Oboz Men's Firebrand II Low B-DRY Hiking Shoe, Earth, 9.5

If you are like me and spend hours reading reviews before making an online purchase, I wanted to provide my review of this excellent hiking shoe to make your decision to buy this shoe easier. I own or have owned merrill's, la sportiva's and salomon's and my new go to shoe is the Firebrand II by Oboz. First, I'm not an avid hiker but do put lots of time in them doing my personal weekend hobbies. Down in New Orleans, the terrain isn't exactly mountainous, but there are plenty of outdoor activities around. Anyway, I took the family to Glacier National Park this July and we hiked pretty hard for the first three days. My kids pooped out by the fourth, so I took it easy on them and only hiked 6 miles that day. While my legs, calves and thighs ached, my feet felt great thanks to the excellent support of the Firebrand II's. As for fit, I was very excited about how well this shoot fit my foot. When ordering from the internet, it's always nerve racking not knowing what you'll get in the mail. I have a standard 10-1/2 size foot and ordered these like my running shoes - a half size up. The size 11 even fit my slightly smaller left foot just fine. The shoe hugs the heel so there's no slippage. The width is standard - again, worked perfect for my standard width foot. The toe box provided enough room side to side, but didn't feel sloppy when hiking on sidehill paths. The one part of a shoe that can begin to heat up for me is the rise of the shoe. Again, the Firebrand II was very comfortable, didn't tighten up, slide around and or pinch at the rise. I wore mid and or light weight hiking socks each day and pulled the laces to a comfortable tightness. Day in day out, these have been the most comfortable pair of shoes I've hiked in and or worn all day. I did purchase the BeDry series (waterproof lining inside) which adds weight, so decide if you need yours to be waterproof or not. Down in south Louisiana, we get lots of rain, so it was a no brainer for me. Out of the box, the shoe has a unique look with the seven eyelets. The colors are bold and earthy and just look like they belong on a hiking trail. I did spend a little time breaking them in, however, I don't think that was necessary. The shoes are not stiff out of the box, but I always like to break my shoe in before embarking on a trip. Once I stopped admiring how good looking they were, I checked out the workmanship. I am leery of the toe's of shoes like this. It always seems the glue gives way. However, I saw no indication these toe wraps would pop. The sole seems very rugged. They did an excellent job with traction. I never slipped going downhill on loose gravel or wet rock. Best thing was at the end of each day, I would hose down the bottom and sides and not worry about the water soaking through. All in all, these are great shoes and you will not regret your purchase. I've cleaned mine up and put them away for my next hiking adventure - Alaska! I hope this helps. My final thought, Oboz are good to go. Buy with confidence.

These shoes are great-looking, and very comfortable. Love 'em!

I use it for light tramping with a light pack. It gives excellent sole and foot protection but naturally little ankle protection. It is very comfortable to wear and fits my foot perfectly. Highly Recommended. This written year later - My 5* rating stands. This has done several long hikes and tramps and will easily last another year. Slight outer heel wear but normal for the type of hiking and general walk use it has done. Very good foot support and the metal eyelets are a good construction feature. Tommonz This written after two years of virtually daily use including light hiking. Still 5* rating but the soles are now virtually flat(tread worn) and outside heel has worn down. The uppers are fine and the lace eyelets are still intact. These have been a super buy. I am about to order a second pair after thoroughly researching for other types but it appears these are the best for me. 8 Oct 2014 . My second pair of Oboz Men's Firebrand 11 Multishoe have arrived!! Only 11 days to New Zealand. They really are an excellently made sports shoe and are comfortable "out of the box". I looked extensively at others - you know the story "it's time for change" - but none that I saw or tried were as well built, COMFORTABLE, solid and my first pair lasted me two years. The uppers are still fine and they remain waterproof but the soles are "flat" so OK around home. This shoe would sell even more if there was a range of colors available. How about it OBOZ??

These are my 6th pair. I always keep at least two different colors/pairs available so that I can rotate wearing days to keep them from soiling out too fast. I have one pair (red) for my daily activities and one pair (grey) for evening or going out to dinner/movies etc... These Oboz last forever and even after five years, I can keep the older pair(s) for gardening or working on my car. These fit real tight, and that's the way I like shoes to fit. Essentially want my shoes to feel like an extension of myself. It's an OCD thing, I know, but I know that many will understand what I'm saying here. Also, the rounded heal is a real plus. Most other hiking shoes have solid-corner heals that hinder flexibility and tactile feel of the "road" (rocks, dips, edges, sidewalks, etc...) It's the same reason that car tires aren't square. It's easier to navigate terrain, similar to walking shoes. I'm not going to kid around here... These shoes definitely need a breaking-in period. They HURT at first, and can only be handles in small spurts of a half-day here, a half-day there, when new. Aesthetically, I really would like a blacked out version, so that I can wear it for wok purposes. My uniform is black on black (black jeans & black polo shirt) and I'm really active and physically challenging while on-set as a video producer. These Oboz are perfect for jumping around the set putting up camera-rigs and laying+taping cable along the floor etc... I just bought my new Grey pair to replace my 4-year old other pair, and will be Dying them pitch-flat-black to coincide with my uniform. I'm using Acid-Dye and hopefully will post a picture of them soon. All-in-all I totally recommend these for just about anything active and hope & prey that Oboz never stops making these ~

I’ve been wearing this exact model of shoe for years, although it used to have a different name. They are rugged, comfortable, and allow my feet to breathe enough that they don’t feel wet all day. I love these shoes! Shipping was extremely fast and I’ve had no problems at all. Highly recommend!

Fantastic product. I have size 10-wide, which is perfect to accommodate my custom orthotics inserts, in place of those that come with. These are the best. Water proof, solid, stable, immensely comfortable. I just purchased my third pair. Yes, I did say 3rd. I am not easy on shoes. Each pair has lasted a little over a year before it’s time to replace. They still look great on the outside, just slowly have worn down tread. I still have first and second pairs that I enjoy for undesirable tasks - lawn mowing, and other yard work on average. Never ends. Photo of second pair in action.

These are the best shoes. This is my second pair. My first pair lasted me 5 years…yes that’s right 5 years! To make that statement even better…I only own one pair of shoes and wear them at least 12 hours a day. Great arch support, great durability, great grip, and they are comfortable.

I love these! I have 8.5 size dress shoes that are soft but realistically my feet are very wide so getting Oboz in 10E means that my wide toes are safe from getting mashed up against the toe box when I go downhill on hikes. I wear a pair of liner socks, then a pair of light hiking Thorlo socks, then put these on. The soles are super robust which is great for hiking on rocky terrain and makes me taller. The soles have a lot of bounce too. The shoes are very breathable comparable to a very old pair of Ecco yak leather hiking shoes I used to wear. They're not light but strength is not something I'm lacking in and protection/cushioning/ergonomics are my priorities, not running a race for record times. These Oboz shoes look good and I've thrown then in the washer a few times; they come out looking like new each time! Put your wet washed sneakers next to the bottom of your fridge or some warm appliance so they dry out by the next day. It's really nice to have a pair of hiking shoes that I can just throw in the washer after I get home instead of trying to rinse them off in hot water which never gets them really clean. Nowadays I mostly wear these outside for the comfort factor instead of my dress shoes.