Tribute II LTR - Men's

I've been using these as all-rounders, from weekend hiking to summer backpacking, to trail maintenance and yardwork - and even into school as an educator. This pair has lasted me five years, with no breaks or problems. I love these boots more than any I've owned before, and I've found that regular saddle soaping & buffing and using Nikwax for waterproofing has kept me dry and the boots looking good. Keep in mind I live in Seattle, with very wet hiking conditions - I've rarely suffered wet feet, and have never once thought of replacing these or switching brands. They're buy-for-life, for sure. I can't recommend them highly enough.

Thank you, thank you AKU for making a comfortable all-leather, non Gore-Tex lined boot! I am a landscape photographer living in the US desert southwest and need a breathable boot that will protect me from cactus spines and thorns more than I need a waterproof boot. This all-leather boot was surprisingly comfortable out of the box but it needed about 60 miles to truly mold around my ankle bones… and now they just put a smile on my face when I lace them up...they feel like a lovechild between my long lost Italian lasted Vasque Sundowners and the all-leather also Made in Italy Chacos Beckwith...my two favorite boots. The Tribute strikes a nice balance between stiffness and flexibility —comfortable for walking, yard work and stiff enough for side sloping while off-trail. The moderately lugged sole is pretty soft and grippy, but I find that it is prone to picking up pea-sized gravel…something to be aware of if you have hardwood floors. The tongue is gusseted near its entire length which is great in keeping spines, grass seeds etc. out of the boot. The fit on this boot is normal width but high volume in the mid foot— I had to use an older Chacos insert (more aggressive than my Superfeet Greens) to allow me to get a good fit; I cannot tighten the laces anymore without interference from the vamp… but it is enough for them to fit comfortably (see attached image). The forefoot is normal width (and allows for plenty of toe wiggle). Compared to my AKU Tengu Lite boots, this boot is a higher volume boot with a taller toe box, but overall length is about the same. I typically wear a Euro 46 and these are true to size. The one piece vamp makes for fewer seams to fail, nice to see AKU choosing this construction method. I would like to see a rubber toe cap to protect the leather of the toe area (or the sole wrapping up and around a bit).

This is my 4th pair of the same ones.