Lightweight
3 lbs. 2.4 oz.
Yes (Gore-Tex)
Beautifully made and absolutely bomber on rough terrain.
Dated design that’s very heavy.
The hiking boot market has been trending away from traditional heavyweight leather designs for years, but there’s still a time and place for these classics. In this category, the Zamberlan Vioz GTX is among the all-time greats: The Italian-made leather construction is gorgeous and built to last, the interior is soft and isolates you amazingly well from a rough trail, and the stiff structure provides reliable support. For long slogs with a serious load or even light mountaineering, the Vioz GTX is a proven choice.
Unfortunately for the Vioz, there is good reason why you see fewer of them on the trail these days. A heavy boot makes it that much harder to cover ground, and at 3 pounds 2.4 ounces, the Vioz weighs more than anything else on this list (and certainly feels like it as the miles add up). In the end, we think even serious backpackers will be better off with a boot like the Salomon Quest 4 above in most cases. But the Vioz remains a favorite among traditionalists who want a truly bomber boot that will be your hiking partner for years (you can even resole its Vibram rubber).
