READERS COMMENTS

Buy the Kayland contact 1000 and you will have what you are looking for. They are better than any boot in their class.
Posted: Dec 28, 2009 tim

I can't deny others' bad experiences with this boot. All I can say is that I ordered a half size bigger than my usual fit, I have wide feet, and after a couple hundred miles hiking in the Whites and elsewhere the shoes have held up well and they feel great. Perfect for longer day hikes.
Posted: Nov 15, 2009 astewart

I have had a pair of Kayland Contact 1000s for the last 3 years and they're amazing. They're a 'proper' boot too and can handle just about anything.
Posted: Nov 10, 2009 Sam

I bought these boots online from Endless.com-they sounded like the perfect boot for me, according to the Backpacker Magazine review. Here I am, 3 months later, and I am sending these defective boots back!! The sole is already separating from the boot on BOTH feet, at the toe.
I would NOT recommend these boots. period. Going with the highly successful Scarpa boots.
Posted: Nov 01, 2009 baychic

get a pair of Keen Kalamiths and you will never go back
Posted: Sep 24, 2009 Grant

just got the boots 5 days ago. feels like they're made for a person who got a bilateral pinky toe amputation. i'm 145 lbs. with 8.5 medium feet(all my shoes are 8.5) and these things make my foot bones rub against each other. these would probably be the best boots ever if they were made by a more established company. oh well, back to the cresta hikers.
Posted: Aug 21, 2009 mike from massachusetts

Rather disappointed with this boot - I did not find it deserving of the praises given by Backpacker. Unfortunately, it appears i am not alone. After roughly 150 miles, the soles of both boots began to separate from the boot. I respectfully disagree with the claim that these boots have "dependable waterproofing". These boots were soaked through after a light rain shower - they should have remained dry if they were truly waterproof. The toebox is small for medium volume feet, and my feet have had multiple blisters with or without using liners. These boots could start to live up to it's accolades if the manufacturer addresses these issues.
Posted: Aug 03, 2009 Paul

Next time you select something as your Editor's choice, make sure the item is actually available. I've been checking online every month and still can't find my size/color. The one place that finally might have it doesn't accept returns. Please don't waste your time testing and my time looking in 2010 if the manufacturer isn't serious about selling the product.
Posted: Aug 03, 2009 Roger Broadwell

Dissappointed.
The Toe box is very narrow and cramped even for a skinny medium volume foot person as myself. Worst of all I took them into the tundra in alaska only to find water leaking in! Soon my sock was completely socked making for an ardous 12 mile hike. I hope to send them back for a refund and find something better, any seggestions? Something more roomy and ACTUALLY Waterproof would be nice.
Posted: Jul 25, 2009 Kaplan

Wow, thanks for all the input everyone, this boot looked like a winner but after reading the comments I will be looking elsewhere. This boot got an editors choice award but shredded by users, and thats why we have forums. Looks like backpackers got a little kickback from Kayland
Posted: Jul 05, 2009 Britt

I ordered these boots online in April and they were on backorder until June. I just received my long awaited boots today and had to sent them right back for a bigger size. I wear a size 10 and have a medium to narrow foot. The review states that, “the forefoot has plenty of wiggle room for swollen toes”. This is could not be further from the truth. According to the company where I ordered these boots, the small/cramped toe box is reported to be common complaint. I find it hard to understand how a series of gear testers could not pick up on this issue. It would have been nice to have tried these boots on in a store first but no one sells them. Perhaps in store product availability should be a consideration when handing out such a “prestigious” award. This is my first time using Backpacker Magazine as a “consumer reports” for making a purchase and I hope that their other reviews are not a flawed as this one.
Posted: Jun 18, 2009 Ray

I agree with a few others on this... no one sells this boot and not many sell Kayland. Only a few of the large, online outfitter sites sell Kayland at all and none carry the Zephyr. For such a highly touted shoe... funny how hard it is to get. I have yet to find some one selling it onling in my very average size 10. I even have a narrow foot which would be fine with this boot!
I found my size at www.usoutdoorstore.com and no where else so far...
Posted: Jun 11, 2009 Keith in Tampa

JUNK! These boots are lightweight, but they are not even close to durable. I took a pair on a 5 day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon and by day 2, the sole of the left boot was already starting to separate. By the time I climbed out, both soles were separating (I could've hand ripped off the sole on the left boot). It probably wouldn't have mattered, because even with the soles, I still felt every rock I stepped on.
Posted: Jun 05, 2009 Josh Davidson

Everything you've read about this shoe is right on...except for the the fact the toe box runs on the narrow side...the shoe shape/cut on the pinky toe side reminds me of a rock climbing shoe...After 2 weeks of DENIAL...I had to GIVE UP these plush shoes because of the pinky toe area is too narrow/cramped due to the toebox shape...If Kayland fixes this prob I'll buy 2 pairs of these wonderful shoes currently made for narrow feet...I wear a size 10 US,size 42.5-43EU depending on brand, med.-to-wide foot...hope this helps...
Posted: Jun 04, 2009 dnari

Everything you've read about this shoe is right on...except for the the fact the toe box runs on the narrow side...the shoe shape/cut on the pinky toe side reminds me of a rock climbing shoe...After 2 weeks of DENIAL...I had to GIVE UP these plush shoes because of the pinky toe area is too narrow/cramped due to the toebox shape...If Kayland fixes this prob I'll buy 2 pairs of these wonderful shoes currently made for narrow feet...I wear a size 10 US,size 42.5-43EU depending on brand, med.-to-wide foot...hope this helps...
Posted: Jun 04, 2009 dnari

I came here to look for information and get ads all across the monitor and shoes that aren't available. Not likely I'd subscribe to more of this.
Posted: Jun 01, 2009 Tom

Overrated. If you are 6.0 feet tall and have large feet, avoid this boot, as it is too narrow, has weak arch support and is more like a running shoe. I find it hard to believe that someone carried 50 pounds with this shoe, unless he or she weighed 125 pounds to begin with. This boot is not for backpacking but for day hikes without a pack, unless you have tiny feet.
Posted: May 31, 2009 JTA

Would be nice if you could actually find it.
Posted: May 31, 2009 Phill

Nice boot. Unfortunately, it's not available anywhere.
Posted: May 25, 2009 I. Hoffman

Too narrow in the toe. Kayland's design is nice, but the fit is narrow.


Posted: May 21, 2009 Tim Colman, Good Nature

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