so the same type of ankle support and protection cannot be expected to equal boots.Overall, very pleased. I ordered these at the same time as a pair of "KEEN Men's Wasatch Crest Vent Breathable Hiking Sneakers" and a pair of "Asolo Men's Apex Shoe".The Salewa Wildfire GTX Approach Shoe (these shoes) are my favorite in terms of comfort, weight, performance. Though they are not my favorites in terms of appearance - but are still fairly attractive (if that matters to you).