These light-yet-sturdy walking boots from US brand Oboz come in a choice of widths. If you've ever struggled to find boots that fit, and particularly if you have wider feet, then they're well worth a look, says Toby Archer.

Oboz is a relatively new brand to us at UKC/UKH, but well established with hikers and backpackers in their native United States. The name is a portmanteau of "Outdoor" and "Bozeman", the outdoorsy Montana town that is their home, and birthplace of climbers Alex Lowe and Conrad Anker. So we guess you say the company name as if (for Brits at least) it was written as "Oboze", rhyming with "chose" and "snows". 

One of their sturdier offerings, the Bridger Mid is a hiking boot made of nubuck leather and designed for longer day hikes and backpacking.

In use

I've found them to be comfortable out of the box for day hikes. Although I haven't had a chance to take them on any overnight or longer trips so far (blame the weather), I have used them plenty for walks and approaches to climbs in the muddy, wet, and even snowy autumn Peak District, and found them basically perfect for this sort of moorland and country walking.

They are waterproof, comfortable, and have a deeply lugged sole which grips well on mud and grass. They'd be good year-round, with the exception of full-on winter mountain walking since they're not crampon-compatible or supportive enough.

Weight

My UK 7.5/EU 41.5 pair weighs 1186g, which really isn't much for leather footwear. Oboz say 538g per boot (1076g for a pair), and although they don't say what size that is based on, we do think these boots are pleasantly light to wear for the protection they give.

Sole

The sole works as well as I would expect any hiking boot to on wet and greasy rock. Oboz have used their own branded outsoles - the model on the Bridger is called Granite Peak - rather than going for the ubiquitous Vibram, and their sole unit works well.

The boots also have a "TPU chassis" that stiffens them torsionally and protects against feeling sharp rocks through the sole.

Upper

Instead of the dominant Gore-Tex Oboz use their own proprietary liner called B-Dry. In use this seems to work as well as any waterproof lining. The nubuck outer is suitably sturdy, and features reinforcing rubber toe and heel caps. Overall the boots feel more protective and supportive than you might expect for their relatively low weight.

Fit

They come with Oboz's own "O-Fit" footbeds, a considerably more structured footbed than normal floppy bits of foam. I've found the insoles are great. The heel cup on the O-Fit isn't quite as structured and firm as after-market insoles like Superfeet, but Superfeet cost a lot to buy separately, whilst Oboz are giving you an insole with the boots that is closer to an after-market one than it is to the normal disposable type.

As nice as the Bridger Mids are, they are hardly unique in the market with the characteristics of being light, supportive, grippy and waterproof. But what does really make them stand out is the range of fits that Oboz make them in. The Bridger Mid comes in both men's and women's versions, and each are available in either regular or wide fitting. Now you don't get that with every boot brand!

The regular mens are made in size UK 6 to 14 while the wide fit is available from UK 6 to 13. The women's version is also made in both wide and regular, from size 5 to 12 - presumably US women's sizes although Oboz's website isn't completely clear on that.

The wide fit doesn't offer just a greater width, but a higher volume overall. I have very high insteps and have problems with many boots and shoes pushing down uncomfortably on the top of my feet; but no such concerns with the Bridgers.

Over many years, particularly with Italian made boots, I've generally gone for size 42/UK 8, to ensure I have the space across the boot for my hobbit-like wide feet. With the Bridgers I thought I would try the wide fit and ordered size 41.5/UK 7.5; what a revelation - they have a comfortably roomy fit, not just in terms of width but an absence of pressure on top of my feet and without the excessive space in front of my toes to which I have become accustomed. The Bridgers are roomy enough that I have been choosing to wear them with heavier loop-stitch hiking socks, which in cool to cold muddy, wet and even snowy autumnal test conditions, has been great.

If I'd had an opportunity to try some different sizes on, I would have tried a 41/UK 7 in the wide fit, as I suspect they would be great for my feet with thinner technical socks that I tend to use more for hiking in summer conditions.

Ethics and environment

Although Oboz don't say much about sustainability on individual product pages, clearly it is a very important part of the company's overall mission. Firstly they are registered as a B Corp, meeting standards set by an independent third-party non-profit organization in the fields of "social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability".  Additionally, since their founding in 2007, they have planted a tree for every pair of shoes or boots sold - over 6 million to date: for details see their UN-recognised planting partner, Trees For The Future. 

Summary

These are nice leather boots with a good balance of sturdiness and reasonably low weight. But it's the different width fittings that we think make them particularly worthy of note. If your feet are wider or higher volume than most, if you've had issues finding well-fitting footwear in the past, and if you want a midweight hiking boot for use in all UK mountain and moor conditions - with the exception of full winter/crampon use - then the Oboz Bridger Mid should definitely be on your list to try on.