Review: Oboz Bridger Low

Ultra-lightweight shoes may be all the rage these days, but kick a rock head-on with those paper-thin booties and you’ll be limping back to the trailhead, wishing you'd saved your ninja slippers for the dance floor. Not so with the Oboz Bridger Low, a super-strong, semi-rigid, low-cut trail boot that keeps your foot safe and snug no matter what you run into. Hike or hop, climb or clamber, on trail or off—the brawny Bridger Low feels like a helmet for your foot: always ready for impact.

I laced up a pair and made for their namesake, trotting up Truman Gulch a mile or so and then veering off into the brush. As I scampered up the steep hillside, the Bridger Low's toothy lugs bit into dirt, grass, and rock with equal aplomb, while the rubber toe cap protected all my little piggies. The waterproof membrane kept my feet dry as I sunk into mud and splashed through shallow puddles. 

Obviously, a high-cut boot means more waterproofness and ankle protection, particularly when carrying a heavy pack; but it's commensurately more cumbersome. At just over a pound apiece, the Bridger Low offers increased endurance and agility. Maybe not as nimble as a ninja, but on steep, stony terrain, you could certainly ditch one.

$140; oboz.com.