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.
Product Specifications
Price: Usually around $95 – $120
Weight: 2lbs 2oz
Check Them Out Here: Vasque Inhaler 2 GTX
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.