“What are those things”, said the kiwi inspecting all my hiking gear and pointing at my boots at customs. He’d never seen anything like them, and I guess I hadn’t really either.
Futuristic, Tron-esque boots, what? When Arc’teryx broke into the shoe market last year, I was a little skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, they’re the creme de la creme of the outdoors. But footwear? Not really sure if they could pull it off. When the Arc’teryx Bora Mid GTX boots arrived at my doorstep, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to try them out.
Available through Amazon | CampSaver | REI
Like all of their other products, Arc’teryx designed everything down to the very last detail. The Arc’teryx Bora boot is fully waterproof and breathable while still being lightweight at 2lbs and 3.1oz. Front and rear pull loops let you easily slip the boot on. Lace hooks let you dial in the perfect fit. Vibram® outsoles and traction grooves keep you stuck on the ground. The shoe employs Arc’teryx’s Adaptive Fit technology. A stretchy, tongue-free, GORE-TEX® liner keeps your feet debris-free and breathable. The liner conforms to your foot for a pain-free hiking experience. The upper is constructed out of a seamless, hydrophobic, PU coated nylon textile.
Available through Amazon | CampSaver | REI
I was pretty spoiled with my last pair of hiking boots; they were like clouds on my feet out of the box. The Arc’teryx Boras were not so. My feet were not happy when the first hike in these shoes involved 10 miles and almost 5000 feet of elevation gain. These bad boys are rigid. The best part of the shoe is the built-in GORE-TEX liner to keep small bits and pieces and debris out of the shoe. They are a lifesaver when traversing across enormous fields of scree.
The tongue-free liner also means no more adjusting to get that fit just right. Be careful with getting socks or pants wet while wearing the Arc’teryx Bora. These boots hold moisture. I managed to fill them up with water in torrential downpour in New Zealand and it took nearly three days for them to fully dry.
As per usual, Arc’teryx took it up another notch with the Bora Mid GTX and the Adaptive Fit technology. If you’re looking for the best of the best, these are for you ’cause the boots aren’t cheap at $280. Buy through Arc’teryx, Amazon, CampSaver, or REI.
Photos by Beau Gunderson.
This was sent to me for review.
