- Weight: 445.1 grams (size 7.5 one shoe).
- Sizes: men 6-12, women 3.5-8.5
- Price: € 179.95
The Asolo Falcon GV is a half-high hiking boot with a low weight and it is waterproof thanks to a Gore-Tex lining. Watch the video or read the review!
Weight an materials
The Asolo Falcon GV are half-high hiking boots and made from a combination of 1.6-1.8 mm thick suede leather and robust Cordura nylon. On the inside the Falcon has a liner of breathable and waterproof Gore-Tex. The boots are fitted with a Vibram Megagrip sole. The boots are light in weight. On my precision scale I weighted 445.1 grams in size 7.5 per shoe. Asolo claims a weight of 490 grams in a size 8. So that is spot on!
Fit
Asolo is an Italian brand and Italians are known to make shoes with a narrow fit. In this case the boots have a fairly narrow to regular fit and that makes them suitable for narrow to normal feet. It does not matter with these boots whether you have a somewhat low or higher instep. There is also a women’s version of the shoe where the heel is slightly narrower than with the men’s version. The women’s version is called Asolo Falcon GV but with a W in the end.
Putting on
Putting on the Asolo Falcon GV goes pretty smoothly. The shaft can be folded open fairly wide. Still, I get a bit of a ‘snug-fit’ feeling when I push my foot through the shaft. There is a loop on the back of the shaft; handy for putting on and also to hang your boots on your backpack with a carabiner if, for example, you have hut slippers on to walk to the room.
Eyelets
Five of the six eyelets – on both sides of course – are made of metal. Only the eyelet on the transition from the forefoot to the shaft is made of nylon. Nylon or metal, both are equally robust. The laces glide smoothly through the eyelets and tying is excellent. The laces themselves are fairly thin and that is sometimes unpleasant when putting on the laces, but that is not the case here. The laces do require a double knot. If you do not do this, I have noticed that they often get loose.
Construction
You can deduce it a bit from the weight: the Asolo Falcon GV are not heavy-duty mountain boots. The boots are pretty flexible. The mid-high shaft offers reasonable support to the ankles. Fine for normal walks. If you want to walk challenging technical routes with a backpack for multi-day trips, then your legs and feet must be able to absorb this flexibility.
The sole has a nice light banana shape and the heel is rounded. The sole is quite torsionally stiff. Actually more than I would expect given the upper. The bending point of the sole is exactly where it belongs: under the forefoot. All this ensures a great rolling walk. The counterfort is sturdy, creating an excellent heel fixation. This also minimizes the chance of blisters. I haven’t had them anyway.
Vibram Megagrip sole
As mentioned, there is a Vibram Megagrip sole under the Falcon. The sole is welded to the shoe but can be replaced if it is worn out. The sole protects the upper of the shoe very well. At the nose the shoe has extra protection thanks to the ‘plastic’ nose cap. The sole usually offers good grip on wet and dry surfaces. What I really noticed is the fact that the Vibram Megagrip sole hardly holds any stones and I also walked out the mud quickly. On descending paths with many small loose pebbles, the heel could have a slightly stronger wedge shape. This wedge prevents slipping or sliding.
Cushioning
The Asolo Falcon GV has a removable insole that is comfortable to walk on. Under the heel and center of the foot, this insole has a layer of foam for extra cushioning. The sole also absorbs excess sweat reasonably well. Between the insole and the outer layer of the Vibram Megagrip sole is a layer of EVA, a cushioning material. I feel it is doing a good job at dampening shocks.
In practice
I have tested the boots for more than half a year. In the flat Netherlands, but certainly also in various places in the Alps and Scandinavia. They are ideal for daily walks with a small backpack, but also for not too technical hut tours with a backpack that is between 8-10 kg and therefore not too heavy. After that half year they have turned out to be pretty robust except for the gray rubber decoration on either side of the shoe. After some climbing over rocks, they soon fell off. This does not make the boots less good, only less beautiful. I liked the flexibility of the shoe and certainly the ‘snug-fit’ fit and the wonderfully soft padding of the shaft.
Waterproof and breathable
In practice, the boots have proved to be waterproof. Not only when walking in the rain but also at river embankments. Although you should not imagine too much of that because the height of the waterproof Gore-Tex layer is only 10.5 cm. And now that I am talking about Gore-Tex… This waterproof and breathable material performed best at not too high temperatures. At about 17 degrees or more I got some problems with sweaty feet. Because the materials of the upper are thin, you will not easily be bothered by warm feet. You should rather be careful with lower temperatures.
Conclusion
The Asolo Falcon GV are half-high and light hiking boots for not too technical walks with a not too big and heavy backpack. Think of the Alps in the low and middle mountains. If you are an experienced hiker than you can use them in to more adventures trips too. But they also do well on daily walks with the dog. The boots are waterproof and breathable if it does not get too hot. A pity is the wear of the decorative rubber on the sides, but that is also the only real downside I can mention and therefore I rate the Asolo Falcon GV at a sweet 8.8 out of 10 points.
Information
- Mens: www.asolo.com
- Woman: www.asolo.com
