Today’s feature is from our companion service Shooting News Weekly.

I was initially hesitant when Garamont Tacticle asked if I wanted to field test the new T8 Athena women’s boot. For over a decade, I have had the opportunity to wear numerous tactical and hiking boots on the range or while competing in shooting sports. Oftentimes, they were men’s boots in size 8, which are similar in size to my women’s 10. These were usually too wide and cumbersome and felt huge and boxy on my feet.

Over the years, I’ve owned a few pairs of boots apparently designed for a woman’s foot, but honestly, I’m not sure which woman. These weren’t comfortable.

Sometimes, the cut of the boot landed on the back of my ankle at just the perfect spot to rub and create a painful blister. While wearing some, I could not even bend my foot to walk. As you can imagine, I didn’t get my hopes up about the fit of Garamont Tacticle’s T8 Athena. Boy, was I surprised.

Designed for Women

Since I had so many bad experiences with women’s hiking boots, I wanted to know what features made the T8 Athena specific to females. According to the information I got, female feet have specific anatomical and biomechanical differences compared to male feet. A female foot is smaller, of course, slimmer and has more tapered toes than men’s feet.

How were these ever going to fit me? I wear a size 10 and don’t have slim feet. However, I don’t need to purchase wide shoes.

Also, the sole of the foot is narrower with a more pronounced arch. Again, I wouldn’t consider my feet narrow and certainly don’t have a high arch. Finally, according to the info from Garmont, women distribute their weight more on the front of their feet while walking because they take shorter strides than men. All these sound like valid points to me; however, by this point, I was certain the T8 Athen boot would be too narrow and tight for my feet.

Putting the T8 Athena to the Test

I immediately noticed something different about the T8 Athena when I first slipped them on. First, they were very lightweight. My size 10 only weighed 468 grams (just over a pound) on my kitchen scale. Also, my foot felt really comfy. As Goldilocks would have said, “The toe box was not too big and not too small. My toes felt just right.”

If you’ve ever tried to get your foot into boots that are too narrow, you know what I mean. It took me a little time to adjust the laces, but I wanted to ensure I had the right tightness (is that a word?) from the start. Oh, and I also used a long shoehorn I have for boots. Although using it may make me feel old, that little tool makes all the difference in the world.

I only wore the boots around the house for the first few days. I wanted to make sure nothing rubbed my feet and caused hot spots or blisters. The cushioning in the soles of the T8 Athena boots felt like walking on a new, well-cushioned carpet. I cannot say enough about how comfortable my feet felt wearing these boots.

When it came time to wear them outside, we had a warm spell which had me concerned that my feet would get too hot. Again, these boots didn’t disappoint. When I returned home from outings, my feet felt just as cool as when I first put them on.

The treads on these boots also impressed me. This particular style has a Diamante sole, which is said to deliver a high level of comfort on long hikes. I wore them walking down paths, up hills and standing on small and large-sized gravel. I had no issues slipping or getting debris stuck in the tread pattern. The cushioning also provided comfort while walking over larger, sharper gravel pieces that, with past boots, made the soles of my feet sore.

Final Thoughts

Now that we’re into nicer weather and I’ve had time to wear the T8 Athena for some time now, I am confident these are the boots I will grab on my next hiking adventure. Not only are they comfortable and durable, but my ankles feel very stable while walking, which is a huge plus when traversing rocky terrain. If you are interested in these boots and are still a little hesitant about the fit, here are a couple of other pluses. They are available in half sizes and wide widths, which is almost unheard of in women’s boots.

Notes

I field tested the T8 Athena regular coyote in size 10 (MSRP $165). A law enforcement version is also available in black (MSRP $155).

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— Michelle Cerino