The Vasque Breeze LT NTX Low provides the stiff, solid cushioning underfoot of a trail boot but with a low cut. So if you’re looking for something lighter than a boot but sturdier than a trail runner, these could be the shoes for you.
Vasque Breeze LT NTX Low
MSRP: $149.99
Weight (per shoe): One pound, 9 ounces
Upper Fabric: Recycled mesh
Outsole: Vibram
Midsole: Enduralast EVA
Stack Height: 28 mm women’s; 30 mm men’s
Drop: 28/22 women’s; 30/24 men’s
Why Wear the Breeze?
The Breeze LT NTX is a new offering from Vasque’s Breeze line for 2021. The company has long been known for its hiking boots and the low-cut Breeze is among the shoemaker’s nod to lighter trail shoes. The Breeze has Vasque’s proprietary Nature-Tex waterproofing, which does a good job of keeping your feet dry in moderately wet conditions. The Vibram outsole provides good traction through mud and grips rocks firmly. I wore them throughout the summer and found them to be cool and comfortable in the heat. A late-summer trip to a very muddy, wet, and hot Vermont put the shoes to a grueling test. I slogged through mud I normally would have tried to avoid—this was a review test, after all—and my feet got wet only when I stepped into mud over the shoe tops. I give the shoes an A for standing up to those notoriously rocky and muddy Vermont trails.
Breaking Down the Breeze
Midsole: Compression molded EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate), a durable plastic considered lighter and more flexible than rubber.
Outsole: Vibram
Insole: High arch, or what Vasque calls an anatomical high rebound. I liked it. It felt as though my foot was elevated from the ground and provided plenty of cush. I think this is a feature you either love or hate.
Upper: 70% post-consumer recycled mesh upper, with the Vasque Nature-Tex 50% recycled content waterproof membrane.
Shoe Fit and Cushion
Fit: I have narrow feet, and the medium width Breeze are a good fit, with plenty of room in the toebox. You might consider the wide-width Breeze if your feet are medium to wide width.
Stack Height: 28 mm for the women’s; 30 mm for the men’s. Great cushioning for rock hopping through muddy trails.
Stability: Good. My feet transitioned easily from flat to rocky sreep trail, without rolling on uneven surfaces.
Heel to Toe Drop: The 6-millimeter drop is good for someone like me with flat feet.
Random Thoughts
What I Liked: The Breeze provide plenty of cush under your feet. And my flat feet appreciated the medium drop.
Summer Heat: Waterproof linings can be heat traps in the summer, but my feet didn’t overheat on humid, 90-degree days.
Sustainability: Red Wing Shoe Company, which owns Vasque, has signed energy agreements with two solar farms in Minnesota that are expected to provide about one-fourth of Red Wing’s electricity consumption in Minnesota for its plants, warehouses, headquarters, and other facilities. Red Wing expects that its 40 percent share of the solar farms’ output will prevent 66,218 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the environment—equivalent to eliminating 7.4 million consumed gallons of gasoline
Corporate History: Vasque has been making hiking boots since the 1960s, and is a branch of Redwing Shoes.
Warranty: Twelve-month warranty for defects in workmanship and materials under normal use. Vasque will repair or exchange the shoes.
Point of Manufacture: Vietnam
Pros
Stack Height: 28mm for the women’s, 30mm for the men’s. That’s a lot of padding under your feet.
Toe Box: My toes never felt cramped, whether on a steep descent or uneven trail.
Nature Tex Waterproofing: My feet stayed dry through mud and on wet trails, getting wet only when I tested water and mud that I knew would come over the shoe tops.
Cons
Width: The medium width Breeze felt snug, though not constricting. The wide width might be the better choice for hikers with medium-to-wide feet.
Nature Tex Waterproofing: Yes, a pro and a con. Breathable waterproofing on low-cut shoes is good for keeping water out on moderately wet trails. But when water gets in during extremely wet conditions, it’s slow to leave.
Overall Value
The Breeze, at $149.99 MSRP, are comparably priced to other low-cut waterproof boots.
Similar Hiking Shoes
MSRP: $140 (available only in women’s design)
Weight: 1 pound, 3.8 ounces for a women’s pair
Waterproof: Yes; GORE-TEX membrane
Upper: SensiFlex
Outsole: Contagrip rubber
MSRP: $139.95
Weight: 1 pound, 9.2 ounces for a women’s pair; 1 pound, 14.8 ounces, men’s
Waterproof: Yes; KEEN.Dry waterproof breathable membrane
Upper: Leather
Outsole: Rubber
MSRP: $140
Weight: 1 pound, 12.4 ounces for a women’s pair; 2 pounds, 2.8 ounces, men’s pair
Waterproof: Yes: B-DRY waterproof breathable membrane
Upper: Leather
Outsole: Carbon rubber
This product was donated for purpose of review.
