Oboz Ousel Mid Waterproof Boots

Oboz – True to the Trail

Devan Michael

 

This past weekend, Oboz lived up to the test and continued to help strengthen my love of this brand! As you can see below, I am rocking the Oboz Women’s Ousel Mid Waterproof hiking boots, in a Women’s Size 9, with “Cndr Stone” coloring. Similar to running shoes, I’d recommend sizing up a half size in order to ensure you have space for your foot to move around, accommodate thicker hiking socks for various temperatures, and allow your toes the space they need to move your body that extra mile (or more…). 

 

*Pro Tip: Although they run true to size, I, like Oboz, recommend going to your local adventure store or REI to try on a pair to ensure you have the wiggle room needed to keep your toes happy and heart out in nature!

 

Oboz uses a gender-specific fit methodology that addresses the anatomical nuances between different types of feet. These Ousel’s have a form hugging heel cup, sculpted mid-foot and a generous forefoot & toe box to accommodate those (like me) who have a wider, higher arch foot. The Ousel’s are also made with abrasion-resistant, breathable mesh, a coated leather toe & heel cap, Buttersoft LWG-gold-certified nubuck leather and sport a B-DRY Waterproof membrane to keep your feel nice and protected no matter the trail conditions! And I will say, 10/10 recommend!

 

“While built for day hikes & mellow backpacking trips, the waterproof Ousel Mid is as at home on those trails just out your front door. While most SUVs never see mud – and we’re OK if your Ousel’s don’t either – these mids will make you much happier if they do…” – Oboz

 

As we spent a much-needed girls weekend exploring Telluride & Ouray CO, I did what every hiker should not do – head out for a full weekend of hiking in the backcountry with brand new out-of-the-box boots! Although I do not normally recommend this approach, I had (embarrassingly) done this one other time with one other pair of boots – and those were also Oboz. And after 15+ miles with over 6K+ of elevation gain across two days, I am proud to say my feet felt great, no blisters were formed, and they passed the trail test of rocky terrain, beautiful mountain meadows, alpine lakes, and exposed, slippery rock face. 

 

Before we jump into the technical specs that stuck out to me while putting these boots to use in the mountains, it would be a disservice to Oboz if I did not take a moment to share their story.

 

Oboz was founded in Boseman, MT, thanks to the 18-million acres of “laboratory” that exists in the Greater Yellowstone territory right outside their front doorstep. Oboz believes in the transformative powers of nature, that people & companies can leave the world better than we found it. Oboz believes their footwear can do this, as they are oriented around staying true to the trails!

Since the very first pair was created in 2007, Oboz has planted a tree for every pair of footwear sold (and over 5 Million trees have been planted to date)! It is because of this passion for the planet and the people upon it, Oboz taps into a benefit mindset across the entire business (and contributes to their B-Corp Certification!). Oboz is always exploring (and acting on) ways to better the environment, nurture their communities, empower their people and prepare you, the customer, for amazing adventures ahead. Curious about some of their impact work? Check out their Commitments page here. 

With the mission-driven mindset top of mind, let’s get back to the review. Here were some things that stuck out most to me about the Oboz Ousel Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots:

 

1. 1. Highly Durable at a Light Weight – Weighing in at 14.1oz, the Ousel’s were easy to pack for our camping trip, but did not skimp on stability. The Ouray & Telluride trails were scattered with jagged rocks, slippery roots, and alternated between gravel, sand, rock, and forest floor all within a few steps. Add in the mid-height support, my ankles have never felt more secure. And with that variety in terrain, I felt solid and sturdy in my Ousels. And this came in handy as we were on trails with little margin for error!  

• Thoughtful Designs Made For One Less Stress On the Declines – The well-thought-out design of these Ousels allowed for a wider toe box, which gave my toes breathing room as we descended some 60%+ incline stretches across our hiking. I will not lie, scaling up some of these trails made me slightly nervous on how the heck we would get down (given the combination of rain, loose rock, and steep grades), but I am proud to say I did not fall once & had confidence in Oboz’s treads after the first few steps back down the mountain! 

• B-DRY Waterproof Membrane Works! – The Ousel’s did not disappoint with their B-DRY Waterproof Membrane. Due to the summer rain, the “creeks” were a little deeper than expected, so instead of having to figure out how to sidestep or rock-hop across the water crossings, I could confidently stride right on through the water, without my socks getting wet! The only word of caution is the Ousel’s Mid Waterproof boots were extremely waterproof (until I accidentally stumbled into a deeper-than-it-looked part of the stream, so the only water that did get in was from the top after full submersion. However, the rest of my foot was kept dry, and the wet part did dry up within 5 minutes). 

 

In short, the Oboz Women’s Ousel Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots have my approval and will be my new go-to trail shoe as we head into the fall & winter months ahead. And although these are my new favorites, I have had nothing but incredible experiences with Oboz to date. So if you are in the market for new shoes to unleash your wild side on the trails, check out Oboz, get a great, reliable pair of shoes, and plant a tree all in one purchase! With that, happy adventuring! 

Devan Michael

Growing up in Massachusetts, Devan has been an athlete all her life. Starting at the age of 4 as a competitive gymnast, she learned quickly the joy that comes from hard work, determination, and a jammed packed schedule. Eventually, gymnastics led to competitive lacrosse, which resulted in her growing some wings and going to the PNW to pursue a DI College Lacrosse opportunity at the University of Oregon. 

 

On the single off-day each week, she quickly learned to see Mother Earth as her playground and wanted to use every second of free time to find chase AOTDs (Adventures of the Days). These AOTDs were the inspiration for her blog Dabbling in Traveling & youtube channel. 

 

From waterfalls, to snow covered mountains, to sand dune hikes – one thing was certain, something always went awry on these AOTDs. But hey, memories were always made! Not only was UO an incredible college experience, Oregon sparked her love for the outdoors & traveling across the country for games helped introduce her to Colorado in 2014. Staring up at the Flatirons on CU Boulder’s campus, she knew one day she would call Colorado home! 

 

After returning to the east coast upon graduation, Devan’s heart never stopped longing to live in Colorado one day. But luckily the pandemic brought a newfound acceptance for remote work and in Nov. 2021 her dream came true!

 

By day, Devan is a Product Manager at Capital One. By afternoon, she is a personal trainer, coaching group Crossfit classes at Axistence Athletics (the best Adventure gym you will ever find!). By evening, she pours her heart into nonprofit work, specifically focused on driving sustainable change in Haiti through the Brace for Impact 46 organization (Fun fact – she has been traveling to Haiti since 2015, accumulating 7 trips and 7 months of living down there!). 

 

Brace for Impact works in Northern Haiti to provide sustainable, multifaceted approaches to support child development, education, medical care, job development, and implementation of clean water & sanitation across the community, which touches 40,000 people each day! (Want to learn more? Check out their website www.braceforimpact46.com )

 

As her friends would tell you (despite trying) Devan does not slow down and is always trying to fit AOTDs into each open moment. Whether it be hiking, paddleboarding, road-biking, running, Crossfitting, weight-lifting, snowboarding or simply exploring different parts of CO with her favorite furry friend Bailey, it’s safe to say Devan has found her “Home” here in Colorado!

 

Fun fact – Devan had reconstructive hip surgery in 2016 (actually called a Periacetabular Osteotomy… but that’s a tongue twister), where doctors said she may never run or walk again. After a 22 month re