Your zamberlan experience?
Equipment
Looking for an early archery season boot, I have kenetrek extreme 400s but my feet sweat to bad when it gets warm out then I get hot spots! If it's nice and cool I'm fine! I can get a discount on zamberlan so I was just curious what your thoughts on most durable and light boot is!
Super high quality boot. If it fits your foot than I’d go for it
Super high quality boot. If it fits your foot than I’d go for it
I'm on my second pair of 960's. Fit me great, an excellent boot. My searching is over. I suggest you give them a try. If they fit your foot well you will not be disappointed.
Bad thing is I wont be going anywhere soon to try them on
Most reputable boot companies/manufacturers have full return policies if you wear them around the house on carpet. Not everyone is lucky enough to have several options close by to try on in the store, and they know that.
I am on my second pair of zamberlin vioz "Zamberlan Men's 996 Vioz GT Waterproof Hiking Boot " I am a consulting forester in Maine and New Hampshire. I wear my leather boots 5-7 days a week during the no-snow season. The first pair I alternated wearing each day with a pair of high mileage Asolo 520 until they both wore out. They lasted at least a couple calendar years. I swore I was going back to the Asolo for my next pair but at the moment of truth I cheaped out to save almost $100 bucks using a coupon at the Kittery trading post that would apply to the Zamberlan but not the Asolo. Those boots were purchased this past January. Starting in April they get worn 5-7 days per week.
I will not buy a boot I can't try on before buying. Probably limits my choices but I go home content. My biggest or only real complaint with the Zamberlin is I can't keep them tied unless I double knot them hard and then they sometimes still come unbuttoned with the knot in place. Even tried different laces. They are very comfortable as would be expected from sneaker type boots but the soles are not very long lived if you spend much time on rough bare rock.
I have the Vioz 1006 and also the taller insulated version (not sure the model), both with the wide last. If you have a wider fore foot they are definitely worth checking out. I must have tried 8-10 pairs of boots before finding these, and liked them some much I bought a back up pair in case they go out of production.
I bought a pair of Vioz when I drew a Bighorn Tag in 2014. They fit great when I bought them and I was very happy with the purchase. However, after scouting with them approximately half a dozen times, I came home with them wet once and put them on the porch to dry. The next time I tried to put them on, they had shrunk so severely I couldn’t wear them without pain. I tried boot stretch 3 separate times which did not fix the problem. I then attempted to contact Zamberlan via email (the only contact method available on their website) 2 separate times and never received a response. I keep hearing about the superlative customer service they offer, but this was not my experience at all. I drew a Mountain goat tag this fall, and am in the market for new boots as we speak. I will not even consider buying Zamberlan again. Poudre
I was also able to get them discounted (through experticity) and initally ordered the 1030 Sella's. Holy hell are those some nice boots, but they were a bit much for me. They have a leather lining which was comfortable and would probably aid in the waterproofing, but it caused my feet to sweat much quicker than a normal gtx lining. I returned the Sella's and got the 980 Outfitters.
The Outfitters had a pretty solid/painful break in period (30+ miles) but that seems to be the norm with many high end leather boots. Once broken in, they have been the greatest boots I've ever owned. From hiking/hunting to climbing 14ers, I've had zero issues at all. The waterproofing has not failed me yet and I've put them to the test pretty hard. My toes get pretty frozen when I use them on late season hunts but that is expected from a uninsulated boot.
I got the 997 Trek Tops through Promotive/Experticity/ExpertVoice. I generally wear them on the weekends. I have noticed the same problem blue spot with the laces. My laces also broke within 75 miles on the boot several miles into a backpacking trip. I replaced the laces with gutted 550 cord and that hasn't been a problem again. As for laces coming undone, I have found that if I lace up, then back down to the second hook, cross the laces twice, pull tight and double knot, they stay put all day. That second wrap really locks it in. I would recommend the boots 100% if they fit you. I tried them on at Sportsman's Warehouse before ordering them.
Far and way Zamberlans are my favorite boot brand with Crispi coming in second.
Experticity is w hi o has them and all the other boots are lower quality boot imo
I half-killed a pair of Zams about 20 years ago - only quit wearing them because my arches aren’t as high as they used to be and they were so well broken in for my younger feet that my old-guy feet didn’t get along with them anymore...,
Laces that won't stay tied are easily replaced by some with better manners!
JMO, a full leather lining is awesome, but pack spare socks if your feet tend to sweat (mine sure do!). Hard-core solution of course is to use antiperspirant on your feet. That’s what I really should do, because my feet end up soggy no matter what. Inside-out or outside-in makes no difference, but again, a dry pair of smartwools can make a world’s worth.
Overall, JMO and excellent boot if they fit right!
The Lynx is the best light weight boot I've ever owned...
The lynx is one I thought bout going with but reviews say they become saturated easily in rain or wet grass
For me, Zamberlans have been amazing.. I am hiking in Baxter state park and loving them
The quality has been outstanding and fit me really well
Good luck man
I have two different models of Zamberlan I have been very pleased with them, the fit and build are top notch, better than any other boot I have owned.
I bought a pair of the Lynx boots about 2 months ago, absolutely love them. I have about 20 miles in them so far between flat-ish exercise miles and steep, high-altitude scouting for mt. goats.
