Garmont Eclipse XCR

$120

by Marcus Woolf

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.

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2009 Winter Buyer's Guide Hiking Boots Reviews

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

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

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

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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