ROCKY Outback Gore-Tex Waterproof Boot

I'm a delivery driver in the midwest. I walk 5 miles or more a day, let me tell you these boots are awesome! Very comfortable, light weight and grip well in any weather conditions. The soles are holding up great walking many miles so far on pavement. I actually bought 2 pairs!

I purchases these boots to help with my growing hiking hobby not too long ago, but I've refrained from giving a review until I'd given them a proper test or two. Nature decided that'd be quite a few tests.Comfort:These boots are nothing special as far as comfort goes. They have decent support but nothing great. They broke in nicely and fit comfortably snug (a desired trait in hiking boots). The toe flexes without pinching or crushing my toes. The soles provide decent support, but I would personally recommend using some aftermarlet insoles such as Dr. Scholl's if you intend to wear these indoors for any longer period of time. My only complain with the comfort is that the ankle is more flexible than I'd prefer, which can result in a rolled ankle or two if I'm not extra cautious when hiking in unsteady terrain.Waterproofing:The goretex layer within the shoe works as intended. I've tread through shin-deep water, with the water line hardly an inch from the top of the boot's tongue and had no leaks whatsoever. The downside of this is that, in order to achieve such a seal, the boot does not breathe at all. It is important to note that this will be an issue for any waterproof boot. Just be ready for hot sweaty feet on warm day hikes and cold sweaty feet on cold day hikes. I've found that water wicking boot socks help mitigate the sweat build-up on warm days and wool or thick wool blend socks help for the cold days.Durability:This, I think, is where these shoes really shine. I've walked through streams and puddles, trekked in rain and hail, and hiled over gravel and boulders in these, dropped knives on them (I don't recommend testing their cut resistance, but they should hold against a dropped tool), spilled oil and stain, fended off my wild pup, and beaten the snot out of these boots. In other words, I've put these through the ringer. hey're tough as nails, with only wrinkles and mild discoloring from the water and a few scratches to speak of.Summary:These boots are beyond excellent for the price point. With the proper socks for the job and possibly an aftermarket insole, they'll last you for as long as you need them without taking a tole on your feet. I'll definitely be looking at other Rocky brand boots for my next pair- if I ever need to replace these.

Fit was true, but definitely go with wide. Not a very defined heel, going downhill on wet terrain would probably be a bad idea. Small to moderate amount of time needed to break in.Feet will stay dry, save for sweat buildup. It will be necessary to change wool socks every so often. Completely waterproof, but water does not bead off the surface. Wet spots will eventually dry. ****Another reviewer suggested spraying the boot with waterproofing spray to prevent the boot from becoming heavier after soaking in water. But I found no difference in weight, maybe it would be easier to tell between a wet boot and a dry boot if you were fatigued enough from walking.Very tough but supple sole. Although, it’s not as thick so those with underdeveloped ankles, underdeveloped foot muscles or just bad feet may feel that the support is lacking over long hikes/rucks. Very good ankle support, there were several instances where the boot gave me the opportunity to correct my footing before I rolled an ankle.Overall, a very good construction that can be expected of the Rocky brand.

These boots are super comfortable and look really good. Can be worn on a hiking trip or out to the bar. Plus got them 1/2 price in like new condition! Great bargain! The only negative is they could have put a loop on the back to assist with pulling on and off.

Man I can't say enough how much I love these boots. Probably the most comfortable and sturdy boots I've ever put on 10 out of 10 will buy again hope they last awhile we shall see

Pros: Very comfortable boot right out of the box. Great fit and the leather was very pliable. Took it for a short hike and had no issues at all. Did not test the waterproof possibility of this boot. If it wasn't for the quality control issues, I would have kept this boot.Cons: Quality control is severely lacking. On the right boot, where the gore-tex fabric is stitched into the boot was poorly done. After the first hike the stitching was coming undone. It was apparent this would need to be repaired immediately or the problem would only worsen. Oddly enough the place where the stitching was really falling apart was marked with a Quality Control sticker! Upon further inspection, the stitching wasn't much better in the left boot. It was still intact but looked like it would fail in the near future. Upon further inspection found another issues with the stitching of the leather on the inside of the right boot. The stitch was place outside of where it was supposed to be and it was plain to see this stitch would most likely get torn or cut during a hike and would place the rest of the stitching for the boot in jeopardy.The first few pictures on the Amazon page for this boot show a full leather tongue. This was most likely true in an older version of this boot. The tongues on the pairs I received are now made of fabric.Upon further inspection of reviews for this boot from Amazon and other websites, it is also apparent the glue Rocky uses for their boots is not what it used to be and can fail after some use requiring the owner to purchase another pair of boots. The durability that used to be there with Rocky, appears to no longer be there.Because of the issues with the pair I bought and questions about durability, I decided to return the boots. If it wasn't for the multiple stitching issues, I probably would have held on to them because they were very comfortable. If I'm going to pay over $100 for a pair of boots, I'd like them to last. I have a pair of old leather hiking boots that have lasted over 10 years and recently their stitching was finally giving up. I was hoping to replace them with something that would last nearly as long. I don't think these will.It's possible they could last if they were consistently made better. The fact there are issues makes me question if I can trust this brand.

Comfy right out of the box, minimum break in. Will buy again.

Didn’t take any time to break in and they are very quiet to sneak in and supper comfy for long hikes. Would definitely buy again

Only had these for a day now. They are comfortable and water proof. Knocking one star off because there are no loops on the back. Loops on the back make them easier to pull up as well as hang them off a hiking backpack.I only trust rocky boots anymore. They seem to hold up better than anything else.I'll update this over time

Very comfortable, good fit, lots of support! Highly recommend!

Great