My hiking footwear has been rather heavy ankle-supporting hiking boots with leather uppers and Vibram soles. My current Columbias are about to wear out.

I've been thinking about going with a lighter shoe, but having weak ankles for a long time, and a deathly fear of ankle roll, I still want some support there.

At the same time, I've thought I had finally weaned myself off that stupid Sportsman's Guide catalogue, and here in the mail comes another felled tree in the form of a full-color catalogue with this in it:

Montrail Namche hikers.

Anybody tried these? They seem to be a high-topped, yet a light shoe. Is it a good union or a bad marriage? At $44, that's 55 percent off.

The ad said it was voted "Blah blah" in Backpacker in 2007. I've kept the yearly gear issues from BP for the last decade, since I figure I'm buying two years late. And there in the '07 gear issue of BP was a nice review of this shoe. (Lord knows how one gets one of those.)

BTW, Namche is for a little town below Everest in Nepal where they have the Namche Bazaar every Saturday. Maybe Montrail should have called them Bazaars instead since that color -- CELERY <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />? -- looks day-glo nuclear and quite bizarre, but I stopped making outdoor fashion statements years ago.

Anyone with an opinion on these? Is it a possible logical step to a lighter step or not?

These are the high top version of the Montrail Hardrock trail runner. So the sole will be nowhere near a Vibram sole, if that is important to you.

I found these to be very supportive when I tried them on, but the Hardrock toebox isn't quite enough for me.

They are not high top Hardrocks, they are a completely different shoe.

The namche fit tight
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/...omas%20Vickers/

This is a link to my report on the namches

I am testing the Hardrocks (high tops/mids) right now as well. They are completely different shoes.

TV

TV:

Excellent (and thorough) gear report on those Namche's. Since I'm not ready for a trail running shoe (yet), I'm going to try these based on your observations. I wear 3rd-party insoles in my sports shoes, and will get them for these as you suggest. And get them a half size large than I normally get, since I use pretty thick high-end wool hiking socks. Man, thanks again for that info!

I can't specifically comment on these, but I am in the same boat as you. I have been trying to find lightweight pairs of "boots" for quite some time. Trail runners just don't offer enough support and stability, and full leather boots are too much. Usually each year one or more of the major footwear manufacturers will come out with some kind of “hybrid” like this, and I'll check 'em out. I apparently missed this one.

Another boot I stumbled upon recently that is sorta in the same category is the Patagonia Vagabond. STP is selling these at a decent discount. I bought a pair, and so far they seem to be filling the need. They are fairly light but still have a solid sole (it is a Vibram sole, but probably lighter/thinner than what you are used to seeing on a heavier boot) and good stability/support.

My only advice to your request is to buy the Namches via the internet and just send them back if they don't fit. That's usually what I do since I can’t find a lot of these boots locally. If I can get free shipping (STP usually has coupons for this for example) or something like that then I am not out anything (except for the time to go mail them back).

I have used what I think is the similarly cut Montrail Stratos XCR (Gore-Tex instead of the Namche's mesh) for close to two years, much better than boots. If it's not too late, you might even want to go up a full size if you're wearing heavy socks, the Montrails have always seemed to run small.

I have a pair that I bought last Fall and used on a half dozen hikes (the orange color). I really like them as they are very light, supportive, airy and a have fairly stiff bottom. Your feet will get wet but they dry quickly.

I'd buy them again.

Here is a link to three field tests of the Namche:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Footwear/Boots/

I am testing the Mid version (boot) of the Montrail Hardrock trail running shoe.
The Namches had a bit of a fit problem for my feet, but these Hardrocks fit like nothing I have every warn.

TV

rr:

Are you saying that (so far) the mid Hardrocks have a MUCH better fit than the Namches?

You may have a new Hardrock mid (that looks to be replacing the Namche), but the Namche was created on the Hardrock platform; it's the same last.

Yeah, right now I am testing Hardrock Mids and they are wonderful fits. nothing like the Namches. The Namches lack the TPU plate in the sole that the HR mids have. If they were originally the same, the HR mids have been vastly improved over the namches.

Much more room in them and they are first boots in 15 years I haven't needed after market insoles in.

TV