take the good with the not so good
I've purchased bugaboots for many years. (series 1 and series 2). They have been my absolute favorite. i needed to replace them, so naturally i didn't even shop at the store, i just purchased it right away based on series 1 and 2. Ummm... not so fast, i'll note. The good: taller style - seems to protect more of my shin and positively changes the torque on my ankles. i like! FIT: PERFECTION! (It seemed a little tight at first, but after wearing one day, it was perfect. The sole on this version seems to be a little more grippy and jagged than version II - i like! The outer shoes is mostly rubber and man made materials instead of leather. I THINK i like this better. but this leads me to the Not so good: 1. The outer shoe is WAAAYYY more flexible than version 1 or 2. As a result - which i definitely DO NOT LIKE - side pivots (like if you're pushing something and your foot is sideways and the foundation of your push) result in your foot sliding OFF the inner foundation, and only thing holding your foot then is the rubber outer sole and its stitching. That is to say, you will need to be mindful AND Careful with these when doing activites requiring sideways thrusts - for sure you may twist your ankle. It's simply too flexible because its all rubber (version 2 was much stiffer and side thrusts were stable without cause for 'being careful'. In the end, since i do a lot of activity requiring pushing, i fear the stitching will wear out quickly and just fall apart. (That's what happened with my version 2 - but only after almost 10 years. These DEFINITELY won't last that long.) 2. Cushioning : dreadful. Not sure why Columbia moved to having almost NO cushion on the tongue as version 1 and 2 had. Additionally around the top of the boot, version 1 and 2, also had thick cushioning. in this way when you tied the shoe all the way up, the cushion around your leg (where the pressure rests most with the string tie) simply hugged your shins tightly but comfortably. Sadly, all of this was removed on version 3. So, while there is a vvvvveeeeryyyy thin layer of cushioning, its not much thicker than a slightly thick sock. So, tie your boots up tight - - and the tongue digs into your leg and the upper ridge of the shoe opening digs into your skin. GEEZ ... i hope this gets better with wear, but after 2 hours - i had to take them off - and i had an abrasion around my shin where the tongue dug in and the upper ridge also dug in. I even tried to loosen the shoe strings so much that they were almost not tied tight. But that defeated the purpose - now water/snow gets inside your shoe, and more importantly, instead of being stable and balanced, the boot kinda flopped around. It was made to tied tight - but doing so creates a real discomfort problem. Okay, so, unless version 4 fixes two problems, this will be my last purchase of the mighty, beloved bugaboot. Recommendation? Trust me - go with the "Men's GeoTerra OutDry Leather Boot" - it's already addressed all those issues i mentioned, costs about the same, and its comfort is a 9/10! If you dont' like the GeoTerra style, then bugaboot II is best, but bugaboot III is not far behind
Yes, I recommend this product.