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Vasque Talus Trek Low UltraDry - Women's Review

A good shoe for someone who likes to day and overnight hike and only wants one pair of shoes
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vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review
Vasque Talus Trek Low UltraDry - Women's NEW
Credit: Vasque
Price:  $150 List
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Manufacturer:   Vasque
By Cam McKenzie Ring ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Mar 26, 2017
72
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 25% 8.0
  • Support - 20% 8.0
  • Traction - 15% 6.0
  • Weight - 15% 7.0
  • Water Resistance - 15% 6.0
  • Durability - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

This shoe impressed us in some areas more than others. The Talus Trek Low UltraDry is a comfortable shoe with padding in the forefoot as well as the heel, and it provides a good deal of support. The traction is lacking on rocky terrain, and while it has a waterproof liner, the leather upper absorbs water, bogging down the shoe. This is a versatile show that you can wear for day hikes close to home, and it has the support and structure for an overnight trip with a backpack as well.
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Stable
Good traction on trails
REASONS TO AVOID
Leather upper absorbs water
Poor traction on slabs

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Vasque Talus Trek Low UltraDry has a nubuck leather upper with Vasque's "UltraDry" waterproof membrane. The midsole is a molded EVA, and it has Vibram's Nuasi sole.

Performance Comparison


vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - these hiking shoes are comfortable and stable, but weren't the best...
These hiking shoes are comfortable and stable, but weren't the best for scrambling around a rocky landscape.
Credit: Scott Ring

Comfort


This shoe is fairly comfortable overall. Unlike some other shoes, we didn't feel like this pair needed much of a break-in period. The thick tongue prevented us from feeling any pressure from the laces. There is ample cushion in the heel and the forefoot, which other shoes, like the Keen Voyageur, lack. We did experience a bit of heel lift though, and our feet got rather sweaty in this pair, which had us knocking a little off this model's comfort score. We had a good fit in this shoe widthwise, and it also comes in Wide sizes, which is rare in women's footwear. The Merrell Moab 2 is the only other pair in our test group that comes in Wide sizes.

vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - there's plenty of cushioning in the heel and a good amount in the...
There's plenty of cushioning in the heel and a good amount in the forefoot as well.
Credit: Scott Ring

Support


We also got ample support in this shoe. The arch is defined, the leather upper is supportive, and the sole is stiff. This shoe feels supportive enough to handle more weight than just a light daypack, so if you prefer to backpack in hiking shoes instead of boots, you'll want to take a look at this pair.

vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - this shoe was stable enough for hiking on uneven terrain with or...
This shoe was stable enough for hiking on uneven terrain with or without a heavy pack on.
Credit: Scott Ring

Traction


We have mixed feelings about the traction on this shoe which illustrates the issue we are sure manufacturers go through when designing their soles. Do you design for ultimate traction on the trails and dirt, or do you add in elements that will also stick to bare rock? These shoes worked very well on the trails and dirt. The lugs are aggressive, and the heel strike area is massive (good for descents).

vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - the deep lugs and aggressive tread gave us great traction on the...
The deep lugs and aggressive tread gave us great traction on the trails, but the rubber itself was a little slippery on rock surfaces.
Credit: Scott Ring

However, once we got on bare rock, we had some slippage issues and a lack of confidence in the rubber. Not being able to trust your footing is an issue when scrambling around, and the specific rubber used on this sole did not inspire confidence. (Note that Vibram makes dozens of types of shoe rubber, some more sticky than others.) Long story short, if you only hike on well-defined trails, this shoe will still work well for you, but if you like to get off the beaten path a bit and bag a trailless peak or scramble around the desert, something like the Merrell Moab 2 Waterproof is a better choice.

vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - we tried these shoes on steep slabs, and found the rubber a little...
We tried these shoes on steep slabs, and found the rubber a little slippery. Other models had no problems going up and down slick rock.
Credit: Scott Ring

Weight


These shoes weigh 1 lb 12 oz in a women's size 7, which puts them on the heavier end of our test group. You can feel a noticeable difference between a pair like this and the ultralight North Face Safien GTX or Merrell Siren Edge Q2 WP, which are about a half a pound lighter per pair than these.

Water Resistance


vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - water testing the talus treks. the ankle opening is a little lower...
Water testing the Talus Treks. The ankle opening is a little lower than some other shoes, though the inner membrane did keep our feet dry.
Credit: Scott Ring

We ended up giving this shoe a rather low score for water resistance for several reasons. While it did not let any water in during our bucket test, the leather became completely saturated, making it much heavier. Also, the ankle opening is about half an inch lower than the Hoka Tor Summit, which gives you slightly less coverage when crossing streams.

vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - after our 10 minute bucket test, the uppers had absorbed a lot of...
After our 10 minute bucket test, the uppers had absorbed a lot of water. Our feet were still dry, but the shoes were noticeably heavier.
Credit: Scott Ring

Durability


Many parts of this shoe are sturdy and well made. The Vibram sole extends up to the toes with a little cap, and the upper is solid leather without any cutouts, which are frequent failure points. However, the leather is easily scratched by vegetation, and we noticed some permanent creases in the uppers after only minimal use. There is also a lot of exposed EVA on the sides and heel, which is not ideal if you are hiking in rough terrain.

vasque talus trek low ultradry for women hiking shoes review - the sole wraps up to protect the toe box.
The sole wraps up to protect the toe box.
Credit: Scott Ring

Best Applications


The Vasque Talus Trek Low UltraDry is like a cut-off version of their Talus Trek boot, and as such it's good for all of the uses that you might want a full boot for but prefer to wear shoes.

Value


These hiking shoes retail for $140, which makes them a little more expensive than some models, like our Best Buy winner, the Merrell Moab 2 Waterproof ($120). They are within the range of the Oboz Sawtooth II Low BDry ($140) and Hoka Tor Summit ($160). Considering that they are suitable for both day hiking and overnight trips, you'll get a lot of versatility for the price.

Conclusion


While the Vasque Talus Trek Low UltraDry didn't win any awards this time around, it's still a great shoe and might be just what you are looking for, particularly if you have wide feet (it's available in Wide sizes for women — a rarity!), or want a versatile pair for all of your hiking needs.

Cam McKenzie Ring