Oboz Bridger Ridge Mid GTX is a lightweight, waterproof hiking boot that provides excellent foot protection on rugged trails. Good for backpacking, peakbagging, and off-trail use, these boots have plenty of toe, side, and heel protection for your feet and ankles. They also require virtually no break-in time and are wearable out of the box. They are available in men’s and women’s sizes, but wide widths are not available.

• Gender: Men’s (Women’s also available)
• Type: Mid-Height Hiking Boot
• Weight: 3lb 2.6 oz / pair in men’s 10.5US
• Drop: 8 mm
• Lug size: 5 mm
• Waterproofing: Gore-Tex
• Fit: True to size
• Pros: Great toe and heel protection, wide toe box, high-quality insole
• Cons: No wide widths available

The Oboz Bridger Ridge GTX is a burly, waterproof hiking boot with Nubuck leather uppers and a Gore-Tex waterproof/breathable membrane. This is the first Oboz product to use a Gore-Tex membrane; they used their proprietary knockoff before this.

The Oboz Bridger Ridge GTX has excellent toebox protection

Wrapping around the toe areas are 3D molded TPU caps to protect your toes and toenails if you kick and stumble over rocks. This is one of the first features I look for when evaluating hiking boots because I seldom look at my feet when hiking (I look ahead), and the extra toe protection comes in handy on rougher trails. The heels also have rigid TPU heel caps that prevent pronation and promote stability.

Oboz includes high quality insoles in all their footwear.

The interior of the boots is wide in the toe box, with plenty of room to splay out your toes, but narrower in the heel to lock your foot in place and prevent heel lift, which can cause blisters. The Bridger Ridge GTX also includes the Oboz Trail Insole. This insole is designed for long day hikes and backpacking excursions. It features closed-cell PU, providing durable cushioning and support. While most of the insoles that hiking shoe companies include in their footwear are crappy foam, Oboz insoles are so good that you can purchase them separately, at REI, side-to-side with others from SuperFeet and Sole.

The collar of the Bridger Ridge GTX stands at 6.5 inches high and features memory foam that adapts to the wearer for extra comfort. The same foam is also used inside the boot’s heel area to lock in the heel.

The Oboz Bridge Ridge GTX Boots have 5mm outsole lugs providing excellent traction.

The EVA foam midsole provides a high level of energy return. A 3D molded TPU Trail Chassis between the midsole and outsole adds torsional stability while also providing underfoot protection, much like a rock plate on a trail runner. The soles have an arch so you can wear them with a gaiter, but they don’t have a gaiter ring, so you’ll want gaiters that can hook over your laces. The forefoot is slightly rockered (curved), which makes the boots easier to hike in, but the heel is flat for increased stability.

Comparable mid-height hiking boots

Recommendation

The Oboz Bridge Ridge Mid GTX is a good option if you’re looking for a lightweight and waterproof/breathable mid-height boot that emphasizes foot protection and stability without being as heavy or warm as a full-blown leather hiking boot. They’re also surprisingly lightweight and agile (although other mids are even lighter weight) and require minimal break-in time to eliminate hot spots under the tongue and around the upper cuff. These boots run true to size, but are not available in wide widths.

Disclosure: Oboz donated boots for this review.

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