Alterra GTX - Men's

Had a pair of these since summer 2019, and probably the most comfortable out-of-the-box hiking boots I've ever had, and I've lived/hiked in the mountains for 50 yrs! Toe box is generous( I have an average width foot) and the padding all around the entire foot also adds some insulation: have hiked late in the season in snow/ -10c temps and still warm feet! Sole has good grip on wet terrain, and overall weight is in the ball park for a robust boot such as this. Only(slight) issue I had once was regarding waterproofness- on a 5 day trip was in light rain / drizzle for 1/2 a day which necessitated wearing rain pants and after 3-4 hours of water drippping steadily off the bottom of the pant leg onto the top of the boot I realised at the end of the day when I took them off that the boots had wetted-out a little on top, and socks were also pretty damp on the top. Wouldn't have been a huge challenge except that temp went down to 4c overnight( with light snow..!) and boots were a little cold and damp through first half of the next day until they finally dried out with heat from my ( now dry) feet! Have since sprayed the top with some "water proofing" and that seems to have worked , though haven't been in a real down-pour yet...
That said, certainly in the dry, these are my go-to load-carrying/ long day/steep terrain boots..!

The most comfortable pair of hiking boots I have ever had. The AKU sizing chart and instructions were accurate for me for this particular model. I have noticed that on one shoe there is inconsistent stitching where the red cuff material meets the lining material. I will need to monitor this for durability but expect that it may outlast other areas where the boot may wear. Despite potential concern I wouldn't hesitate to order another pair as the fit is so good.

This is my second pair of AKU hiking boots. I originally had the Tengu Lite series, but they were stolen, leading me to get a new pair of Alterra's.

For a comparison, the Tengu's fit quite narrow in the toe box, whereas the Alterra fits much better width wise. Perhaps due to the dimensions across models, for the Tengu's, I would have recommended one size UP from your shoe size, whereas for the Alterra, I went with one size DOWN, and they fit perfect - something to be aware of across models.

Specific to the Alterra, the sole makes good solid contact with the ground and I have found the compound to be excellent in wet conditions (no slipping on rocks). The tongue is great in that the fabric comes right to the top of the boot preventing any water from getting in. Looking at AKU in general, their quality of materials and construction are simply excellent.