Oboz Yellowstone - Women's Review

Weight
As the heaviest shoes in this review, weighing 2.24 lbs per pair, the Yellowstone sits right in between the category of light hiking book and hiking shoe. It weighs a little more than all of the other shoes we evaluated, but it does offer more protection and support. Compared to boots, it is on the lighter side, but is less durable than a heavier boot.

Comfort
While the bounciness provides comfortable cushion when hiking, the toe box is narrow and restrictive. If you have narrow feet, this may not be an issue, but our tester, whose feet are average bordering on wide, noticed that her toes fell asleep after extended wear. On the upside, the boots hold your feet securely, with no heel slippage.

Support
The first thing our tester noticed when putting on the Yellowstones was that they feel springier than all the other shoes. These will immediately put a bounce in your step, which makes hiking feel easy and fun.

Traction
The Sawtooth outsole on the Yellowstone is beefy and bouncy, providing great traction on a trail, but it slips slightly when scrambling over slabby rock surfaces, such as on the domes in Tuolumne Meadows.

Durability
After only a couple wears, the EVA on the midsole showed scuffing, signs of wear, and started to separate from the toe, which doesn't bode well for extended use. Since there is exposed foam on the midsole, it is likely that these soles would have the same problem as the Keen Soles, where the EVA started to deteriorate after a season of hard use.

Water Resistance / Breathability
The Yellowsotne held up extremely well in our creek-immersed water resistance test. No water at all penetrated the proprietary Oboz BDRY membrane, and they actually insulated a bit, not even letting the cold temperature of the water reach through the shoes. When removed from the creek, water beaded up and rolled right off the leather on the upper.

Best Application/Versatility
These shoes, because of their higher cut work best on uneven terrain or weekend backpacking trips with lighter loads. They are not as versatile or as comfortable as some of the other low-cut hiking shoes.

Value
With an MSRP of $135, these boots fall in a middle price range. You may want to spend your dollars on a more durable shoe that will last longer, such as the Patagonia Drifter, or on a lighter shoe, like the Salomon X-Over.

Other Versions
Oboz Yellowstone Men's