Hiking Boots for Women
Vasque Breeze III GTX - Women's Review
The Breeze III are a great overall boot, providing support, comfort, and breathability to get you through the most rugged hikes
Photo: Vasque
Price: $180 List
Pros: Very comfortable, breathable, waterproof, supportive
Cons: Heavy, expensive
Manufacturer: Vasque
By Jane Jackson ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Oct 31, 2019
Support - 20% 8
Traction - 15% 8
Water Resistance - 15% 7
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The Vasque Breeze III are the total package, despite its middle of the pack score overall. They have everything we look for in a hiking boot — comfort, water resistance, durability, and support. Vasque has refined this shoe with each new version, and their third version is the best yet. They were comfortable right out of the box, requiring little to no break-in time. They nail the magic combination of providing support, while still feeling sneaker-like on foot. These burly boots will provide support all day on the trail. For long hikes on uneven terrain, the Breeze III is sturdy and sticky. These features make them ideal for rugged hiking.
In every metric, the Vasque Breeze III performed like a champ. Holding its own in all parameters against contenders that have a much higher price tag, the Breeze is an excellent option for a work-horse of a boot. They will protect against the elements while still providing the support and comfort needed to keep you on your feet for a full day on the trail.
Testing traction on wet sandstone in the Vasque Breeze III.
Photo: Eric Bissell
The Breeze III Mid was one of the highest-scoring boots in our comfort metric. They are immediately comfortable, right out of the box. In previous years, we have had similar experiences with Vasque models - they are easy to break in and are designed with comfort in mind. These boots are supportive and well-cushioned, while still feeling light on the foot. This makes them great for both long and short days on the trail.
The burly toe caps and heavy-duty soles makes these boots stable and secure on the roughest terrain.
As we began to say above, the Breeze III shine when it comes to support nearly as much as they do in our comfort ratings. With a well-padded ankle and a stable midsole, the Breeze provides support both underfoot and in the ankle. The Exo-plates added to the midsole provide a structure to the boot that keeps you on your feet and prevents the ankle from rolling. The soles are also substantial enough that they provide support underfoot, especially after a long day on the trail.
The Breeze IIIs are surprisingly waterproof, despite having large panels of mesh as a part of their construction.
Weight was the one metric that had the Breeze III fall a bit short. Weighing in at 2.2 pounds, these are among the heaviest boot in this review. This surprised us, as the Breeze felt light on the foot, while the Renegade felt much bulkier due to their all-leather construction. The weight of the Breeze III comes from their soles and leather/mesh uppers.
Often, boots with Vibram soles tend to score highly regarding traction, and the Breeze III are no exception. These boots use Vibram's Megagrip rubber compound, which sticks to rocky surfaces with ease. Even when wet, the soles still managed to provide decent traction. The tread pattern is moderately aggressive, but the boots do lack lugs that extend over the sides of the boot. This feature can help maintain traction when traversing slabs or large boulders, but generally, we didn't miss it on most trails.
A wet spring day in Moab makes for a perfect opportunity to test water resistance.
The key to a successful water-resistant boot is the combination of water resistance and breathability. The Breeze III successfully joins these two features. The waterproof Gore-Tex Extended Comfort Membrane used in this boot will keep your feet dry, while still allowing for ventilation and breathability. Some boots provide tons of protection, but because they are made of mostly leather, they lack the breathability that other models have. Since these boots are made with Gore-Tex, they're extremely waterproof, but they also have the breathability that comes with a mesh and leather upper.
We had very few complaints when it came to the durability of the Breeze III. The combination of leather and abrasion-resistant mesh made for an upper that hardly showed signs of wear during our testing period. The Vibram soles held up well, and there were no signs of wear along the seam between sole and upper. The re-enforced rubber toe cap and protective heel also make for added durability.
The Vasque Breeze III dry out after a wet outing on the Colorado River.
Though they are less expensive than the top hiking boot models on the market, the Breeze III is still an investment. Their moderate price tag places them in the middle of the pack.
We had nothing but good things to say about the Vasque Breeze III's as we wore them day after day in southern Utah's Canyon Country.
The Vasque Breeze IIIs is the most substantial, and most expensive, boots from Vasque that we have tested. These boots hold their own in comparison to more expensive and higher-end models on the market. We found them to be durable, sturdy, and supportive, while still managing to be comfortable and breathable. They feel quite light on the foot due to their combination of mesh and leather uppers. Overall, these are a well-made boot that breaks in easily and remain comfortable all day.
— Jane Jackson
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