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(My apologies for writing the review rather late, three weeks after starting it)

 

Asolo Moran GTX & Salomon Quest 4D GTX Review

 

Asolo Moran GTX

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Salomon Quest 4D GTX

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BACKGROUND

 

For the past three years my Altama HopLites were my go-to boots in airsoft (and functions as my go-to work boot as well). Since then I began studying overseas and my Altamas started to fall short of expectations here. It is a non- Gore Tex boot which means it's not waterproof (duh...) and in where I currently live there's snow fall after late November. I began eyeing for a pair of gore tex boots can supplement my Altamas. That's when I narrowed down to Asolo and Salomon, prominently because of their uses in Afghanistan by NATO armed forces, and because of the raving reviews they received throughout the globe for constructing excellent mid-weight boots. 

 

Three weeks later, I bought a pair of Salomon Quest 4D GTX, simply because I wanted another pair of waterproof boot as back-up. 

 

 

INITIAL IMPRESSION (Asolo Moran GTX, size 12)

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A large box arrived at my house a week after purchasing it online. Inside lay my boot with some paper wrappings. My first impression was that they fit very well to my feet. I'm very careful when I'm down to selecting boots since I'm flat-footed and needed very good ankle support. The ankle is well-supported and should do pretty well on protecting my ankles when I'm in an airsoft fight or just a normal backpacking trip. I took my boots to a light excursion, a 3-mile hiking trail, and they require absolutely no breaking in. Immersing most of my boot into a stream (excluding the tongue) confirms that it is thoroughly waterproof. 

 

INITIAL IMPRESSION (Salomon Quest 4D GTX, size 11.5)

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Inside the box, there lay the pair of boots and also a tiny instruction booklet that the Asolo boots did not come with. My initial impressions are that they also fit well to my feet, though it's a bit tighter since it was half a size smaller (I was experimenting between either a size 11.5 or 12 on boots). Again the ankle is well-supported, but I haven't taken it to much outdoor trips yet other than some road walks so far. 

 

CLOSER LOOK (Asolo Moran GTX)

 

According to the official description of the Morans on the official webpage, the upper material consists of a water-resistant suede and high tenacity nylon. The parts are well stitched together. The laces are thick and strong (so far). I've heard bad reviews about the Asolo laces (especially the hook edges would chew the laces off after heavy uses) but so far that hasn't happened to me yet. 

 

The inclusion of a grab handle is nice, ensuring that you can pull your boots off in case it is still tight. I find untying and tying up the laces very easy so I haven;t tested out the grab handle on that yet. I have carried the boot with the grab handles only and they have no problems holding the weight of the boot. 

 

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The membrane of the boot consists of Gore-Tex lining. It definitely sheds water like a duck though I'm not sure how long the lining would last (they are my first pair of Gore-Tex boots after all). The insole is just a thin piece with the label Asolo on it. There is a shock-absorbing pad right at where the hindfoot sits on. I exchanged the stock Asolo insoles for a pair of Superfeet Trim-to-Fit insoles, just for the extra comfortness. 

 

The midsole is Power Lite. It does provide the high shock absorption and stability as the description says. Walking on steep slopes (even when it's snow-covered, I have yet lost my balance due to my boot's ability). The Lite 2 anatomic footbed makes the boot very comfortable to wear, perfectly wrapping around my foot. 

 

The outer sole is a combination of Power Lite and Pebax Heel Reinforcement. Personally I find the outer sole a bit hard and that took me a while to get used to. Since I don;t know much about outsoles I can;t compare the stock outsoles with others like Vibram, but so far it provides a tight grip on rocks and mud, but on ice it is a bit slippery so extra care is taken when I'm walking on slippery surfaces.

 

In addition, a rubber toe box is there to protect the boot when abrasion with rocks and hard objects happens. 

 

CLOSER LOOK (Salomon Quest 4D GTX)

 

The upper material consists of a water-resistant nubuck leather. Yet again the parts are well stitched together. The laces are somewhat similar to the Asolo laces, and they seem to hold strongly once the boot is tied up.

 

Like the Asolo Morans, a grab handle is included on the back of the boot, just to facilitate easier removing of the boot. Again I have not used this function yet.

 

The membrane of the boot consists of Gore-Tex lining. The insole is marked with Orthodite, and is shock-absorbing as well. I find the insole to be superior to the stock Asolo Moran insoles, but they do lack the comfort of the Superfeet insoles I have for the Asolo boots.  

 

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The molded EVA midsole is very helpful on stability when I'm walking on uneven surfaces. I have yet to test them out on mountain trail but so far on short hikes they saved my ankles numerous times. 

 

The non-marked Contagrip outer sole provides better traction on slippery surfaces and ice when compared the the Asolo Moran. Unfortunately I cannot judge the outer sole much since I was very used to the (initially) hard outer sole of the Morans. I will wear them for longer hikes later on in 2013 and will report on their performances in the field. 

 

Unlike the Asolo Moran, the Quest 4D also includes a rubber heal protection in addition to the rubber toe protection. 

 

CONCLUSION

 

Both are solid choices for both mountaineering or airsofting. I use these boots for mountaineering so far but once I'm back in Hong Kong I would test them out on several airsoft sites with mountainous terrain and see how they perform. They both are very comfortable (with the Salomon being a slightly tighter fit due to half a size smaller) and they shed water very well. Time would tell how long they would last but so far I'm enjoying every moment outdoor with either of these boots. 

 

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NEXT UPDATE

  • Performance of Asolo boot after dozens of short 3 mile hikes and a 30-mile backpacking trip
  • Performance of Salomon boot after dozens of short 3 mile hikes
  • Which pair do I prefer more
Edited by The S.C.A.R.
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I have to get me a pair of those Salomons, but they are pricey... :)

well they are pricey, but as far as I heard from others they last very long...

 

Besides since I hike a lot other than just paintballing and airsofting (when I'm not in the US)...I'd rather purchase hiking boots rather than standard military issue/desert boots

 

Just my two cents

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  • 1 month later...

Great review, I also have a pair of the ASOLO GTX Boots. I picked mine up for hiking when I was in Colorado and I use them for airsoft as well. I completely switched to light weight hiking boots (merrell sawtooths, MOABs, and these AOLO's) for airsoft due to the comfort.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great review, I also have a pair of the ASOLO GTX Boots. I picked mine up for hiking when I was in Colorado and I use them for airsoft as well. I completely switched to light weight hiking boots (merrell sawtooths, MOABs, and these AOLO's) for airsoft due to the comfort.

Thanks for the feedback. I used to use Altama Desert Boots for airsoft until I picked up the Asolo. Never went back again...they're just great boots

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On boots like that try to by off season. So now that spring is around the corner the heavier wintery boots be discounted at hiking stores since they want to start putting trail runners on display.

True...sad thing is back then when I was State-side in autumn I had no waterproof boots...

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