Sounds like the title of a new horror movie. It could be, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the Oboz Sawtooth Mid Shoe. Made with waterproof nubuck leather and a high abrasion textile upper. The sawtooth name comes from the outsole which mimics the blade of a sawtooth saw. The two part mid sole is made of dual density EVA and a nylon shank. What’s most impressive is the grippster rubber outsole. Very aggressive lug pattern which looks to be stable on most terrains.
Oboz Sawtooth Mid
The Oboz Sawtooth Mids arrived in great shape and the correct size. I wear a size 9.5 and that is what I recieved. I was curious to see how well they fit since Mids and Full height boots tend to run a little different than normal running or trail shoes. I put on a mid weight sock and my feet fit perfect in the shoe. The lacing system that the shoes came with was great. It was easy to cinch up and wrap around the quick tabs for a good snug fit. The tongue is gusseted which is typical for a waterproof shoe.
Another great feature is the footbed that came with the shoe. I removed it from the shoe and inspected it. It looks and feels just like an after market footbed and has a very good quality feel to it. There doesn’t seem to be any stiffness in the toe bend area to where I would need to take these shoes through a break-in period. I took each shoe and sort of flexed them a few times to sort of loosen them up but it appears that that is all that will be needed for a first hike or backpack with these.
I have several trips planned this fall and winter where the Sawtooth Mids will see plenty of use and I look forward to reporting the outcome. Stay tuned….
Chaz
UPDATE: 2/15/10
The Oboz Sawtooth owning the snow
The Oboz Sawtooth Mid’s have been a great all around boot for my purposes in the outdoors. I’ve had them in the rain, the snow, mud up to my ankles, dirt and just about anything else that can be thrown at these boots; and they have conquered them all.
For the most part I have worn them on several camping trips. The are very comfortable to do normal camp chores and nice to wear around while relaxing by the fire. The great thing about them that I have found is the soles do not seem to conduct cold from frozen ground. Many mornings I have gotten up to find the ground is frozen and in some of my past boots, my feet have gotten cold just from the ground being frozen. These Oboz kept my feet warm no mater if the ground was frozen or not.
On the hiking trips that I have taken I have found them to be very durable and very supportive in the ankle area. On a couple of trips I did find that my left ankle, on the front, would start to hurt and when I realized that the top edge of the boot was irritating it, I lossened the laces in that area and that seemed to solve the problem, but it was only on my left foot.
I have found myself wearing them on the days that it was forecast to rain. That was a smart move on my part. Every time I have worn them in the rain they have kept my feet completely dry. I’ve seen the water actually cover the bottom few laces and my feet still come out dry. I’ve also worn them in the snow on a few extracurricular activities with family. Again, I found nothing but warm and dry feet at the end of the day.
I have truly been impressed with the durability of the boot as well as the fit. I like the mid size boot as it keeps my leg above the ankle, nice and cool unlike full length boots. In turn, it also supports my ankle like a full length boot does. I will continue to use these boots on all of my upcoming outings and hope to report nothing but the best on my final update.
