r/hiking • u/Logical_Wind_4011 • 9d ago
Question Are Zamberlan Boots Overkill for Federation Peak in Tas.
Been eyeing some Zamberlan 1996 Vioz Lux GORE-TEX® RR hiking boots, long lasting, stylish, heavy, expensive, still get wet feet anyway, everyone seems to use trail runners half the price these days, I've gone up mt ossa in a bit of snow in my non Gortex Asics gel Sonoma 8, from the side trail, and while I probably needed waterproof socks, they were fine, until I went through too much scree a few hikes later, but then get some patches I guess.
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u/legato2 9d ago
I’m a big fan of the vioz. I’ve had several pair and they’re my primary hiking boots no ground feel with the big plastic plate, but have great grip and stability. I don’t get wet feet if I use gaiters or if there’s no tall wet grass etc. they are heavy and if you’re not a fan of a big heavy boot you may not like them.
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u/fenella_godolphin 9d ago
I have not walked Federation Peak, so I will not tell you the line.
The bit in your note that matters is the scree that finished the Asics, not the snow on Ossa. A Vioz is a lot of boot for a dry track day, and it is heavy in the way you already think. It is not a lot of boot for a long muddy walk that ends on rock, which is the shape of that one. The sole and the ankle are what let you down last time.
If you already trust your feet on wet rock and the window is clear, the trail runners with a proper patch are enough, and you will hate the Vioz by the second day. If you do not trust that, the heavy boot is the boring correct answer. "Everyone is in trail runners" is mostly people on maintained trails.
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u/AdmiralStryker 9d ago
Yup. Tried trail runners off trail on scree in the Tetons last weekend… not a great time. But a helluva lot more comfortable than my boots.
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u/fenella_godolphin 5d ago
That tracks. Runners lose on scree and win on everything else, which is why people keep arguing. Wet rock, boots. Dry window, I would still take the runners and just go slower on the loose stuff.
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u/duckers06 7d ago
I can’t speak to that specific location but I’ve been happy with my pair of Vioz. I prefer a sturdier, more supportive boot. I have rolled both ankles before skateboarding (one of which I was in a boot for awhile) so ankle support is important to me. As another mentioned, they don’t have much ground feel. They remind me of Dansko footbeds from back when I worked on my feet. Just don’t expect a cushy experience. They’re a firmer footbed though once broken in, I found them very comfortable and supportive. They’re definitely not for everyone but I’ve been happy with the purchase.
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u/Jean-Jacques_Oldman 4d ago
I'm 5+ years into my 2nd pair of Zamberlan Vioz. I love them so much that I wouldn't replace them with anything but a new pair.
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u/Ok-Mathematician8461 9d ago
Eastern Arthur’s is a hard and technical walk and Fed is a genuine rock climb. Personally, I think trail runners are bullshit for this sort of walking. For a start it’s not a trail, it’s a route. You need to be self sufficient and make decisions about your own safety. I have been through multiple times and I would never wear a disposable runner. I want a proper heel for grip and safety and a higher boot for real protection because evacuating someone out of there is an ordeal. I want to be able to balance on a stiff sole as leverage as I scramble. This is NOT the overland track which is a highway in comparison. It’s your choice, but don’t listen to people who have never been. Mainlanders with no south west experience just do not know.
Another objection I have to mugs in trail runners is that they invariably get squeamish about mud. Mud is a factor in the south west. To keep their feet dry they go around the mud and make the track wider which means someone has to come along later to build duckboards to repair the damage. Boots, gaiters and through the mud is actually less damaging.