Vasque Men's Breeze 2.0 Gore-Tex Waterproof Hiking Boot

Vasque Breeze 2.0 GTX BootThis is a 2 part review, the first part is for the boots and the 2nd part is a review of the seller.These have to be the best and most comfortable boots I have ever worn.Fit is perfect right out of the box, there is no break in time.This is my 2nd pair , my first pair of Vasque Breeze GTX Boots were great for several months, however my feet did get slightly wet when backpacking the Pinchot Trail in scattered snow.Also after several months of everyday use they developed a ripple on the left side of my left boot at the ball of my foot. It felt like walking with a penny in my boot.They seemed to wear a bit much more than they should have, like chunks of the side of the sole were coming offThese were purchased from Moosejaw as well and I sent them back, under a possible warranty issue, so we will see what happens.My second pair I ordered from Mooesejaw and ordered the wide, well they sent me a pair on Narrows in a wide box plus the boots were of the old style of Vasque Breeze GTX Boots not the Vasque Breeze 2.0 GTX Boots, they were sent back and we will see what happens (covered in the 2nd part of the review).I finally found a pair and ordered through Amazon from VasqueI have been wearing them for several weeks in snow, cold and rain. They are much better than the original Breeze boots.Their sizing on the Boot has lettersN=Narrow M=Regular W=Wide, simple huh! Well not really, the order # for a 9 wide is "9 2E US".OK back to the boots I just finished up a camping trip in the Delaware State Forest and temps were as low as 15° and 4" of snow, my feet never got cold nor did they get wet.I plan on getting another pair for everyday use.These boots run a tad small and a tad narrow.If you have regular width feet I would consider the wide. I would also add half a size to length, especially if you plan on wearing thicker socks.Customer service is prompt, I wrote them asking how their shoes were marked and hot a reply in a few days.Letter from VasqueHi,Our medium with would be labeled as a M.The difference between a narrow and medium width is 1/16th of an inch.The difference between a medium and wide width is another 1/16th of an inch.Sincerely,Consumer Relations(800) 733-9464Red Wing Shoes |314 Main Street |Red Wing, MN 550662nd part of review (The review is hard to follow because of limited formatting on amazon, below is a link to my review that makes reading much easier, just copy and past into your browser.[...]This part of the Review is for the place the item was purchased from, Moosejaw. If you do not plan on purchasing from Moosejaw, this part of the review is very long and not necessary, but if you plan on ordering from Moosejaw...read on!One of the hardest things to do is write an unbiased bad review because the person writing the review is basing it on their perception of how the events transpired.I will try and keep this as true to factual as possible.This review is for the seller, not the Manufacturer which in this case is Moosejaw. I did not want to tarnish a quality product with a company that has sub par customer service.First off let me start off by saying Moosejaw is a little bit pricier than other on line retailers this is my personal opinion and I find that acceptable as they have a pretty good selection.Shipping and customer service are great when ordering and they are very accommodating, but buyer beware if you have to send something back.When reading reviews for Moosejaw or any other online retailer, look to see if any are reviews based on returns...DO NOT READ REVIEWS ON THEIR WEBSITE, THEY ARE BIASED.Before I start the review, here are two excerpts from their website.(Taken from website)Moosejaw has the best return policy in the world, according to the owner's mom. We will accept your purchase back at anytime as long as the product is in sellable condition. This excludes underwear, bras, food, climbing gear like a harness and carabiner, gift cards and e-gift certificates, all of which are final sale and cannot be returned.Proof of purchase required for all returns. IF YOU RETURN THE PRODUCT(S) IN UNSELLABLE CONDITION we will ship the product back to you and will NOT PROVIDE YOU WITH A REFUND. Sorry about the all caps thing. It was probably unnecessary.So basically you are at their mercy and YOU need to have 100% trust in them to give your return a fair rating.You will have to pay shipping for the return.(Taken from website)You can either bring your product(s) and your invoice to a Moosejaw shop or you can mail the product(s) back to us and we'll credit your card right away. To mail the product(s) back to us, simply click below to create a new prepaid return label (offer available only to USA customers). The $7.95 will be deducted from your refund upon receipt. UPS takes about 5-7 business days to get your package back to us. We will credit you within 5 business days of receiving your package and email you a receipt confirming the creditOK back to the review FOR Moosejaw,I ordered a pair of Vasques Breeze 2.0 GTX Boots in a wide, I received the boots and the box was marked wide.When I opened the box I noticed that they were last years model not the 2.0.I figured no biggie let me try them on, after trying them on, I decided that they were way too tight and after further inspection I saw that they were marked "N" narrow, so I contacted Moosejaw Vi Chat and asked to send them back, they said no problem.So I packaged everything up including the paperwork and the little shoe inserts and sent them back.But to make sure I was correct on the "N" meaning narrow, I contacted Vasque by email as pointed out earlier in this review.I contacted Moosejaw via chat a week later to check on my refund as I want to order another pair in a wide (they are out of wides) and the boots were not received yet.Here is the Chat transcript:Curious G: Dr. Curious G at your service. How can I help you?ME: Hello, I'm hoping you can help meME: first I'll tell you my storyCurious G: SureME: I purchased a pair of vasques boots 9 regular last year and they were ok for several monts but developed a wierd ripple that became uncomfortable (sent back to you guys to look at)ME: I just ordered a pair of 9 wide and have been wearing them for two daysME: These feel a bit tight to wear my toes, primarily on my left foot are smooshed.ME: I 'm leary of ordering a 9.5 wide because the boot on my right foot feels perfect.ME: any advice?Curious G: That is really your call Richard. You're the one who will be wearing them around and you know what comfort you're going for. And what thinkness socks you prefer.ME: I wear wool socks, slightly thicker tahn cottonCurious G: GotchaME: are the 9.5 wider, I know they are longer but are they slightly wider, as the length does not seem to be the issueCurious G: They should be the same wdith unless indicated as a WIDE showRichard Leyden: so a 9.5 wide is the same width as a 9 wide?Curious G: What is your order #? I can pull it up hereME: ? its not under my account of Richard LeydenME: and paperwork is at home, Im at my officeCurious G: Email used on the order?ME: [email protected]: do they have a boot wider than a regular wide?Curious G: Like on the website I can see there is an option for a size 8 and a size 8 wide.Curious G: As an example.ME: can you tell me wast numbers are for the 9 wide so I can confirm my boots are wides?Curious G: We have no 9 or 9 wide in stock at the moment. Sorry.Curious G: But the order indicated you have a 9 wide.ME: what is the reference # indicating a wide on the boot?Curious G: 490734ME: the boot says 7466N I just want to confirm these are wides because they feel tighter than my last pair that were regular wideME: also says 9NCurious G: I wonder in the N stands for Narrow. The order shows the manufacturer # as 7466WME: THEY SEEM JUST AS WIDE BUT TIGHTER AS MY LAST PAIR OF REGULAR... HOW CAN WE FIND OUTME: SOrry for the dam caps lock lolME: i wasnt yellingCurious G: All good!Curious G: I am not sure without seeing the boots honestly. I do see narrow as an option at the moment but it is possible.ME: : hold on one secondCurious G: okME: you are correct... looks like they sent me a narrow. Boot Width Definitions This is basically how the boot width system translates into plain English: D & R = Standard/Regular width boot E & W = Wide boot EE = Extra wide boot C & N = Narrow bootCurious G: It is unfortunately possible.ME: Im sort of relieved as Now I know its not me going nuts. Now what can we do to fix this?Curious G: At this time we are totally sold out of 9 and 9 wide.ME: ok so what can I do?Curious G: you're welcome to return them for a refund.ME: Thats great, but I also need a boot replacementCurious G: Unfortunately at this time we do not have the inventory to exchange for the same boot.ME: are there any similar options and if not how long will it take to get a wide 9?Curious G: I wish I could pin down an answer for you, but I actually don't have access to that kind of info. It's kind of like a FBI file and, as a doctor, I don't have the special clearance needed to view it. I totally wish I was a spy.Curious G: As soon as new inventory comes in, I do know we get it added to the site pretty quickly, though.Curious G: I'd recommend checking back in a week or two.ME: what should I do with these boots I dont want to wear on them and return?Curious G: I'd return them if they are the wrong fit.Richard Leyden: OK I guess that's my only recourse, will I still be able to get the 99.99 price for these when they become available?Curious G: We can honor that, yesME: ok i guess ill send these back and get some Kmart specials until I can get the right size. What do I need to send these back?Curious G: You can generate a hassle-free return label right here.ME: will do, thanksCurious G: Sure thing Richard!ME: I will check back in two weeks to check, is there a direct website for this manufacturer that you know of?Curious G: Vasque.comME: I will contact them as well to double check on everything, thanks againCurious G: anytime!I had also sent a pair back for their inspection that were older, per their request, I was told it may be covered under a warranty. This pair was sent back about 10 days earlier than the new pair. I wasn't looking for a refund on these and made that clear to Moosejaw, but more or less I was looking for an answer as to why the boot had developed a nasty ripple in the sole by the left side of the foot, it felt like a penny in your shoe.Like I said I wasn't looking for a refund but before I invested another $160.00 I wanted to make sure this wasn't a design problem with these boots.I contacted Moosejaw via chat another week later to check on my refund as I want to order another pair in a wide (they are still out of wides) the boots were received by Moosejaw.I asked about the refund (on the wrong sized boots, not the warranty pair) and was told a refund was issued, so I said where was it issued, I was told it was issued as a store credit, now before I go off on the refund, I wanted to point out that I was never notified in any shape, way or form of the credit, it also does not show up on my account with Moosejaw.I would have been more than happy just having them replace the boots with the correct ones, but at this point, my trust in Moosejaw has been seriously tarnished.After I heard that I was getting a store credit I said NO I want a refund to my credit card because they don't even have the correct size I needed, then I was told that the boots were muddy and could not be resold, (hmmmm where did i hear the same exact thing from before, oh yeah, Backcountry.com) I swear they must say everything is muddy. I said, "this is your problem and you need to fix it" her reply was, "it's out of my hands, please call and talk to a manager".Anyhow after 15 minutes of arguing on the chat I called Moosejaw, same thing argued for 15 minutes and was told they were sent in unacceptable, muddy and worn, I guess I better get the mud out of my living room because that's all them boots saw for two days.So I asked the woman if they could be confusing the warranty pair with the new pair, She said no, I really wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt but they weren't budging and were so adamant that they were correct.Now I know exactly what I sent in but I believe the problem lies in their system where the customer service rep is relying on what another individual has entered into their system.If I was a betting man, I would say that they got the boots mixed up!I don't want to be harsh and call them liars, but I will say that they were not willing to give me the benefit of the doubt.This is a unique case and I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and chalk this up to a little confusion.Still no refund so I contacted them again via chatYou are now chatting with the one, the only, Doctor 'Curious G'Curious G: Dr. Curious G at your service. How can I help you?rich: checking on two refunds for bootsCurious G: order #?rich: no order # and my order does not show up on my account, try my email [email protected] G: I found one order under that account for a pair of boots that was credited on 2/4Curious G: There is also an order through amazon that was credited 2/3rich: yes that was credited to my credit card, there is another pair that were sent in a few weeks prior to that pair under a possible warranty, I spoke to Autumn at customer service at moosejaw and she said both credits would show up this was 2/3rich: where did that amazon credit get applied to?Curious G: Back through amazon.rich: what do you mean back to Amazon?Curious G: It is credited back through your amazon account.rich: my amazon is linked to mt checking and I do not see any credit, could you pleas elaborate?Curious G: Credits are made back through the original form of payment. I see a $99 credit through Amazon.rich: is there any documentation or anything I can use to contact Amazon, because there is no credit showing anywhere?Curious G: I can forward the invoice to yourich: if that shows the refund, please send it so I can contact Amazon, thanksCurious G: I will be to you within 24 hours.rich: are you emailing it to [email protected]?Curious G: yesrich: thank you, you have been a great helpI received the invoice and it does not show where the money went it only saysAmazon, however my Amazon account is linked to my Checking Account, So I'm calling BS on these guys.The folks at Moosejaw have been making me jump through hoops on this refund.The chat sounded odd so I contacted Amazon.AMAZON ChatAmazon:Hello, my name is Apoorv .I'll be glad to help you today.Me:thank youAmazon:May I confirm the order ID, please?Me:xxx-xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxMe:I was told by Moosejaw that I was refunded on 2/3 through Amazon but I don't see it... Is there a lag from Manufacturer Refund to posting the refund.Amazon:I do see that this order is fulfilled by the third party seller so to get a refund issued, we need to contact the seller. I do see that this item is in transit. Do you want to cancel this order?Me:They said it was refunded on 2/3 how can it be in transit, I returned them 2 months ago?? heres a transcript of the chat with Moosejaw a few minutes agoAmazon:Oh Yes, it is for 2013. I am so sorry for the cofusion.Me:Insert chat transcript from moosejaw here (see above)Me:yes i'm completely confused alsoAmazon:Have you returned this item to the seller?Me:yes a few months agoAmazon:Let me contact the seller right away on your behalf.Me:actualy the date was 1/03/14Amazon:They'll have to respond you within 2 business days or we'll file a claim against the seller.Me:well they are telling me I was already credited.Amazon:Have they issued a Promotional credit instead of a refund?Me:Here is the Fedex tracking# for the boots 9612137 0267934 17057054no, it says in the chat transcript that it was credited back to Amazon this was also confirmed via phone call to their customer service.Amazon:Let me contact the seller right away and reprt about this. If the seller do not issue a refund within 2 business days, please feel free to contact us and we'll take care of your issue a get the refund issued.Me:Thankyou, I just want to be done with this, I have been going back and forth with these guys with no luck and sorry to say they lost a customer.Do you need any more info from me?How can I email this chat to myself for future reference?Amazon:I am sending a confirmation email right away. And if the seller do not respond within 2 business days, please feel free to contact us and we'll file a claim against the seller.Me:I had a hard time finding the chat link, is there a direct link I can use?Amazon:I've sent the confirmation email to your inbox, you can go ahead and check your inbox.Me:got it, thanks, I really appreciate the helpAmazon:You're welcome. Is there anything else I can help you with today?I received a letter from Amazon shown below.AMAZON LetterAmazon: Hello,We've been contacted by a customer regarding the order identified below.--------------------Order#: XXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXXItem: Vasque Men's Breeze GTX Waterproof Hiking Boot,Beluga/Gunmetal,9 MReason: Returns and RefundsME: Details: I was told by Moosejaw that I was refunded on 2/3 through Amazon but I dont see it... Is there a lag from Manufacturer Refund to posting the refund.They said it was refunded on 2/3Two days after I contacted Amazon the refund was credited to my bank.Will I ever order from Moosejaw again... absolutely not, there are way too many other options and I learn quick.Will I ever suggest Moosejaw to another person... absolutely not!One of the main reasons I would never shop Moosejaw is that they sent an out dated boot in a new box, the boots inside were not only the older version but they were also a narrow and as you can see by the box they are marked Breeze 2.0 at a wide size, I wish I had taken a pic of the actual boots.So eitherA) They have a very poor Quality control.orB) They knew exactly what they are doing and are unscrupulous (I hate to think this is true)Putting the "refund issue" and "unacceptable for resale" issues aside, I think either of the reasons A or B mentioned above, are enough for me to not buy from Moosejaw!ReferencesHere's a review I found on line with a similar issue!8/16/2013Ordered a pair of Keens from their website. When they arrived it was clear that they sent me an older version of the boot. On their website, they falsely advertised the boot showing pictures of the newest version. Upon further investigation I discovered that the SKU number and model number on my receipt did not match the numbers on my order order confirmation or on the website.When I contacted Moosejaw about this issue, they did not own up to the claim and tried to give me the run-around. Though, eventually they gave me a full refund.Still unsure, don't take my word for it, read some of these reviewsHereHereHere

These boots are awesome. I have a pair for daily use (castlerock color), and I have a pair for hiking (slate brown color).The daily use boots are holding up well. The only significant wear is at the strike point of the heel. Considering most of my walking is on concrete or asphalt, the wear is about what I would expect at close to two years old. The rest of the boot is in excellent condition. None of the stitching is coming apart, and the leather still looks great even though it has gotten wet a few times. That said, there is one side note on the castlerock color. It initially had a purely gray tone, but over time it seems to have garnered a bit of an olive hue. I don't mind, but it might matter to some.The hiking boots are great. I have hiked many miles in them, including a 17 miler into and out of the Grand Canyon. My feet were never an issue all day. The boots provided confident footing during my GC hike in spite of intermittent rain throughout. My feet also remained mostly dry and warm. In spite of mud and dust accumulating on the boots at various times while hiking, I have never thoroughly cleaned these boots except for the tread. Instead I have allowed other wet days and conditions to clean them, and they still look great.By way of size, I take an 11 in sneakers that do not offer wide. I take a 10-10.5 when wide is an option. For these boots I went with a 10.5 to allow more room for thicker hiking socks. I can even wear my ASO ankle brace with them should I need to.I also replaced the original insole with a higher performance insole, but I do this with every show I own.

Great all around boot.This is the second pair of this boot I have owned. My first pair was purchased at a Red Wing shoe store. I had used the first pair for several years before the soles began to crack and allow moisture to seep in, and I needed a larger size;They are great for me when worn in temperatures between 30f and 70f.I found that they were not good on hard wet surfaces though.Very slippery on smooth concrete and steel dock plates and determined they were not safe to wear in a warehousing and loading dock environment..But they are not meant to be a work boot, with no toe protection and not of leather construction. Have had a few close calls and discontinued using at work.During the colder temps wet climate of fall and spring. I found them to be equally slippery on outdoor wet wood surfaces such as a boat dock, fishing pier or the wood deck at home.I found them to be very comfortable and warm, keeping my feet dry and sweat free.They were great for walking nature trails and just about every other condition including sidewalks and driveways. Ice is always slippery no matter what boot I use.Because of the durability and longevity of my first pair I decided to purchase a second and I am not sorry I did.They are well made and very light in weight with good ankle protection and comfort.