Alico Tahoe

The Alico Tahoe is a hiking boot made by Alico sport, an Italian company. As far as I know, sierratradingpost.com is the sole US distributor of Alico boots, and they only carry a handful of the Alico line.  

I bought these boots because I was looking for a durable boot that would offer more protection during bushwhacks with a welt sole that could be replaced, as I have grown weary of the kabuki dance involved each time I needed to replace my trail runners du jour. At the time of this review, these boots have been used for day hikes ranging from 7-12 miles in length in order to break them in for longer treks, plus one overnighter.  

I currently have 175 miles on them, with a majority of these miles coming from on-trail use with short bushwhacks. I have had an opportunity to use these boots on ice and snow as well. The terrain I have hiked in has been mostly forest trails, marsh boardwalks, some bushwhacks through thicket, and the occasional hike through mud, snow and/or ice as nature dictates. I live in west Michigan, so steep rocky mountain trails are non-existent unfortunately.

I ordered these boots in a 10D (D being "standard width") from the aforementioned STP.com, which also offers a "2E" width.  According to STP, MSRP is $274.95 with a perpetual "sale price" of $199.  I got 50 bucks off since STP had a promotion where any first purchase through STP was 25% off.  

Straight out of the box, you can't help but notice that these are just a nice looking boot.

Alico's official site, alicosport.it displays a different version of this boot, so I didn't use any of the info provided there. Per STP.com, these boots weigh 3lbs 4 oz per pair, are 5.5 inches high, and feature a nylon and steel half-shank.  

These boots are 2.8mm full-grain Anfibio leather with a fully gusseted tongue.  The boots are lined with dri-lex, designed for "excellent moisture movement properties as well as outstanding abrasion resistance, hand-feel, and attractive patterns and textures" per dri-lex manufacturer website.  

The sole is your standard Vibram Roccia block. 

Putting these boots on my feet for the first time, I was struck by how stiff they were (remember, I have used trail runners exclusively until getting these). I felt like I was wearing ski boots as I walked around my living room. During my first day hike, I made it about 4 miles until my feet began giving me serious grief.  

I have been able to progressively increase my mileage until I hit around 125 miles, at which point I felt comfortable finally taking these on an overnighter to get a feel for how my feet might tolerate them on a longer trip. Following the overnighter, I treated these boots with Obenauf's leather oil, as they looked like they needed some hydration.

I did stay mostly comfortable on the overnighter, but I think it will take all of 200 miles to fully break these in. Since the overnighter, I logged an additional 50 miles on them.

Things I love about these boots: They are obviously durable and well-made. I have kicked plenty of stumps and branches during hikes accidentally, as well as having to kick through some thick stuff on bushwhacks and the leather has held up well without anything more than scuffs. The Vibram sole is grippy in mud, ice, and snow.  The only surface I have slipped at all on would be wooden boardwalks covered in early morning dew, and I don't know of many soles that can keep you from slipping in that situation.  

The dri-lex liners manage moisture extremely well, as my early hikes were in late August and heat was not lacking. The laces on these boots do not slip, and double knots are not necessary.  The padded ankle support is very comfortable. I haven't done the "bathtub test" with these boots, but I have hiked in rain and through plenty of puddles following treatment with Obenauf's with no leaks.

I also like how these boots are Gore-Tex free, as Gore-Tex liners just wind up as sweatboxes on my feet. These boots run narrow, and are a perfect fit for my lower-volume foot (I believe European boot manufacturers generally make lower-volume boots than their American counterparts, but I am not certain). I also just like how these boots look. After 175 miles, a damp cloth following a hike makes these pups look virtually untouched.  

Things I am not as high on: These boots come with a cheap foot bed worth slightly more than paper towel. I replaced them with Sole Softec Response insoles. While I was planning on replacing the soles anyway, it was kind of disappointing to see the insoles as nothing more than a thin slip of fabric on top of cheap foam.  Also, I would prefer eyelets to D-rings for laces, but that is a minor nit to me.  Most people prefer a leather-lined boot over a synthetic material, so I would be interested in comparing the two.  For now I don't have a leather-lined boot for reference.

Based on the few negatives I have mentioned, I suppose it would be fair to give these boots 4 or 4.5 stars.  However, I feel that the discernible build quality and durability more than make up for any shortcomings elsewhere.

I plan on returning to this post with a follow-up after a planned 50-mile full-on backpacking trip in Ontario this coming Spring. Until then, I will continue working on breaking these in.

I've worn them now for well over a year, and they show virtually no signs of wear. I wear them hiking here in Colorado Rockies, foothills, urban greater Denver trails, yard work, outdoor construction—EVERYTHING.

I bought these in February 2013. I have literally put them through hell; hiking and climbing in Colorado Rockies, hiking urban trails in greater Denver, worn to office [look great as long as kept well lubed with Obenauf's Leather Oil — and in wet weather and hiking wet snow well daubed with Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP.

When doing continual spring walking/hiking in conditions with a lot of wet son and a lot of snow water [that's the kind that can go through leather like a dose of salts] I lightly apply LP at days end probably every other 2 or 3 days.

THAT IS ONE OF THE KEYS TO KEEPING YOUR TAHOES LOOKING LIKE NEW. PEOPLE QUITE OFTEN ASK ME WHEN I BOUGHT MY BOOTS, CUZ' THEY LOOK ALMOST NEW.

ANOTHER TIP TO KEEP THEM LOOKING THAT WAY: I've so far re-dyed them with cobbler's leather dye after they've been through a particularly wet experience. The toes can start to look a little washing out after a long series of such treks. So, after drying them completely for a few days, I mix brown and a little bit of black leather dye ill I get it to just match the factory stain, apply it liberally and voila, I got almost brand new looking boots THAT I DON'T HAVE TO BREAK IN.

If you younger folks have never owned a pair of Norwegian-welt [stitched soles] boots, you simply do not know what you are missing. That is the way ALL boots were made when I was a young man. in the 1960s. The only reason they began doing "glued" soles was to make dirt "cheap" boots. Before that, people didn't buy boots they didn't figure would last them at least 10 years [resoling required of course].

BUY AND ENJOY

Desmond

Incredible bang for your buck.

I'm not sure how I could rate these boots anything lower than 5 given their retail price, and certainly not what I paid on ebay ($89.05 in March of 2015). They were a "new without box" pair with no indication that they had been worn.

They did give me some grief when breaking in. I wore them to a trip to Seattle later in 2015 and they were giving me some serious achilles pain after about 15 miles. Fortunately, I brought a second pair of shoes, so I shelved them for the rest of the trip.

I didn't wear the Tahoes much for the next several months after that, but once I started wearing them regularly again, they've never given me any achilles pain since then, so I'm not entirely sure what caused that and/or what changed. A bit odd that I never even got a smidge of it after that trip.

Anyway, after 7 years of use, these boots still have a lot of life left in them. I'm not a prodigious hiker and often just wear trail runners for short hikes but I also wear these out and about reasonably often and have several hundred miles on them. Still look almost new and still don't need a resole yet. The Vibram sole on this boot is really excellent. Good grip in most situations, even wet. And yet it wears remarkably slowly.

Some things you may want to address:

• You'll want a better insole, the one Alico provides might as well be a sheet of paper. I'm just using some from my Oboz Bridgers, works perfectly well.
• The laces didn't stay tied very well for me. I switched to Danner laces and they worked better.

Background

7 years, few hundred miles

Good boot. I have owned different Alico boots in the past. I thought the Tahoe would be too lightweight for backpacking, but after trying them I think they are almost perfect weight. The keys for me were correct size, correct sock thickness, change out innersole to a Spenco below an OTC thin orthotic, and breaking them in (about 50 miles).

Bottom line—these are nice boots once they are configured for you correctly.

Have a pair of Summits and a pair of Tahoes. As you might expect, the Tahoe is a lighter version of the Summit. Both work for backpacking (40-pound pack) on and off trail.

IMHO the Summits are a little more comfortable out of the box, but with the right foot sole and socks and orthotic difficult to tell a difference. The Summits are heavier and probably can take more abuse than the Tahoes, but since neither has failed me it's sort of academic so far. 

So far 5 stars. I just got them a couple days ago, but I have been looking for a high-quality, all leather boot that will fit my "Birkenstock-toes" and my very narrow heel and I am so delighted to have found something that really fits and feels great with toe wiggle room and no pinching and my heel is snug. I'll update once I start hiking in them after the waterproofing ... I can't wait!

UPDATED JUNE 15, 2007

Hi, I wrote a quick review recently and since I have very much enjoyed these boots. My feet have stayed dry after waterproofing. The best part are the grippy soles on the slippery rocks—my Asolos do not compare and I slip around, my Vasques are soaked after a short time and my feet hurt from the soft soles.

The only not-perfect-part is that I feel they need a better foot pad, but I have been on rather long hikes with them out-of-the-box and they have been tremendous on the rocks, no foot-aches. There is enough support for my ankles, great padding when I wedge between rocks and they needed very little break-in time.

I love them!

After my Garmont Syncro GTX hiking boots bit the dust (the BiUurethane midsole started deteriorating—very disappointed), I looked high and low for another Italian designed boot. I have "duck" feet: wider at the toes, narrow at the heel.

This boot is almost too roomy but I took out the old cushion insert from the Garmonts and placed in on top of the insert that came with the Alicos—perfect. Or just wear a thicker sock or purchase a nice new insert if you have the same problem.

I love everything about these boots: The Norwegian welt construction (almost impossible to find); the thick, oiled, top-quality leather; the Vibram soles; even the laces are extremely sturdy. And they're not made in China, as almost all footwear is today.

Break-in is time is minimal...just wear them around the house for a day or so. They're also quite attractive (they don't look like an SUV). Just a simple, time-tested design with quality materials and craftsmanship.

Grab these boots while you can get them. You won't be disappointed. I look forward to many years of enjoyment from these boots.

These boots are great. I have worn them for four years and hiked countless miles in the Sierra and Alaska with them. Almost no breaking required, Never once had a blister and they provided enough ankle support for "on trail heavy loads".

Off trail you'll want a heavier boot perhaps depending on the weight you are carrying, which is why they also make mountaineering boots. I just ordered a new pair, and am SERIOUSLY thinking of getting their mountaineering boot for my late-fall early-winter trips into the Sierra and Washington.

It's a modern version of the old '70s-'80s style of hiking boot.

I don't know about you, but for me a good sturdy boot just makes me feel invincible. When things get tough you have to be able to depend on your gear. This is that kind of boot.

It is very stiff at first, but just like the boots of the past once you break it in to your foot there is nothing more comfortable. That's when you are confident that through thick or thin, creek or mountain, the boot is not going to let you down halfway to the top.

I have owned a pair of these boots for eight years. I bought them from EMS when I don't think they were even called Tahoes.

I have worn them backpacking, working construction, and now occasionally to the office. At one one point they were the boots I wore every day for two years. They are still holding strong. With care and some resoling they will probably last another eight.

Nice attractive uppers. Not suitable for use off smooth surfaces due to flimsy sole, retains moisture and too hot for a lightweight boot. Sole doesn't last very long. I would not buy this boot again for any purpose.

I climbed three fourteeners with new boots and never had any problem breaking them in. I found the overall performance of the Alico Tahoe to be everything I desired.