Support & Stability

Designed as a light, fast hiking shoe recommended for light hiking and walking, the Asolo Megaton GV Women’s hiking shoe lives up to its promise. The Megaton incorporates an attractive minimalist design, with lightweight performance features. Perfect for hiking or walking on primarily even, earthen or paved trails, the Megaton is constructed with a low cut, nicely padded ankle shaft, short molded heel hold, molded EVA midsole and low profile 3 millimeter lugs. This construction proved ideal for light hiking & walking—but resulted in reduced performance on steeper, off-camber trails and uneven surfaces. When tested on the later, there was notable reduction in ankle support and lateral stability compared to the other hiking shoes in this head-to-head test. Although made with “sticky” Vibram rubber, and incorporating directionally designed lugs for trail resistance, the Megaton’s shallow lug height led to unsure footing and slippage on steep inclines and loose surfaces. Heightened sensitivity to the trail was also noted on rocky, rugged trails.

Quality & Construction

For a lightweight minimalist hiking shoe, the Asolo Megaton GV Women’s hiking shoe incorporates a number of quality features. It has an amply padded ankle shaft, comfortable molded EVA midsole, small heel hold (that helped keep feet firmly in place) and “sticky” Vibram outsole with thoughtfully designed directional lugs. However, to achieve its light stature, this shoe does skimp on some materials in its construction. The lugs are shallower than any of the other shoes tested. Its heel hold is shorter and laces thinner. There is no under tongue padding, which made the top of the instep less comfortable, and the feel of the laces more apparent. And there is proportionately more fabric than leather in the shoe’s uppers. The shoe’s water resistant mixed suede and breathable polyester mesh uppers, and Gore-Tex liner, did a great job of warding off moisture during moist hikes. And overall, the shoe held up well to use over multiple miles hiked on various trail types.

Comfort

As long as the Asolo Megatron GV Women’s hiking shoe was used as intended—as a fast, light hiking & walking shoe for even trails—it provided a nice level of comfort. It’s minimal weight made this shoe very easy to wear. The ankle shaft is comfortably padded. And the shoe’s outsole is very flexible, providing a comfortable, bouncy step. However, with the limited padding on the tongue, our testers noticed some discomfort beneath the laces during longer hikes. The lacing system tightens only across the top of the shoe (versus pulling all the way down the sides), so it was challenging to get a truly snug fit. Additionally, the shoe’s thinner outsole and low profile lugs resulted in substantial foot fatigue when the Megatons were employed beyond their intended use, namely on steep, rocky, and/or uneven surfaced trails. We didn’t test these shoes for bicycling, but their light construction and flexibility would make them a good crossover shoe for bicycling or the gym.

Protection

Our testers were impressed with the protective qualities of the Asolo Megaton GV Women’s hiking shoe’s toe guard design. Three layers are incorporated to protect the toes from impacts. First, a layer of suede wraps around the toe and front sides of the foot. On top of this, a layer of rubber curves around the front of the toes. And over that is a small, impact absorbing Vibram rubber toe guard. This triple layered design provided excellent protection to the front of the foot while hiking. Although the heels were not as solidly protected as some of the other hiking shoes in this head-to-head test, the Megaton’s molded heel hold covered with two layers of suede and rubber provided a good quantity of heel protection. Where the Megaton’s fell short was in protection for the soles of the feet. As noted earlier, the shoe’s flexible outsole and low profile lugs resulted in notable trail fatigue when used on uneven surfaces.

Weight

The Asolo Megaton GV Women’s hiking shoe hiking shoes were the lightest of all of the shoes contained in this head-to-head test. Weighing in at a featherweight 11.3 ounces per shoe (2.7 oz. less than the heaviest hiking shoe in this test), the Megaton proved to be an exceptionally light wear. That being said, it’s lighter construction meant a tradeoff in a number of performance and protective qualities. The Megaton’s thinner outsole, low profile 3 millimeter lugs, and minimal toe and heel guards made this shoe more appropriate for shorter day hikes on earthen soil. On the flip side, the Megatons extra lightweight, and highly flexible outsoles, make it a perfect choice for a casual hiker looking for a crossover shoe for the gym, walking urban trails or bicycling.

To accurately assess the performance of a women’s hiking shoe, a number of testers put each product through rigorous hiking, on over 20 miles of varied terrain. During these hikes the testers pay close attention to the level of product performance across six factors most affecting a hiker’s foot comfort and risk of foot or ankle injury on the trail.