OTB Abyss II Boot - 6 in.

Comments about OTB Abyss II Boot - 6 in.:

I paddle an open canoe in whitewater. Footwear is very much a matter of personal preference; what feels good to you may not feel good to me. In cooler weather, I wear these boots over hydro socks. This is warm enough. If you have to portage or wade, these shoes work much better for me than booties. In the boat, I like that the water drains out so when you step out of the boat, you don't slosh, slosh. They are not the most comfortable footwear I've ever worn, but I like them for paddling in cooler weather better than anything I've tried.

Comments about OTB Abyss II Boot - 6 in.:

Used in Utah wet Slot Canyons. Can keep feet relitively dry with little to no sand and gravel inside when used with a combination of Neoprens socks, with liners and Polleyester stretch tights to cover shoe tops. A MUST IN COLD WET SANDY CONDITIONS.

Comments about OTB Abyss II Boot - 6 in.:

I have used these boots for three 10 day canoe trips in Quetico and Woodland Caribu Provincial Parks.
The boots work well on the portages, except they are not up to the wear and tear. Before the first trip was complete the extra "gussets" at both the heals and toes of the boots started to tear off. I epoxied them back into position for the second and third trips, but they are now beyond repair.
I will not buy another pair. Good in concept, but don't take them down a rocky trail.

Comments about OTB Abyss II Boot - 6 in.:

I just got back from 10 days in the boundary waters from Ely, MN into Quetico (BSA Northern Tier High Adventure). These boots were perfect! They were super comfortable, durable and had the best drainage of the entire crew. Others who bought this boot said the same thing. They seem to fit a bit wide (I'm a medium) but that was no issue at all. I wore them all week wet and passed through 27 Portages and felt great. I wore a lightweight sock liner all week which I recommend you do too. I can't recommend these enough. My son wore the NRS Storm boot; he liked them for comfort and support though they didn't drain nearly as well (not sure they are supposed to). We fixed that by drilling some holes in the footbed (the NRS product managers are cringing I'm sure).

Comments about OTB Abyss II Boot - 6 in.:

As a child I had a weird undiagnosed condition where my feet would dry out and painfully crack open. This happened last when I was 21, after many days wearing rubber boots on a farm. The result: I'm a primadonna about footwear, and after every day on the water I'd change into new dry socks and heavy leather boots.

I tried these as a 2nd choice (after NRS Workboot) and I almost returned them too after a walk around the house because they were not as supportive and comfortable on land as my go-to running shoes. The wife talked me into wearing them to work as a river guide and that's when I fell in love: the high ankles keep sediment out much better than running shoes, and carrying boats from takeout to trailer they were already dry halfway up the hill! (Running shoes dry slo.) On an overnight trip I could get by fine with these boots alone.

Great but they could still be improved a bit by referencing to the arch support and traction of lightweight running shoes. As is, I wouldn't want to hike more than 1 mile in these. The large holes in the uppers drain well but require a bit thicker sock for heel comfort (silk is too thin). Lightest weight smartwool sock is a perfect compliment for our high desert conditions. Both shoe and sock are always dry in the morning.

Service and delivery comments:

Yes, awesome.