Vasque Breeze GTX - Women's Review

Name: Vasque Breeze GTX - Women's
Brand: Vasque

Vasque Breeze GTX - Women's Review (Vasque Breeze - Women's) — Vasque Breeze - Women's
Credit: Vasque

Price: $170 List

Manufacturer: Vasque

By McKenzie Long ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ May 5, 2015

OVERALL
SCORE

Weight - 15% 8.0
Support - 20% 8.0
Traction - 15% 8.0
Comfort - 25% 8.0
Water Resistance - 15% 6.0
Durability - 10% 7.0

View at Vasque

Our Verdict

Vasque Discontinued The Breeze in 2015 And Replaced it With A Newer Model Number

REASONS TO BUY

Narrow and wide fit options

Wide gusseted tongue

Great tread

REASONS TO AVOID

Leak in Gore-Tex membrane

The Vasque Breeze is a supportive and athletically built mid-weight hiker that can be purchased with a waterproof membrane or without, and in regular or narrow widths. According to one of our testers, this was one of the most popular boots on the Appalachian Trail. Many thru-hikers wore them, and when they wore out, bought them again, which says a lot about the performance of the boot. During our review, the Breeze failed in the water resistance test, being the only boot in this review that actually leaked water while claiming to be waterproof. In terms of comfort, traction, and breathability, these score decently well. We prefer the Breeze over the similarly weighted and supportive Scarpa Kailash, but we prefer the Lowa Renegade GTX Mid - Women's to the Breeze for most backpacking trips. For simple day hikes the La Sportiva FC ECO 3.0 GTX - Women's and the Targhee II are the most comfortable.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Hands-On Review

This is the popular hiking boot from Vasque, and the design was upgraded to the Breeze 2.0 GTX - Women's version, which is essentially the same as the original but with the location of the breathable mesh on the upper moved around to be more efficient.

vasque breeze gtx for women - day hiking in tuolumne meadows in the vasque breeze. — Day hiking in Tuolumne Meadows in the Vasque Breeze.
Credit: Luke Lydiard

Support

The midsole of the Vasque Breeze seems particularly tall and wide, and this provides cushion, support, and stability that helps while carrying a pack with weight or on extended treks.

Traction

The durable Vibram sole with aggressive lugs provides great traction on multiple types of terrain.

Comfort

The Vasque Breeze is comfortably roomy, and comes in regular and wide versions, making it easy to find a fit that is comfortable for your foot. They are also specifically lasted for a women's fit with a narrower heel cup, extra support in the instep, and higher arches than the men's version.

One of the best features is the wide gusseted tongue, which stays flat and comfortable on the front of your foot while keeping out debris. This tongue, along with particularly large eyelet hooks, make it easy to get into and lace.

Durability

The meshy parts of the upper, though they increase breathability, also seem as if they will wear out more quickly than the sole, though the pair reviewed do not show any significant signs of wear.

Style

The Vasque Breeze have the typical technical hiking boot look to them, athletically stylish.

Water Resistance / Breathability

On only the second day wearing them, we performed the water resistance test by wading into a creek. The Gore-Tex membrane held up well on the left foot, keeping it dry, but the right boot leaked a good amount of water near the big toe. Granted, walking through water is not the typical function of a hiking boot, but it is disheartening to find a weak spot in the waterproof membrane or the craftsmanship of a brand new pair.

This fault aside, the Vasque Breeze is one of the more breathable models with a Gore-Tex membrane.

Best Application

Weighing almost exactly the same as the Scarpa Kailash, the Vasque Breeze is a midweight hiker that is supportive enough for backpacking trips or day hikes on rough terrain.

Value

For $160, these are relatively inexpensive for a mid-weight boot. They are much less costly than the other two of similar weight and function, the Scarpa Kailash or the Asolo Bullet.

— McKenzie Long