Saucony Adventerra GTX

Saucony has quietly released what may be the perfect fast-and-light hiking boot: the Saucony Adventerra GTX. Available for men and women, the boot is modeled on Saucony's award-winning Peregrine trail runner, but with high-top construction, a robust Vibram sole, and a Gore-tex liner.

The boot is stable on bad terrain and with a pack, waterproof, extremely comfortable, and weighs in at 15 oz. I have put the Adventerra through snow, rocks, torrential rain, slick mud, and more, and it has never let me down.

The Saucony Adventerra GTX is nearly perfect. It combines running shoe performance with the traction and support of a hiking boot. For years, I looked for a boot that was lightweight, supportive, and built with a low-drop footbed.  

As runners (including myself) have learned over the past few years, "minimalist" or "barefoot" style running shoes are lighter, more comfortable, and can actually reduce stress and other injuries. I prefer a shoe with some foot protection and cushion, and for years have used "minimalist" trail runners with a 4 MM heal drop and lightweight construction.  

The Saucony Adventerra GTX took that theme and applied it to a hiking boot. Modeled on their successful line of trail-runners, this boot has a 4 MM heal drop, but with added foot protection and a very solid Vibram sole.  The height of the boot compares to my Asolo 520 GTX leather boots, providing excellent ankle support through an intelligent upper structure that retains flexibility while dropping weight and adding torsional rigidity.  

The Gore-Tex liner does not disappoint either. My first outing in these turned into an early spring snow-and-mud slog in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Despite their lightweight construction, my feet stayed warm and dry. I have taken these on multiple 15 mile + day hikes, and the lightweight, flexible construction really adds up over the duration: less fatigue, no blisters, and happy feet.  

I have yet to carry a heavy pack with these, but they are more stable than my Asolo leather boots, due in part to the lack of a heel, which keeps the foot closer to the ground, reducing ankle roll.  I have dodgy ankles, so this is important to me, and I am convinced that the Adventerra offers exceptional stability.  

After about 250 miles, much of it on bad, rocky terrain, I have noticed only very minor wear-and-tear, and the soles still look almost new. Over the long-term, it remains to be seen how the light fabrics hold up.  

These boots have replaced both my day-hikers and my Asolo leather boots. As a do-it-all boot, the Adventerra lets you have cake and eat it too: running shoe performance, with hiking boot protection.