Garmont Flash XCR

A mixed bag.

The comfort and response to movement is superb, you can do a lot of walking with these in comfort. I've owned two pairs and love them for the insulation and comfort, and they've been from Iran & Afghanistan in summer (including a mudslide)to high Kyrgyz mountains and the deep Russian winter to the Papua New Guinea and the kokoda trail and sulfur of Rabaul.

The big achilles heel (pardon the phrase) of these boots is water.
If you go through even the shallowest of puddles or even rain or walking through snow or deeper mud your shoes fill with water, and they do not dry so soft skin sores and blisters are a very real consideration and can be quite dangerous if you're reliant on your feet in dangerous or remote situations.

The other issue is the glue used in the sole.
Both pairs eventually developed cracks which let water flood in from tiny puddles water logging your feet. The first at the front, the second at the heal (which fell off)

But I've put mine through a hell of a lot for any boot.

Comfort and wear = 5 Stars
Durability = 2*

A very comfortable, lightweight, supportive shoe that has held up well for me. I am 5'10, 170#, with average forefoot width and low volume, slightly narrow arch and heel. These fit well with heavyweight wool socks, and the original footbeds.

I hiked hundreds of miles in these, mostly in the high country- Adirondack high peaks, Glacier National in Montana, the White Mtns., all in spring or summer, although I have also used them for snowshoeing, where they worked very well. I never carried over a 30 pound pack with them on. Ankle support is just adequate- they're not very high or closely fitted at the ankle.

I would rate them very highly (and buy another pair) except for the outsole- very slick on downhills, especially. I understand the new model has an actual heel (this was my first and last hiking boot with a wedge sole) and redesigned sole, but I'm skeptical now.

This shoe felt great at the start with a nice soft heel strike and decent grip on rocks. I later found out there was a defect at the base of the tongue that let water (and sand) pass down into the gap between the outer and inner lining. I had one wet foot for three days after a rain and got major blisters before I figured this out. Other shoes in my size 12 also have had the same defect hole. The heel rubber started to come unglued after about 100 miles of trail hiking. The EMS store gave me a full refund. This shoe has potential in future versions.

My experience differs greatly from a few of the other reviews. The Flash is an extremely well designed boot that takes into account the physiology of the foot. In its class it is both light and supportive. In fact it offers more support than any other boot its weight. The PU mid-sole puts it in a class all its own. If there is a pre-mature failure of the boot Garmont or any reputable dealer will stand behind the boot. However, just like you replace your sneakers when worn out you need to replace light hikers when they wear out.

Initially I was quite taken by this shoe -- it fit from the start and was well suited to day hiking. After one year of use, however, the soles fell off and there is no way of replacing it. Garmont told me that they could not supply new soles, and that a repair in any case would cost more than a new pair.

THIS IS A VERY POORLY DESIGNED SHOE THAT IS NOT DURABLE. DO NOT BUY THIS SHOE IF YOU WANT TO USE IT FOR LONGER THAN ONE YEAR.

compre estas botas y la verdad se me hicieron comodas pero el problema fue q la suela no me aguanto a la segunda trekkiniada (asi le llamo a la actividad de correr por los cerros y sierras q hay en mis alrededores q me gusta hacer)se fracturo de la parte rigida pero asi los segui usando otra cosa les falta agarre. en lo personal no es buena bota para los q desarrollamos actividades al aire libre y gustamos de bajar monte corriendo a 20 kms no la recomiendo.

For many years I was a big fan of LL Bean's Knife Edge boots and thought they were the best friends my feet ever had. This boot rival them and holds its own against the heavier boot.

XCL's Boots were easy to break in and I had no problems with sore feet or loose traction on trails in Montana's Glacier National Park and Wateron National Park in Canada or in the Illinois locations I've used them to hike.

Avoid it like the plague! My husband purchased 2 pair, one for he and one for I, both were the men's model. At first they were great, comfy and we loved them. About 9-10 months later, his started to fall apart at the sole. Mine followed suit about 11-12 months later. There are huge chunks coming off the soles and we will never spend that kind of money on a Garmont again...NEVER AGAIN.

I found these boots to be very comfortable from the first day out of the box, needed no break-in whatsoever.

They didn't hold up very well, however. I developed a weat spot near the rubber toe cap. It eventually became a hole. Don't think I put more than a few hundred miles on them b4 I blew them out in the White Mountains, had them less than a year.

After owning the boots for less than two months of relatively light use the soles are starting to fall off. The boot also offers very little lateral support. Next time I will spend enough to get a pair of boots that will perform as advertised.

At first I was very happy with them because they felt soft so did not need any breaking-in. However, after using them for one month I am very annoyed with them. They are not waterproof (as it claims they are on their website) at all which is such a pain on long hikes, HUGE blisters!!!

When I contacted Garmont saying that their product was defective they just did not care. They have no customer service whatsoever. I will not be buying anything by this brand again. Thanks to this website I will be able to do more research before buying my next pair of hiking boots.