fireisice2025

January 6 2025

New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex

Gee Why Life, Passion fireisice2025, hiking, new balance, shoes, waterproof 0

Ordered from NewBalance.com, these Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex were the first to arrive. These are currently marked down 20% to $143.99, and I went true to size with a size 10 in standard width (these are available in different widths).

These shoes look decent, leaning towards a hiking boot appearance. Using Fresh Foam X, I have to assume the shoe is comfortable underfoot. There’s a Gore-Tex label reminding you of the waterproofness while the outsole features a Vibram Megatrip pattern with grippy lugs.

I did a quick wear test around the house and found some issues after a few minutes. The toe box feels a little narrow and doesn’t give, possibly due to the added Toe Protect protection. While the mid cut seems like a good idea for extra water protection, getting a good fit was challenging. The open lace closures are convenient, but when simply walking around, one of the laces escaped the open lace loop. I probably needed to do a better job with my lacing but the (minimal) bulk of the mid top was tough to cinch for a secure fit.

Also, I started to feel some chaffing of the lace closure on my ankle bone. It could just be the shape of my foot, but I think with prolonged wear, that chaffing would become very noticeable.

I would probably replace the stock insole with a third party one like the Move All Day or possibly, the new Baseline. I think the arch support from the All Day is what I’d need. But… that replacement insole might steal a little bit of space in an already cramped toe box. For this Hierro Mid to work for me, I would probably need a wide version or maybe go up half a size to hoping to alter the lace closure placement against my ankle.

: Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex

: Gore-Tex

: I like the laces

: I like the tongue tag

: Black with magnet and hot marigold

: Vibram Megagrip outsole

: Weird outsole extensions

: The ankle biter lace loops

The verdict: I’m thinking these Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex from New Balance will be a pass/return even though currently discounted. The fit just isn’t the best.

January 4 2025

Researching Waterproof Hiking Shoes

Gee Why Life, Passion fireisice2025, hiking, hoka, new balance, Salomon, shoes, waterproof 0

My hunt begins to find a workable pair of waterproof hiking shoes (or boots) for a future trip. The main criteria are waterproofness and comfort for shorter walks and hikes. I don’t imagine walking for miles while hauling gear, mainly a camera and water in a backpack. Of course, like my other shoes, these will have to have some visual appeal to them, but that’s not the primary focus.

Not knowing any better and after reading a few reviews along with doing a little bit of research, here’s my starting list to test:

Salomon X Ultra 4
New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v8 Gore-Tex
New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v7 Gore-Tex
New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro Mid Gore-Tex
Hoka Transport Chukka GTX
Hoka Elite Terrain System Tor Ultra Lo
Hoka Anacapa 2 Low GTX

The Salomon X Ultra 4 has received many positive reviews across the Internet as the best all around waterproof hiking shoe, but I’ve never owned a Salomon so would like to try out the fit foremost. Another consideration for the shoes are possible wearability in the Hawaii weather. While these are hiking shoes, I don’t need them to necessarily look like hiking shoes while wearing them out and about.

New Balance has been my recent go to brand of late because of its comfort and looks, especially unique collaborations. Currently, NB’s outdoor offerings consist mainly of the Hierro line, in low, mid, and high top form factors. The high top version seems to make the most sense to keep water out but then again, the high top looks more like a hiking shoe.

And then we have Hokas… I’ve had a single pair of Hokas in the past, and I still pause when seeing the massive cushioned outsoles of most Hokas. But despite my poor experience looking for waterproof Hokas at the new-ish Ala Moana location, they do have Gore-Tex protected shoes that could fit my needs.

I’ll continue to research other options and find reviews of (and ideally try on) the above mentioned shoes.