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2009 Winter Buyer's Guide
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Buyers guide 2005
Gear of the Year 2005

Garmont Eclipse XCR

Gear Category: Hiking Boots

$120
by Marcus Woolf
Garmont Eclipse XCR - Hiking Boots: Reviews
Mark Wiens
Five Fab Features:

Stripped-down light hikers can leave weekend adventurers craving a little more of everything. But, just like my pre-ramble, all-you-can-eat Southern breakfast, the Eclipse XCR fills the plate. Balancing strength and flexibility, this waterproof Gear of the Year winner made a meal of Alabama's rugged Pinhoti Trail in a hard winter rain.

1. Ankle sprains are the Achilles' heel of low-cut footwear, but the Eclipse XCR fights back. A high inner cuff stabilizes the joint to discourage it from rolling inward, while a rigid leather strip lining the outside of the upper cuff kept me secure on the scree.

2. Many load-bearing hikers have overbuilt heels that impart a ski-boot gait—not pretty when you're negotiating a crowded pub with a full, après-tramp pint. However, the back of the heel on the Eclipse swoops upward, for sneaker-like strolling.

3. Smallish tongues can shift, often leading to chafing at the intersection of ankle and foot. To reduce slippage, Garmont equipped this hiker with a broader tongue that extends down toward the ankle on the inboard side of your foot.

4. Even after shouldering a 30-pound pack, the plastic web in the cushy midsole kept my feet in the game. I could feel the material working like an in-shoe backbone, supporting my soles and lessening fatigue without compromising flex.

5. You won't slosh around in these bad lads, thanks to a Gore-Tex XCR membrane, which functions like a pair of rubber galoshes. But watch out: XCR can choke in high temps; my toes felt damp after trekking through steamy ravines in the soggy Chattahoochee National Forest.


More Hiking Boots Info

2010 Winter Buyer's Guide Hiking Boots Reviews

gear name gear price
Keen Growler Killer Value $125
Hi-Tec St. Moritz Luxe 200i Killer Value $115
Sorel Caribou $120
Patagonia Koyuk $190
Helly Hansen Lynx $150
Vasque M-Possible $350
Baffin Mountain $150
Columbia Winter Trek XTM Omni-Tech $115
Columbia Winter Trek XTM Omni-Tech $115

2009 Summer Buyer's Guide Hiking Boots Reviews

gear name gear price
Kayland Vertigo Light Gear of the Year $180
Danner Ascend GTX $170

2009 Winter Buyer's Guide Hiking Boots Reviews

gear name gear price
Hi-Tec Multiterra Ultra 200 Killer Value $105
Merrell Snowmotion 8 Waterproof $120
Keen Summit County $140
Keen Summit County $140
Salomon Tundra Mid WP $160
Hi-Tec V-Lite Gemini 200 $90
The North Face Vanton $125
Merrell Winterlude 8 $120
Timberland Woodbury Shearling Boot $120

2008 Winter Buyer's Guide Hiking Boots Reviews

gear name gear price
Kayland Apex Trail $160
Ulu Crow Rabbit $180
Lowa Echo GTX $165
Asolo Elysium GTX $160
TSL Nordic Race $259
La Sportiva Ultranord GTX-XCR $125
Hi-Tec V-Lite Recon Mid eVent $125

2006 Buyer's Guide Hiking Boots Reviews

gear name gear price
Lowa Jannu Lo Gear of the Year $125
Tecnica Prima Mid GTX-XCR Killer Value $119
Zamberlan 140 Paso $95
Montrail CTC Mid XCR $140
Aku Energy Mid XCR $125
Scarpa Enigma XCR $129
Vasque Kota $90
Merrell Passage Ventilator $100
Five Ten Prodigy $90
Columbia Skamania Pass $120

2005 Buyer's Guide Hiking Boots Reviews

gear name gear price
Garmont Eclipse XCR Gear of the Year $120
Hi-Tec Vector Killer Value $75
Vasque Breeze Low $90
Lowa Renegade II GTX Lo $145

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