Columbia Women's Crestwood Hiking Shoe

I have a wide foot. I don't hike a lot, but when I'm camping or need a rugged shoe, it is important to have something that I can count on to be comfortable, durable, and light weight. I have had hiking boots and shoes before, but honestly the biggest downfalls have been that they are either very HEAVY and/or they are uncomfortable because they squeeze my foot and I lose circulation. My last pair sat in my garage, unused, because they were way too uncomfortable. I started to feel that I was never going to find a hiking shoe that would be the right fit for me.My husband has several Merrells that fit him well because his foot is on the narrow side. Over the years, I became jealous that he could find hiking shoes easily and I tried to wear Merrells also but they just aren't the brand for me. We're going to Costa Rica to do some rain forest hiking in a couple of months so I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to find something for this trip. Along came the Columbia Crestwood on Amazon and I was like, "Wait. What? This comes in a wide width, it's fashionable, AND it's lightweight and within my price range? Could this be true?"I ordered the Graphite Kettle in size 7W (my regular shoe size is 7 but I figured the wider width would allow for more room for socks). This wasn't my first choice in color but the one I wanted wasn't available in my size. I figured "What the heck, it's probably not going to fit anyways" and pulled the trigger. They arrived a few days ago and I was immediately blown away at how much I liked the color combo. It's a subtle, earthy tone and definitely won't show dirt. I love the minimal turquoise accents; just enough to be feminine without being barbie-ish. Color looks great with jeans and is neutral enought that I won't worry about wearing them with shorts or skorts of various colors. I love how the rubber side of the sole isn't white; I'm the type of person that gets anxiety if I there's any white detail on my athletic shoes and I get it dirty. Instead, the sides of the sole are a cool taupe color. Won't have to worry about dirt showing at all on these!Now down to business: I put the shoes on and was extremely impressed by the fit. Yes, the toe box and sides are wide, but not overly so. Adequate room in the toes to allow for comfort and some movement but I definitely picked the ideal size. I wear very thin socks and even then when I pulled the laces tight (not too tight), the shoe had enough give to accomodate my foot comfortably. The heel is snug so that it grips when I walked. The treads are amazing. Just walking across my hardwood they "squeaked" which told me that they were really trying to grip something. The shoe is incredibly lightweight; it felt more like a running shoe than a hiking shoe. Yes the insert is removable if you want to get orthotics (I probably won't for these but it's a nice option if I do). The laces are a cord style so they don't come undone at all. Time to put these to the test....Hubby and I went for a 1hr, brisk, 9000 step urban hike around the lake. By "urban hike" I mean that the lake is paved with a sidewalk but we chose to walk off trail and to the side where there is a dirt path. It was a warm day reaching about 68F/20C with a cool breeze. The shoes did GREAT. For a while, I actually forgot I was wearing hiking shoes as they literally felt like running shoes. My feet stayed cool and I felt the ground was sturdy under my feet even when I purposefully stepped on piles of twigs and hard, lumpy terrain. I didn't have to adjust the laces as my feet began to "swell." I felt a little discomfort at the end of the walk at the bottom of my foot but it wasn't bad enough to make me take my shoes off. In fact, if I had to hike the path all over again this evening I'm very confident I could without resting or taking the shoes off. I was so pleased!One thing to note: I didn't lace through the top hole closest to my ankles. Initially, it didn't feel very comfortable to do so but perhaps as I break in the shoe I will want to do so for more stability. Even then, today my foot felt and ankles felt very secure in the shoe so time will tell if I need to lace them up further if I ever take on more of an incline or rugged terrain.Best of all, the price. I was preparing myself that I had to spend at least a hundo for hiking shoes that would be comfortable for my foot, probably way more. So when I saw these on Amazon for $56 I thought there's gotta be a catch. But nope, I'm here to tell you these hiking shoes are legit. If you're a casual hiker and especially if you have a wide foot (buy your regular size), get these. You will have a great, lightweight, durable, comfy shoe at a very affordable price.(PS I attached a photo with one shoe's laces pulled tighter than the other. Just wanted to see if they would both be comfortable and they were!)1.21.25 - Just returned from an 8-day trip to Costa Rica where we did a TON of walking & hiking, per my apple watch averaging 16K steps per day and 14 flights of stairs (the mountain towns are built on steep inclines). I wore these shoes through sheets of rain, sticky tenacious mud, over jagged lava rocks, thru steams, gravel pavement, and wet grasses. These shoes are FANTASTIC. At one point on day 2, my shoes were caked with mud about an inch or 2 from the sole. Was worried that I'd have nasty shoes for the rest of the vacation. But by the next day, the mud dried and fell off and the bottom parts washed clean natrually from the dew on the grasses. By the time i wore them home on the plane a week later, my shoes looked absolutely clean (this may not be the case depending on the color that you choose). My shoes were well worn, stretched to fit my foot, and were absolutely comfortable that I didn't even know I was wearing them. They were rugged and provided tremendous grip. They absolutlely made my eco-vacation tremendously enjoyable. I don't know what else to tell you other than that I'm buying a second pair. I never want to be without this make and model of hiking shoe again.

Really like these shoes. They were great on the trip to Ireland. They fit well and were very comfortable and definitely water resistant. They also dried very quickly and were great on differing terrain.

Super comfortable with a roomy toe box. Light enough to pack for a trip and not weigh down your bag. Not fully water or sand proof due to the mesh but this wasn’t an issue for me.

First 4 stars...because as many other reviewers have noted there is almost no arch support in this shoe. What I did like, unlike many other Columbia trail shoes, is that this shoe had enough room to add an appropriate insole which does have good arch support without making my feet feel like they were stuffed inside the shoe with no room to wiggle. I use these as a general garden and landscape trail shoe as they are lightweight with a little water resistance and have the airflow needed to not make my feet sweat especially in summertime temperatures. They are stiff enough to protect my toes and feet from the various outdoor tasks and equipment which come from the jobs that I do. The tread does take the uneven terrain well without me feeling every rock or stick on the ground. They are a good basic trail shoe at a good price. However, I would hesitate to recommend them for expert trail hikes or climbing or if you have more serious issues with your feet. I have used them for a couple of months so I cannot speak for longevity. I would buy them again.

Bought these for a tour of Ireland. Without a doubt, these are the most comfortable walking shoes I have ever purchased. They are attractive and have fabulous support. Great on all surfaces during all types of weather thanks to great traction and grip. They look brand new even after a full week touring the Emerald Isle. I highly recommend these shoes. Definitely worth the money!

These do great in all hiking conditions. They have great grip, I’ve never slipped going up or down a hill. I can get through mud and my feet stay dry. Comfortable and supportive.

The shoe was comfortable and very stylish but it is NOT waterproof like the title and description say. So for that reason I deducted 2 stars. I uploaded photos of where I wet the shoe to test it and you can see my wet sock. It all came in through the mesh. I ordered another pair that has “waterproof” actually printed on the shoe. I am a size 7 but I ordered these in a size 8 due to other reviews saying to size up but I think I should have gone with a 7.5 because they felt just a little too big. They could definitely work though once I tightened down the laces as much as I could they felt great. I will be getting the waterproof version in 7.5 and will see if that is a better fit.