Giving full protection and stability on challenging terrain, the Oboz Women’s Bridger Mid BDry
is a great trail shoe when you are carrying a heavy backpack for long days on the trail.
Despite its full leather construction and the mid height of this boot, it weighs in
at a pretty low weight compared to how much stability it provides.
With this full leather upper, you have complete waterproof protection from Oboz proprietary
waterproofing called BDry.
There is a few things to know about BDry.
You do have a full seam sealed bootie that is sewn into the shoe.
So you have full waterproof protection there.
It does come up most of the way up the gusseted tongue here, so you have water proof protection
pretty high on this boot.
And it is also breathable.
So while it is waterproof, as you are moving and as your feet begin to sweat it is going
to breathe and it is going to let warm air escape and it is going to keep that water
out of the shoe.
So even on the outside on the materials on the outside of this shoe, they are hydrophobic
materials.
So they are treated to resist water.
So water is not even going to get into those materials on the outside of the shoe.
So that offers a lot of protection and that also keeps the weight down of the shoes.
It is not going to take on water.
Along with the durable leather on the upper part of the shoe, you have got a really protective
toe cap up here.
Oboz shoes are a little bit wider in the toe box.
That allows your toes to splay.
But this toe box here gives you a lot of protection against rocks.
And then also moving to the back you have got a really durable heel counter as well.
So as you break in this book, as you wear it for months on the trail, this heel counter
is going to stay really stable.
It is not going to break down.
And it is going to help your heel stay where it needs to be.
So that is going to cut down on blisters and that sort of thing so your heel is not going
to be moving around on the inside of your shoe.
You have a mixture of fabric and metal eyelets here.
So you have got two metal eyelets in the mid part of the shoe and one really durable metal
eyelet on top so you can really cinch that down.
And Oboz is using a material here that is really going to pull your heel into the heel
of the boot.
So, again, cutting down on blisters and providing a really secure fit.
Something I really appreciate about Oboz insoles is that they are using really high quality
insoles in all of their shoes.
In the Bridger series of shoes they are using their BFit high quality insoles.
And a couple of things about this.
You have really rigid support here on your arch and on the heel of your foot.
Those are the places that after a long day on the trail your arch and your heel start
to get really tired.
And this is going to offer a lot of rigid support there.
Underneath you can see there is some EVA foam and that offers cushioning on your forefoot
and also under your heel so it keeps you comfortable.
And it is also perforated.
So that offers a lot of breathability.
There is mesh material on the top so that is going to wick away sweat.
So these are really great insoles compared to what I have seen on other back packing
and hiking shoes.
They are removable, so if you do have custom fit orthotics that you need to use with these
boots, you can take these out and replace them with your own.
But unlike a lot of after market insoles that you can buy to put in shoes, you don’t have
to cut these or alter them in any way.
They are custom fit for the inside of the boot.
So this really adds a lot of value to this boot.
The midsole is the part of the shoe that offers cushioning, but also protects your foot from
rocks and offers the stability that you need for long days on the trail.
With the midsole here you have a couple of different materials.
You have very durable EVA dual density foam.
And so that offers cushioning and that also has a lot of durability.
It is not going to wear out really quickly.
You also have a TPU chassis here in the shoe and that is going to protect against sharp
rocks.
If your shoe or your foot is on uneven terrain, that is going to offer a lot of stability.
So you are going to be able to hike for long miles and this offers a lot of protection
under the weight of a heavy back pack.
Moving down to the outsole, you have really sticky rubber here.
So you have traction on different types of terrain, on rocks, on mud, on dirt.
And it is really intense traction here.
The lugs are oversized.
They are big lugs.
So they are self cleaning.
If you get mud and that kind of thing stuck in them, they are going to self clean and
keep you more secure on the trail.
And I want to mention something interesting about Oboz shoes is that the midsole and the
outsole come up and wrap into the upper part of the shoe.
So when you are on uneven terrain you still have traction up along the shoe on the sides.
It comes up over the back of the shoe, over the heel of the shoe and even on the toe.
So that kind of wraps the shoe and gives you a lot of protection and a lot of stability.
Overall the Women’s Bridger Mid BDry has a lot of features that you need under the
heavy weight of a pack.
You have got the high quality insoles, the BDry that is going to keep your feet comfortable
and dry.
And these are just a great all around back packing boot.