As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I am a fan of Vasque. I’ve always found their boots and shoes to be comfortable, well designed, and built to handle anything I can throw at them. The Inhaler Low by Vasque is no exception, although it did take longer to break in than I expected.
As part of Vasque’s performance hiking line, the Inhaler Low has all the attributes you would expect… Vibram sole (with an aggressive lug pattern), lightweight EVA midsole, excellent fit and stability, and the huge bonus of an abrasion resistant mesh upper that provides incredible breathability. These are definitely hot weather hiking shoes. The breathability really helps keep the feet cool and that goes a long way towards staying comfortable.
The only problem I encountered with these shoes was that the cut of the Inhaler Low is actually a little bit high for my body. I find that the upper cuff rubs against the outside bumpy bone part of my ankle* (damn anatomy). This is what took so long for me to break in. After a couple weeks of steady wear, the cuff softened up and I haven’t had any issues since.
The time spent breaking these shoes in was well worth it. Now, they are very comfortable. I’ve been wearing them to work everyday for the last few weeks, which means lots of hours going up and down ladders, standing in genie lifts and in general being on my feet for hours at a time. I can honestly say that since getting these shoes broken in I’ve experienced no foot fatigue, even after a twelve-hour day. If that’s not a ringing endorsement I don’t know what is. Now, I just need to get them out on the trail.
the good
- Lightweight
- Good fit and stability
- Excellent support
- Breathable mesh upper helps keep the feet cool
the bad
- upper cuff rubbed my ankle, but softened up after break in
Available from Vasque for $119.99
The more you know:
The outside bumpy part of the ankle is called the lateral malleolus and is actually the lower end of the fibula.
Boring stuff: Vasque provided me with a free review sample. This did not affect the opinions expressed in this review. All images via Vasque