Garmont Vegan

When I was going backpacking in South Asia last summer, one Hindu group that with whom i was scheduled to work requested that i not wear any leather. after reluctantly researching leather-alternative boots, i came across the garmont vegan and decided to give them a try.

throughout july and august, i hiked throughout india and sri lanka, often with a full pack, over rugged terrain, and through harsh weather. the boots were amazing. they held up wonderfully, provided excellent support, (a necessity since i have had a history of ankle and foot injuries), and never leaked despite the weather. i never once got a blister and never wished for my trusty leather boots throughout the trip.

i have since worn the boots on countless weekend day hikes on various terrains and degrees of difficulty, and i often wear them to work. i teach high school and am often on my feet 90% of the work day. the boots have remained perfectly comfortable and held up perfectly except for a small gouge in the softer section at the toe of the boot -- only a cosmetic inconvenience and does not affect the performance of the boot at all. i am notorious for destroying soles of boots within months, yet the garmonts soles are hanging firm and whole.

as to the other reviews, the boot is fairly easy to clean and i have not noticed any excessive smell in the year that i have been wearing them (?)

granted, these are not boots you will be able to maintain for 4+ years, but they are excellent summer hikers and can even be adapted to year around day hiking. they are much tougher than they appear on paper!

These have the best outsoles I've ever had, a new Vibram "trail runner" type that is the most grippiest I've experienced. For a light boot it has a stiff sole too... which may agravate some foot problems but seems to also aleve some foot fatigue that other light trail boots and shoes will have... Once used to these I can go forever in these boots.. but only if feet are in good shape.. not like when I first tried these out when I had "plantar fasciitis" (or 'heelspurs') which my feet them seemed to not appreciate in these boots as seeming too stiff for a light shoe or boot..... but afterwards these became my favorite boots... but alas only for a month or so... as deterioration of the rubber and uppers proceeded about a couple of months after I first bought them... and then also the boots don't breath well and the inside gets "clammy" and feet are a little wet from condensation... (but very water tight nonetheless)...wear thick soaks and I usually don't notice... but inner lining gets wet and very stinky!!

Also, going down hill can be painful as these boots tend to be tight and one should probably pick a size or two higher than usual... never had a blister though.

Again these are good boots to be on a roof in or on a slippery trail on......... none better outsole than the Vibrams with these. Keep a tube of seamsealer though handy to repair inevitable tears of rubber upper rand bumper and tears in fabric that after only 3 months of ownership are appearing.

I have owned my Garmont Vegans (the wateproof model that comes only in green) for four years and sadly it is time for me to replace them. When I purchased them it was right when they were first introduced and they offered two models (waterproof and non-waterproof). Neither resembled the other. The current Vegan model resembles the non-waterproof model back then. My wife purchased a pair last year and loves them.

They did not require a break-in period and were ready to go right out of the box. They were extremely tough and durable and I beat the hell out of them. The waterproofing lasted about two years and then I re-waterproofed them and they are now beginning to leak again after two more years. I have logged many hundreds of miles in them, in all types of terrain and conditions all over the Sierra Nevadas, in summer and winter and they have performed wonderfully. I have logged so many miles in them that the tread has all but worn off. They can get a bit hot in the summer, (I am told the non-waterproof model stays cooler), but then again all boots tend to get hot in the summer. I think the quality and performance have been exceptional and highly recommend them.

This is the perfect hiker for vegans - it also offers the quality of the Garmont range at a slightly lower price than their other hikers, and it's slightly lighter.

Sizing was tricky. The boots are so thickly padded that they should really be labelled one size smaller, and it's worth reading the detail on any mail order catalogue to find out whether the shop has already done this, or whether they expect you to order one size up. Skim-read a website late at night and you will be dissapointed!

When shopping around I found that there are two vintages of hiker - one was available with a membrane; one not. A UK shop has got around this problem by selling optional waterproof membrane socks with each pair. When you're hiking in dry weather, simply take-out the socks for better ventilation.

Lastly, these are made in East Europe for the uppers and Italy for the sole and construction - I prefer this to buying from sweated labour in the far east.

As for strength - my pair are

I wore these boots for 6 months, getting blisters, and they never "broke in." They fit fairly well in the store, but in the field my feet slid around in them, which shoved all the forward momentum onto my second-to-last toe. Ouch. Which doesn't mean they were too big. After wearing them a while, they felt too tight around the toes, while still sliding around. This was a problem which was *unforseeable* in the store, but it only became clear after it was too late to take them back. I know another person who has them, and he has the same problem. They just don't mold to the foot at all.

This boot, while toted as only a midweight, really can stand a whole lot more. It lasted for me for almost my entire thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, not making it only because I used it beforehand for other duties including around a farm. The problem with it was that the back of the boot at the heel rubbed to the plastic, and a bit after that other parts started to rub as well, but it took a significant amount of time and use for this to occur. While they are heavy, they are heavy duty.

Right out of the box these boots felt great. Once I have more miles on them I'll summit another review but at this point I can find absolutely no fault with them. Very sturdy, EXCELLENT arch support, terrific toe box. Even pleasant to look at :-) Not too heavy/not too light. After some hours they were able to flex better and I'm anticipating that will improve also. I've given these boots a 4 star rating only because I want to get more time in them.....

Garmont seems to have stopped marketing this boot to the general public. However, the "Garmont T6 tactical boot" is essentially identical. If you do a web search on that keyword-phrase, you will find T6 on sale at various stores that market to soldiers (but that will sell to you). The prevailing price is currently below $150.

Vegans take note: There is also a T8 boot, but there is some leather in its construction.

Garmont has produced another batch of these excellant hikers, made in Italy and Rumania rather than with sweated labour. Some of the US shops still stock membrane versions which were sweaty. In the UK, there is a choice. One internet shop sells them with removable membrane sock. When it's hot and dry, you just leave the socks at home and get a much less sweaty boot.

I bought mine back in 2000 so they may have improved some since I bought my pair... The boots are very hot and clunky relative to my other hiking boots. I have also had problems with them leaking water despite claims of being waterproof. However the one positive is that I have never had problems with blisters like other pairs of boots I've owned.

A sauna. It is like wearing plastic bag socks. Worse than plastic boots like Koflach. Resists to the water from the trail, but all the socks become damp of perspiration... and what a smell!

Tried once on Mount Marcy and it is over. Pretty sliding Vibram sole. Good shape for my feet. Nice support. But not acceptable because they act like a sauna!

Great boot for heavy load packing with a no-fatigue support. Lightest boot I have ever owned. They get a 4/5 because the toe was too thick for any uphill or technical approach type hiking (too nubby). Plus the vegan finish will melt like plastic if put too close to the camp fire.

I bought these boots two weeks before backpacking in the Grand Canyon, at no time were my feet even remotely sore. I liked them so much that I refused to put my sandles on while I wasn't hiking.

For price and comfort, an awesome boot.

Best boots ever for summer or winter wear. No break-in period. Important to always wear "SmartWool" socks. One to two years of hiking wear. Would like to see boots made with Gore-Tex lining. No animals harmed in manufacture.