The Sawtooth X Low B-DRY from Oboz is a very comfortable and high performing waterproof walking shoe, writes Mike Gormley.
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It’s quite a well-used term these days, but ‘comfortable from the box’ is certainly the case for these Sawtooth X walking shoes from Oboz. You can put them on from brand new, head out and be comfortable – which says a lot.
Take just a quick look at these shoes and you can see they are designed for the great outdoors and for some serious walking. The Trail Tread Rubber outsole is all about grip; it feels grippy and reaches up around the sides as well as up to cover both toe and heel. This both offers good protection and, importantly, gives grip even if your contact area is a bit tenuous in tricky places – as is often the case.
This is a leather-looking shoe with an upper made from oiled Nubuck which, importantly, is intersected with Cordura and mesh panels to give good ventilation. That is backed up by the Oboz B-DRY waterproof membrane to keep the wet out as well as letting the sweat from hot feet escape. I should be putting this to the test shortly on a planned trip to hotter climes.
In my experience all these features do what they are supposed to. When you check out the spec of these shoes there really is a lot going on. The fit of these shoes also has a bit to it; they hug the heel for added stability and keep in touch with the mid foot but, good for the likes of me with large feet, it offers some space around the toes. This is all quite obvious if you take out the O Fit insole and check it out; it is not just a simple insole as often found in hiking footwear.
These are good looking and purposeful shoes which definitely do not disappoint.
[images © Jean or Mike Gormley]
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