Before I get into the details of this thoroughly awesome Oboz Bridger hiking boot, there are a few things that you need to know.
- I don’t hike.
- I do build things which is like hiking, but one might argue more intense than any 2-hour trail trundle.
- I don’t like the idea that a pair of shoes costs North of $200. I get why, but $200 seems like a lot.
- I do like that the Oboz Bridger I bought from my favorite place to buy shoes–the mighty REI–and they came in at around $150.
Now let’s get into the gear review.
I bought the Oboz with the intent of reviewing them somewhere around the 6-month mark of owning them. And then, like many contractors coping with the pandemic, I was inundated with calls.
My initial reaction of the Oboz Bridger
Then, right around that 6-month mark, the rubber over-mold toe guard started to do what I predicted would happen; the stitching gave way…just a bit…and I thought, “Well, this is usually when the cascade of stitching failure, padding failure, other failures usually starts, I’ll just jam these in a closet and use them to mow the lawn or something.”
So that’s what I did. And I went back to REI and bought a different shoe.
But they got muddy, so I needed a different shoe for an interior remodeling project.
How the Oboz fared inside
I pulled out the mothballed Oboz for a basement trim job, and, man, am I glad that I did.
They’re back in action and, after taking them off tonight after 3 more weeks in perfect service, I noticed the tread. It’s like new. Barely any wear. Wow.
How the Oboz Bridger handled snowmageddon
I wore them this winter during our snowmageddon and, again, right around the 6-month mark, it would seem their waterproofness wore off. But maybe not. During the 40 hours I plowed commercial parking lots for clients like Target, I often got out to do some shoveling or clear ice from the wipers. Lots of water got in them from dripping down my pant leg or because I walked through a snow bank.
I used my tractor to clear driveways after the commercial jobs and they stood up well there, too.
On the current deck build, they’re like the day I bought them.
Are there any downsides to the Oboz hiker?
One might argue that they are a stiffer boot with a less cushiony sole than other brands and that they’re not quite as wide. But, they are plenty beast-mode for the rocks, dirt , mud, ladders, gravel, bark mulch, and chainsaw dust/logs that I deal with in any given week.
The bottom line review
The Oboz Bridger hikers cost less than $200.
My rating: Full chooch.
