Astral Pisgah Review

As I'm sure all of you are well aware of, we here at WeStroke are huge fans of Astral products. What started off as using their amazing lifejackets (like the Green jacket and Bird Dog), grew immensley when they started making shoes like the Brewer, Loyak, Hiyak, Rassler, etc. Game changers were an understatement as all of a sudden, we had access to comfortable, stylish shoes with phenomenal traction on the river. We became spoiled with them and wore them off the river just as much as on. Luckily Astral continued to expand their line and make less water-oriented versions as well. Despite the variety of models available, I longed for a waterproof boot that would complete my collection of shoes and give me the traction, comfort, etc I desire for all situations. Enter, the Pisgah.

Astral describes the Pisgah as a "performance casual" boot. This initally concerned me but after a brief call to the company, I was informed that the boots would indeed hold up to and excel hiking in decididedly non-casual situations. I reside in the PNW these days, in the Columbia River Gorge, where one can encounter multiple different enviorments on any given day. Rain, snow, mud, creek crossings with wet rocks, etc, abound. I was anxious to see how the Pisgah would hold up when worn in the different terrains. I've been testing them for months and here are my findings...

First, the Pisgah is indeed waterproof and we have definitely tested that at length. They are constructed of 100% Recycled Polyester with a waterproof/breathable membrane and you will stay completely dry as long as the water level stays below the top two lace holes. That is where the tongue connects to the shoe so any higher and the water will go over that and down into the boot. This has made them my go-to boots for winter in the snow and rain, as well as for the rainforest-like trails that abound in my region of the country. 

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As far as traction goes, the Pisgah respond amazingly, just like I've come to expect from pretty much all of their shoe line. If you are like me and tend to adventure in all kinds of different terrain, it becomes something invaluable and what I judge all other shoes on. To make them appropriate for more rugged surfaces you might encounter, Astral gave them aggressive 5mm lugs with flex grooves, made from their amazing G.15™ high friction Rubber (non-marking). Their performance on various different surfaces has been incredible.

Comfort is also a huge consideration and another thing I expect from Astral shoes. The Pisgahs thankfully hold up in that department as well. They have EVA foam, a level heel to ball, and a medium arch with Top Shank™. They are also extremely lightweight and feel more like wearing a tennis shoe, than a heavy hiking boot as you might expect. A men's size 9 weighs 364g (12.8 oz). Take it from me, it will spoil you for forever. There is something EXTREMELY important to keep in mind though, when ordering a pair for yourself. The Pisgah fit is definitely on the small side. You will ABSOLUTELY need to go with a half-size larger than normal or maybe even a full-size larger if you like to wear really thick socks. I learned this the hard way. My first pair I tried were my normal shoe size and while I had enough room for my toes, I developed a blister on the back of my heel almost immediately. Wife had the exact same thing happen. After discussing with Astral, they told me they had discovered this sizing situation as well and were recommending going up half a size. My wife and I both did that immediately and have zero problems now. I wear them pretty much every day and they are very very comfortable.

Finally, on to style. While that is certainly subjective, in my humble opinion, Astral has once again managed to make an extremely practical and techincal shoe look just as good around town as on the trail. They have pretty subtle minimal styling and two tone color schemes. Basalt Black and Gunmetal Gray for the men and Pebble Gray and Beet Red for the women. I chose the Basalt Black and my wife chose the Beet Red. Both look very good and include a classy metal "waterproof" badge on the uppers. I've worn mine nearly everyday this winter, both on the trail and around town, and they look great regardless of the environment. If you're not looking good, what are you even doing right? Lol

To sum it up, after years of me nagging them, but in no way related, Astral finally released the one shoe that would complete my "all Astral all the time" collection. I could finally ditch my old wornout and heavy 5.10 waterproof hiking boots and replace them with Astrals. They are all-day comfortable, stylish, waterproof boots with great traction, that can crush trails as well as look good in the bar after a long day of adventuring. Don't hesitate to pick some up for yourself ASAP in a store or on the Astral website! 

PROS:

• Waterproof
• Extremely comfortable and lightweight
• Stylish minimalist design
• That amazing traction Astral is known for.  

CONS:

• Run a half-size small. It is extremely important to understand that, as it will make or break the experience for you.

SPECS: 

• Uppers: 100% Recycled Polyester with waterproof/breathable membrane.
• Midsole: EVA foam, level heel to ball, medium arch with Top Shank™.
• Outsole: Aggressive 5mm lugs with flex grooves, made from G.15™ high friction Rubber. Non-marking.
• Foot to Ground Distance: 21mm heel, 20mm ball
• Fit: Size 0.5 up
• Sizes: Men's 8-12, 13, 14
• Weight/Shoe M's US 9: 364g (12.8 oz)