July | 2016 | Darwin Onthetrail

Full Review

Review By: Darwin

The Inhaler has no break-in time and is ready to go right out of the box. Overall the fit is nice & snug in the heel but very narrow in the toe box, not lending enough room for extra socks and/or swelling. The overall breathability of the Inhaler performed great in most climates, yet the GoreTex liner tends to make your feet overheat when hiking on a hot day. With a nice soft flexible upper and fast ride, the Vasque inhaler feels much more like a performance trail runner, rather than a mid hiker.

Stability in the Inhaler is less than ideal, with a very flexible EVA foam sole. With no mid foot shank, it loses a lot of its side to side stability on technical terrain. However the Vibram lugs on the outer sole provide great traction on slippery surfaces like wet rocks and mud.

The overall durability of the Inhaler is surprisingly good, with no delamination or undone stitching. The exposed EVA foam arch is starting to break down a bit and was chewed up by rough trail surfaces.

With a very soft exposed mesh upper and little to no toe bumper, the Vasque Inhaler falls a bit short when coming to protection from rugged trails and the elements.

Because of the lack of a mid foot shank and/or fore foot rock plate, the Inhaler is not quite stiff enough when rock scrambling or edging steep terrain. Off trail capabilities in the Vasque Inhaler are very limited.

Overall, I found the Vasque Inhaler 2 Mid to be a quick and light hiker that tends to perform more like a trail running shoe, rather than a full featured mid hiker. This makes it ideal for fast and short day hikes, but falls short when doing extended and loaded hikes.

How I Tested Them

These boots were tested over a series of long day hikes & lightweight backpacking trips in the Sandia & Manzano Mountains of New Mexico. They were tested on a variety of trail conditions including muddy, rocky, sandy, & hard pack trails.

Full Review

Reviewed By: Darwin

With little break in time, the Oboz Scapegoat is a true to size comfortable fit, right out of the box. The mid upper hugs the ankle nicely without being too abrasive and gives great support. The “BFit” insole is a real game changer when it comes to stock footbeds, providing excellent comfort & arch support. The round laces lace up nice and even at first, but tend to come undone after about an hour of hiking.

The Oboz Scapegoat is great for lightweight day hiking and extended backpacking trips. I found the traction of the Scapegoat to fall a little short when dealing with slippery conditions like mud & wet rocks.

The Scapegoat has a breathable mesh upper and lightweight feel with plenty of synthetic leather overlays and rubber-coated bumpers to protect the boot through all the bumps and scrapes of the many hikes of the testing period. There were no visible delamination spots or undone stitching on the boots after the testing period.

The abrasion resistant rubber coated toe bumper was a great addition while descending and slamming into rocks while on the trail. The built in scree and debris collar help to keep out unwanted dirt, rocks, and sand making the overall protection of the Scapegoat stand out above the rest.

Off trail, The Scapegoat’s “Super Skin” forefoot shank keeps the boot nice and ridged when edging up steep accents and gives better control when crossing loose scree fields.

Overall, I found the Oboz Scapegoat Mid to be a true to size, lightweight, and breathable hiker that is packed with tons of features that make it really stand out in the backcountry. Light enough for summer day hikes and built tough for extended backpacking trips, the Scapegoat Mid proves to be a great boot for warm and dry conditions. This non-waterproof boot will be out of its element in wet, muddy and slippery environments.

Product Specifications

Price: Usually around $145

Weight: 2lb 7oz for the Pair

Check Them Out Here: Oboz Scapegoat Mid

How I Tested Them

These boots were tested over a series of long day hikes & lightweight overnight backpacking trips in the Jamez & Manzano Mountains of New Mexico. They were tested on a variety of trail conditions including muddy, rocky, sandy, & hard pack trails.