Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Bora Mid GTX®

These boots are so different. I was really excited to try these boots because Arcteryx is a great brand, the boots were very lightweight, and I was intrigued by the modular concept with the inserts. My intent was to use them for backpacking and hunting with up to a 70lb pack for 3-5 days. I was also interested in using them as day hikers between 8-25 miles over rough terrain. When I pulled them out of the box my first reaction was that they looked very cool and very "Arcteryxy" and I said a silent prayer that they would fit well because they were so light compared to other stuff I was trying on (Scarpa Kinesis & SL Activ & Lowa Tibet GTX). I slid my foot my foot into the neoprene-like bootie and my sock got a little bunched up and it felt a little tight and awkward going through the cuff -- I had a flash forward moment to stepping out of my tent on a cold morning and trying to get into these boots and having a hard time because they were sort of frozen (like boots tend to get in the mountains when left in the vestibule of the tent). Anyway, I tried putting the boots on and off a few times and I got better at it each time. After 3-4 times of simply putting them on, they felt really good. Still, it was weird to have to practice putting them on a few times. Next I laced them up -- just like I do my Hanwag Alaska GTX boots I'm replacing. What I found is that these boots require quite a bit more thought when lacing because the laminate material doesn't really give or stretch. This means it is easy to get a tight spot on one where one of the laces criss cross. Again, with some practice and different lacing techniques I was able to get it so they felt pretty good. Between lacing sessions i walked them up and down a flight of stairs. I found them to have some weird laminate bending-folding thing going on near the joint of where my big toe joins my foot. This made me nervous. I'd heard you could remove the bootie liner, but I couldn't do it. It sure felt glued in there to me. i was also a little nervous about the amount of dirt and crud that might get between the bootie and the exterior shell. The best feature of the boot is the foot bed. It produced the best feel I've ever had on a boot -- by a long shot. It literally cradled my foot and I could envision myself going miles and miles in it. Interestingly I found it very stable as far as side-to-side and torsional analysis, but not very stiff from the ball of the foot forward. It was like it had a 3/4 rand and it needed a full rand or a full rand with a bit of flex around the toe. I actually thought a different flex would have solved the kinking sensation with the laminate so many others have described. I think these would be good for backpacking with less than 30 lbs, but I wouldn't trust them to more than that right now. I would trust them for side hilling off trail -- I think they would provide a good "bite." The rubber on the soles seemed superior in terms of grip and comfort. I did wonder how long it would last. In the end, I'm sending these back. I think Arcteryx is going to get these figured out. These boots have a lot of promise.