Vasque are an American outdoor-shoe brand that’s new-to-me. In fact, they are new to the UK market, having been launched over here in recent months. I’ve been wearing their Breeze LT Low waterproof hiking shoes for a few weeks now, and I have to say, they do seem to know what they are doing when it comes to outdoor footwear.
While my recent gear review of the Meindl Bhutan hiking boots was a long-test, after over three years of wear, this is a more-normal review after a couple of months of testing these out. I’ve been wearing these trainers quite a lot, most notably on all my walks and hikes in Lanzarote, and on my six-mile round-trip commute into the office. Let me tell you about them…
An American in the UK
Vasque (see their website) was founded in 1964 when founder William Sweasy travelled to Europe and witnessed a hiking craze sweeping the continent. He returned home determined to create purpose-built trail boots to get Americans outdoors. In the decades that followed, Vasque steadily built a legacy in the USA, and these days are a well-known Red Wing Shoes brand getting good reviews for their outdoor footwear.
They make shoes for walking, hiking, backpacking and living – in nature, on short jaunts, and long journeys. I guess I look at these and compare them in my mind to other American brands such as Altra or Topo; trail and running shoes with a foot-shaped construction, wide toe boxes, and low/zero drop option – the kind that through hikers wear on the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail.
Now they’re here in the UK, it was a pleasure to be asked to try out the Vasque Breeze, to see if the claims of this American brand stand up against the terrain that inspired the founder here in Europe. I received my Breeze LT Low NTX hiking shoes in the sparrow colourway just as the year got going, and have been enjoying their grip and waterproofing since then.
Vasque Breeze Hiking Shoes
The Breeze LT Low NTX are designed as a lightweight waterproof hiking shoe for all kinds of terrain. They have recycled elements in both the upper mesh (70%) and waterproofing (50%) – a step in the right direction for the environment, at least.
The spec list is strong. They claim to be durable, breathable, grippy, waterproof, and light. And over the last eight or nine weeks, I’ve found them to be those things for me.
Fit wise, these hiking shoes have a reasonably narrow fit with a wide toe box. Vasque’s Ascent Last is said to have an athletic, run-inspired last, an anatomical toe box, tailored instep, and low volume heel (the Breeze have a 6mm drop). Now these aren’t barefoot shoes, or zero drop shoes, but they have a real-foot shape, which means they fit closely around the ankle but with plenty of space for my toes to splay out and do their thing to keep me stable and comfortable on the trail.
Support and Grip
The high arch support, or what Vasque calls anatomical high rebound, is very obvious inside the Breeze LT Low. I know that some people like and want arch support, and others really don’t (again, these aren’t barefoot shoes). To me, it feels like the shape of the shoe is holding my foot in the right place, with plenty of cushioning, but while also allowing my foot to move as naturally as possible inside a structured shoe. I’m in the “like” camp here.
On the all-important base, the Breeze have a Vibram Ground Control LiteBase outsole with “Megagrip” compound to provide stability for each step. And this is really great.
When hiking in Lanzarote I learnt that volcanic rock is some of the grippiest terrain you can possibly walk on, there’s no slipping and sliding about on that black stuff! But if I think about the more normal terrain I’ve walked on here in the UK – where grippy shoes are an absolute must – then I’m happy to report that the Vasque Breeze do what they say. A trustworthy and comfortable pair of hiking trainers.
On Waterproof Hiking Trainers
The Vasque Breeze get their waterproofing from NTX – Nature-Tax – which is a Vasque-own-brand membrane made from 50% recycled polyester. This kind of membrane-based waterproofing has its pros and cons, but as long as you know what you are getting you can plan accordingly.
I mean, the waterproofing works very well – in rain, through puddles, and walking across grassy fields and muddy tracks. It’s been exactly what I’ve needed for my walk to and from work, which is two-thirds tarmac and concrete, and one-third grassy footpath, keeping my feet dry so I’m not damp or uncomfortable in the office. I am also very happy trusting the waterproofing of these shoes on a Sunday afternoon walk on the hill, no issues there.
But, when water gets in through the big hole in the top (you know, the one my foot goes in), on a particularly rainy day, the shoes take an age to dry out because the water can’t get back out through that waterproof layer. Which is why lots of long-distance hikers will tell you not to bother with waterproof hiking shoes at all – they feel it’s better to get wet feet that can dry out than damp feet that stay that way. Some say they also lead to overheating, although I’m rarely hiking in conditions where that might be an issue!
Being a UK-based leisure hiker, I am a fan of waterproof hiking shoes. They are great for rubbish-weather commutes, wet woodland trails, damp hill walks, and rainy urban exploration. But I’d probably not grab these from my shoe rack for walks in torrential rain as the risk of the water getting in the top of the trainers would be too great.
Vasque Breeze Review in Summary
I like the Vasque Breeze hiking shoes. They are light and comfortable to wear, and look good. The dark purple uppers and bright yellow laces of the sparrow colourway I have are a little bit more interesting than your bog-standard hiking shoes, but still subtle enough to wear to work.
The grip and cushioning is excellent, making them ideal for walks on pavement and footpaths – including where it might be muddy. And I’m a fan of the waterproofing – looking out of my window as I write this post, I know I’ll be putting these on for my walk to the post office later.
They are narrow through the foot but with loads of room around the toes, have high arch support, and technology in the sole to keep things stable when taking strides on loose terrain. The shape of the shoe means your feet have the opportunity to work as they are designed to – and I’ve had these on for hours and hours without any discomfort.
It’s hard to say how long the lugs on the bottom of these shoes will last, they’re looking good after a couple of months, but I’ll report back should they deteriorate earlier thank I think they should.
Get Yours
The Vasque website only ships to the USA, but you can find Vasque shoes at Gaynor Sports and Winfields Outdoor – as well as from Amazon (via Winfields) – here in the UK. At the time of writing, both places have these shoes on sale at around £80 (RRP £140).
Big thanks to MCS and Vasque for sending me a pair of the Vasque Breeze LT Low NTX hiking shoes to test and review. As always, the opinions expressed in this review post are all my own, based on actual real-life walking and hiking on my own legs!
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