Asolo Hiking Boot Review - The Drifter GV Evo

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Asolo Hiking Boots Review

Looking for a boot that will keep up with you on the trail?

Wear the Asolo Drifter GV Evo Boot on your next day hike or backpacking trip and step into Asolo’s thoughtful design and tough willingness to take you where you want to go.

The Asolo Drifter’s full-grain leather exterior weathers scrapes and bumps, while their Gore-Tex lining keeps out rain and mud. The Vibram rubber soles boast treads made to grip the trail over and through rocks, roots, steep boulders and streams. Your feet will remain stable and sure for each twist and turn you encounter on the trail.

Asolo Drifter GV Evo Boot

Here we break down what we like about the Asolo Drifter GV Evo Hiking Boot, as well as what we don’t. The women’s version of the boot was tested on a moderate rocky hiking trail six miles long, following two shorter walks in the two days previous.

Quick Specs

Upper Material Full-grain leather

Waterproofing Gore-Tex

Closure Lace

Colors Grapeade/Stone (pictured above) or Donkey/English Ivy

Midsole Triple Power Structure, aka polyurethane

Sole Vibram

Shaft Height 6 inches

Claimed Weight 4lb 2oz [women’s pair]

Recommended Use Hiking and backpacking

Manufacturer Warranty 2 years

Company Family owned and based in Italy with production sites all over Europe

How Comfortable are Asolo Hiking Boots?

Comfort is defined as a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint - important when you’re breaking in new hiking boots!

This is my second pair of Asolo hiking boots. My first pair finally wore out after nine years! They’ve been used excessively these past four years since we moved to Colorado.

With the Asolo Drifter GV Evo Boot, I broke them in with three to four mile walks in my neighborhood the first few days. No hot spots, no blisters. (Rub your hands together quickly as if you’re warming them up — that’s what a hot spot feels like.)

On day four, I hiked six miles in the Asolo Drifters boots on a longer, there-and-back trail of moderate difficulty. My heels rubbed a bit in the last half mile of climbing up, before turning around to descend. Going back down was great. It may be that I had my foot laced in too tight around my ankle. Moleskin was my friend coming back down that day.

Love the padded collar for comfort on ascent and descent, as well as during twists and turns. Also, for high arches like mine, these feel great compared to many other shoes I’ve tried. The laces are easy to adjust while on the go.

Weight

The Asolo Drifter GV Evo hiking boots for women weigh in at 4 lbs, 2 oz. For this hard-core boot, that’s not too shabby.

These Asolo hiking boots are made with moderate or long, hard hikes in mind. They are also made for backpacking across the Rockies for a week at a time or longer. Asolo hiking boots are made for keeping you on the trail for as long as you like.

Remember, these won’t be strapped to your backpack — your Chacos, Birks, or Crocs can come out of your backpack after a long day on the trail.

Stability

Asolo hiking boots are designed to help you feel strong and steady as you tackle every kind of terrain.

In technical terms, the Asolo Drifter’s TPS midsole drives and pushes you forward with every step, while the Asoflex supports help stabilize and protect the foot.

Toe and Ankle Support

First off, love how the hard, un-moving rubber toe has protected me many times while hiking up boulders and hiking through rocky streams.

Also, the Asolo Drifters boast amazing ankle support.

I have never twisted an ankle while hiking in Asolo hiking boots. I’ve completed four week long backpacking trips and Asolo hiking boots have always protected my ankles and kept me going strong.

Asolo Vibram Sole and Traction

Long a fan of any outdoor shoe with a Vibram sole, the Asolo Drifter’s outsoles feature self cleaning lugs that grip changing terrain much like a tire hugs the road.

To test its sole and traction, I hiked up large boulders, up and down through skree, and crossed large creeks.

I never once slipped nor doubted having firm, strong steps with the Asolo Drifters.

Waterproofing and Breathability

The Waterproof Gore-Tex lining in these boots allow your feet to breathe and stay dry year-round, no matter the season.

I fully submerged my feet up to my ankle bone and not one drop of water invaded the inside of these Asolo Drifter hiking boots.

Pair these boots with Outdoor Research Gaiters (link) and trod through the wettest, soggiest trails without once worrying about wet feet. Smartwool Light Hiking PhD socks (LINK), will wick away sweat and keep your feet warm and odor-free.

Durability

The Asolo Drifter GV Evo is a very durable hiking boot sporting water-resistant, full-grain leather and high tenacity nylon giving it breathability and water protection.

A favorite feature, the rubber toe cap protects against accidental stubbing.

The Asolo Drifter also has a gusseted tongue for extra reinforcement, also helping to keep out water and debris.

Asolo Sizing and Overall Fit

First off, I ended up finding my Asolos online because I couldn’t find this hiking boot locally.

I ended up trying four different sizes through Backcountry.com! Their super timely and helpful real person online chat help got me the boots in time to break them in for my next big hike. Backcountry has fabulous customer service, quick online chat help, and great prices.

The Asolo Drifter GV Evo Boot now runs a little big in my experience. Let me explain…

My 9 year old pair of Asolos were a women’s size 8.5 but on longer hikes I sometimes wished they were a bit bigger to allow for swelling feet. So I ordered size 9 and 8.5 in the Drifter and they were surprisingly both too big. Size 8 ended up being the winner! I typically wear EUR 39, which is now comparable to Asolo’s women’s size 8. I should have paid attention to the EUR size number to help decide which size to try in the beginning.

My feet are on the skinnier side. If your feet also lean toward narrow-fitting shoe brands (ie. Nike), Asolos may be an excellent fit for you!

How well do Asolo hiking boots break in?

We* have always been blessed with how comfortable Asolo hiking boots are out of the box. Many other hiking boots feel stiff until you get a chance to break them in over several wears, but the Asolos break in quickly and feel good around the block on day one.

We recommend a few short hikes to get your lacing fit set where you like it before you set out on longer, harder hikes.

*Between my husband and two teenagers, we’ve owned six pairs of Asolo boots so far.

What we like and what we don’t

What to like about Asolo Hiking Boots

These Asolo hiking boots will last a long time. Period.

The Asolo Drifter GV Evos boast top-notch construction and there’s hardly any need to break them in before you hit the trail. They are made to keep going for the long haul.

The cordura upper construction and hard rubber toe is abrasion and stubbing resistant, both lengthening the life of the boot.

Waterproof and breathable, you can trudge through streams and snow and stay warm and dry. The Vibram sole and design is made to help you endure long hikes and days of backpacking.

Simply, you will love these boots and the way they love your feet.

What’s hard to like:

These Asolo Drifters are pricey, but since my last pair lasted 9 years, I’m willing to shell out the dough.

As I type, the price stands at $294.95. This may be a lot to swallow at first, but you could very well get five plus years out of them — this is economical compared to buying a new pair of hiking boots every year or two! Bless yourself for Christmas or your birthday — your feet will thank you.

It may be hard to find these hiking boots in a local store. Compare prices at these online outdoor adventure stores known to offer good discounts on Asolo hiking boots:

Comparable hiking boots to ASolo DRifter

You may also want to try:

• Asolo Stynger Gore-Tex Hiking Boot

• Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid GTX Backpacking Boot

• Scarpa Zodiac Tech GTX Mountaineering Boot

• Zamberlan Amelia GTX RR Backpacking Boot

Men’s version of Asolo Drifter GV Evo Boot

We tested the women’s version of this boot. Here is the men’s version of the Asolo Drifter GV Evo hiking boot.

The men’s version of the Asolo Drifter boasts all the same great qualities of the women’s version at the same price.

Switchback Travel offers an excellent review of the lightweight Asolo Falcon GV Men’s hiking boot.

Happy Feet, Happy Hiking

In a nutshell, there are many reasons to be happy with the new Asolo Drifter GV Evo Hiking Boots.

My old Asolo hiking boots trekked through many national parks, up Yosemite’s Mist Trail, and ten miles down to Havasupai Falls and back — check out all of those trips completed with kids and teens!

Feel free to reach out and ask any questions. Happy Trails!