Arc'teryx Aerios FL - Women's Review

For short hikes, we kept reaching for the Arc'teryx Aerios FL. It is lightweight, waterproof, and comfortable. While not really supportive enough for longer hikes, for quick and lightweight missions, this shoe was a tester favorite, becoming our top pick for being Light and Fast on your feet.

Performance Comparison

Our top pick for being light and fast, this shoe performed well on most days hikes.

Comfort

It is hard to over-emphasize the importance of comfort in your hiking shoe. It is a challenge to appreciate the journey when you can only think about the pain in your feet. We found the Aerios FL to be comfortable right out of the box, though for the first ten miles, there was an odd popping sound in the right shoe. Fortunately, this went away as the fabric softened up. It may be related to the fact that the shoe runs long, almost a half size longer than most of the other size seven shoes we tested, so the fit was not perfect. Make sure to keep this in mind if you are between sizes.

The shoe is lined with a thin Ortholite insole, very common in hiking shoes. The arch support is moderate, so if you like additional support, an after-market insole would be a great option. The compressed EVA midsole is not as cushioned feeling as a normal EVA sole but feels quite responsive. We were able to move quickly on the trail with great flexion in the forefoot.

There was about a half a size difference in length, though both are labeled a size 7.

Why the long laces?

Support

We found the Aerios to be stiff and supportive underfoot. Surprisingly so, given the lightweight nature of the shoe. The upper is synthetic and reinforced where the shoe meets the sole, adding some additional support. However, this shoe emphasizes minimalism over support, and it feels closer to a trail running shoe than a burly hiker.

While we were pleased with the protection and support underfoot for our short excursions into the mountains, this model is by no means the most supportive shoe that we tested. We would not recommend this shoe if support is your primary concern, or if you are looking for shoes to support you on multi-day hikes.

Traction

We tend to look for deep and varied lugs when we are looking for maximum traction. Deep lugs perform the best on loose, unconsolidated material (such as scree or gravel), while we expect sticky rubber will perform better on slabs and wet surfaces. The Aerios FL utilizes Vibram Megagrip for the outsole, which feels quite soft and proved to be satisfyingly sticky in most conditions.

As is common with stickier rubber, it doesn't always stay sticky in cold weather. We did notice that the Aerios felt harder underfoot with less successful traction when the weather was below freezing. Fortunately, most of our hiking took place in above freezing temperatures, and we didn't notice any issues with performance on wet, cold rocks in the rain.

Relatively shallow lugs, but very sticky rubber made for pretty decent traction overall.

Cold, wet, mossy rocks make a great test for traction.

Weight

The Aerios FL is one of the lightest shoes that we tested, and of those lightweight shoes, it offers the highest level of comfort and protection. Indeed, every detail of this shoe seems purposefully designed to keep the shoe as light as possible without sacrificing performance. As we know, weight isn't everything when it comes to hiking, but a lighter shoe makes you lighter on your feet, can reduce fatigue, and can certainly make you feel faster.

While this would not be our choice for multi-day hiking, as it doesn't offer enough support or protection, for short and fast excursions, dog hikes, and day hikes in moderate conditions, it proved to be a tester favorite.

Water Resistance

The Aerios FL performed flawlessly in our ten-minute bucket test, as well as on rainy hikes. It is equipped with a Gore-Tex membrane, as are many of the hiking shoes we tested. It sheds water completely, with no noticeable absorption in the upper material.

The ankle height, at only 3 1/4", will allow for water to splash in quite easily if you are hiking through puddles, however. The tongue gusset is at the same height, fortunately, so you can count on being protected from water up to that height. If your plans involve hiking in very wet places, you may want a shoe (or boot) with more height, but for shallow puddles and rain, this shoe kept our feet dry.

The synthetic uppers proved to be quite waterproof, though the lower ankle opening will limit the depth of puddle you will want to splash through.

Durability

Typically, synthetic hiking shoes are less durable than those that utilize leather in the upper. That being said, the Aerios, while being made entirely of synthetic materials, has proven to be quite durable in rugged conditions. We hiked on lava rocks and trails strewn with craggy basalt boulders and pokey bitterbrush, and there is no visible snagging or abrasion on the uppers. The upper is reinforced, and we did not observe any delamination during our testing period. The rubber toe cap shows some scraping, which is to be expected, and appears to be only cosmetic.

This shoe uses very minimal amounts of stitching, as the upper is primarily welded. There is single stitching at the bottom of the tongue, and while we are usually wary of single stitching, this appears to be reinforcing a weld for extra durability.

The soles are made of Vibram Megagrip rubber, which allows for impressive traction, but the material is relatively soft. Additionally, the lugs are somewhat shallow, and we would anticipate that it will wear down much faster than shoes that utilize deeper lugs and more rugged outsole material. Our tests were exclusively on trails, logs, and boulders, and the outsoles are holding up quite well. If you plan to wear these in urban environments, however, we would anticipate that concrete and asphalt may wear the material much faster.

Testing on logs, trails, and boulders, we found that the outsole held up well, though we suspect concrete and asphalt would wear the soft rubber more quickly.

Value

Arc'teryx is known as something of a luxury outdoor brand, and the Aerios FL is certainly not cheap. It is not the most expensive shoe we tested, however, and it has many stand-out features. The entire shoe is welded, making for a very clean and minimalist look, and it is very lightweight while offering a good amount of traction and support. If having a lightweight shoe is your top priority, this is the highest performing lightweight shoe that we tested, which makes it a good value in our eyes.

A solid choice for short hikes, fast missions, or lightweight trips on moderate terrain.

Conclusion