As of Spring 2018, Asolo has discontinued the Outlaw GV.
REASONS TO BUY
Waterproof
REASONS TO AVOID
Not a lot of cushioning
Poor traction
Asolo Outlaw GV - Women's Review
This low-cut hiker fell to the bottom of our list due to a slippery insole and lack of support
Asolo Outlaw GV - Women's NEW
Credit: Asolo
RELATED: Best Hiking Shoes for Women of 2024
Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Asolo Outlaw GV has a suede upper, molded EVA midsole, Gore-Tex liner, and Vibram sole. Just a note here that we ordered this shoe in a US size 10 women's, which turned out to be significantly larger than the standard size 10 shoe, and in fact it was labeled a 42.5 European size (most size 10s that we tried were a 41 to 42). We returned the larger shoe and tested a 9.5 instead which was a much better fit.
Performance Comparison
The Outlaw has some great features, like a suede upper and rubber toe cap, but the sole did not provide enough traction for scrambling around the desert and the shoe lacked cushioning and arch support.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Comfort
This pair was the least comfortable shoe in our review. There is very little cushioning underfoot in either the heel or the forefoot, which meant that we felt every sharp rock and hard surface underneath us. In addition, the insole was very slippery, and our feet were constantly moving around in them while walking. It was really the strangest sensation, which eventually led to hot spots forming from the friction. The insole itself was thin and flimsy, and provided no additional cushioning. While you the insole is easily replaced with an aftermarket one, since we already paid a significant amount for these shoes we don't really want to have to add anything else to them. If you want to feel like you are hiking on clouds, then consider our Top Pick for Comfort, the Hoka Tor Summit WP - Women's, with a super thick sole that provides ample cushioning.
Testing out these shoes on rough desert trails. The hard ground really showed us which shoes cushioned our feet and which did not. Unfortunately this pair was the latter.
Credit: Jody Lyman
Support
We weren't that impressed with the support of these shoes either. While the firm sole provided adequate support over rough terrain, there is very little arch support in the shoe and we also experienced some heel lift. If you have very flat feet this shoe might suit you, but if you have a regular and particularly a high arch this shoe literally falls a little flat.
While the sole was stiff enough to handle small rocks without rolling over, the shoes have a very flat arch which did not provide us enough internal support.
Credit: Jody Lyman
Traction
The thin and stiff lugs did not provide a lot of grip during our traction tests. We were very nervous trying to walk down a steeper section of bare rock in these shoes.
Credit: Jody Lyman
The traction on the Asolo Outlaw GV also left something to be desired. While they use a Vibram sole, the lugs are stiff, small, and closely spaced, which when combined together resulted in poor performance on slippery sandstone slabs. If you like to scramble when hiking and need your hiking shoes to stick like a gecko, check out the Merrell Moab 2 Ventilators.
Both the Merrell (left) and the Asolo (right) models have Vibram soles, but they are very different in terms of the softness of the rubber and size and position of the lugs. The Merrells offered great traction, and the Asolos not so much.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Weight
These shoes weighed 1 lb 12 oz in our testing size. That's not quite as light as the Ahnu Sugarpine WP - Women's but definitely lighter than the Lowa Renegade GTX LO - Women's.
Water Resistance
There's a reason why suede is a great material for hiking shoes! Water beaded up and rolled right off these shoes, and didn't even saturate through in our bucket test.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
There's no question that this is a waterproof shoe. The Outlaw let no water in during our ten minute bucket test, and the suede upper beads water off like no other. It didn't even appear to saturate at all even after being submerged for 10 minutes, which means it would take a lot of moisture before the Gore-tex liner would even need to come into play. So why did it receive only a 7 out of 10? Because the lowest point of the shoe (at the ankle opening) is only 3.5 inches above ground, and some other models, like the Oboz Sawtooth Low BDry and the Hoka Tor Summit WP came up to 4 inches. It might not seem like much, but that extra half an inch could be the reason why a small splash when crossing a stream soaks your sock or not.
The low cut of this show (slightly less than 3.5 inches) offered less coverage than taller models and ultimately affected its waterproofness.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Durability
We gave this shoe a fairly high score for durability. The whole unit is well-made and we had no wear issues during our testing period, and we found few durability complaints when scouring other on-line user reviews. We do worry about the durability of the tread though, because it is not as thick as some other models.
Best Applications
This shoe is a good option to wear in rainy climates, as the suede upper sheds water like a champ. But the lower cut ankle creates more chances for water to enter when crossing streams and splashing through muddy pools, so keep that in mind.
Watch out when crossing a stream in this pair, as the low-cut ankle can easily let a splash of water into your shoe.
Credit: Jody Lyman
Value
This shoe retails for $175, which is considerably more than some of the other pairs in this review, like the $100 Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator and the $115 Keen Voyageur - Women's. Some of this expense is no doubt related to the suede upper and Gore-Tex lining, but it's still a considerable amount to pair as far as we are concerned. Our Editors' Choice winner, the Oboz Sawtooth Low BDry, retails for only $140 and was a higher performing model.
Conclusion
There are some great things to like about the Asolo Outlaw GV, including the seriously waterproof upper and fairly lightweight design. However, there just was not enough comfort and support underfoot for us, and the slippery insole caused us to feel some hot spots after only a few miles.
—
Cam McKenzie Ring
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