Gear Review: Asolo Thyrus Gv Boots

Asolo Thyrus Gv
Asolo Thyrus Gv

Backpacking Boots
Asolo Thyrus Gv
$235, 2 lbs. 5 oz. (US men’s 8.5)
Sizes: US men’s 8-14, women’s 6-11
moosejaw.com

I need a reason to wear leather boots, because they usually involve tradeoffs for their benefits: They tend to be too hot and heavy, especially for summer backpacking, when I often wear lightweight, synthetic mid-cut boots or low-cut shoes (depending on how much weight I’m carrying). But the Thyrus Gv felt so shockingly light for a leather boot, with a design that seemed to promise better breathability than is typical, that I decided to take them out on a five-day, 80-mile backpacking trip in the North Cascades National Park Complex in September—slogging long, sunny days through wet terrain, the best test of any leather boot. And these boots delivered on the promise in their design.

Asolo Thyrus Gv
Asolo Thyrus Gv

I carried over 35 pounds at times, in mostly dry weather—but it was the North Cascades, so we were often hiking through vegetation overhanging the trail that was wet and shedding water on the boots as effectively as a steady rainstorm. Those conditions spotlight the benefits of leather boots, particularly a model with few seams for water to penetrate, like the Thyrus. I stood in creeks and the boots never leaked, thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane. The water-resistant Perwanger leather uppers are just 1.6-1.8mm thick, to help make the boots lighter and a little cooler. They also shed water and dried fairly quickly for leather—which, of course, dries more slowly than lightweight, synthetic uppers, but is also more durable—and broke in on my first day of hiking.

 

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Asolo Thyrus Gv
Asolo Thyrus Gv

The Thyrus achieves a very comfortable fit because of a few design features. The gender-specific lasts accommodate the natural shape and flex of men’s and women’s feet; my feet felt nicely cradled in these boots, with no pressure points, yet good support, no slipping in the heel or midfoot when I hiked uphill or down, and wiggle room for my toes. Schoeller soft-shell fabric in the upper part of the tongue and the padded collar give the boots a soft, very breathable wrap around the ankle and helped keep my feet from overheating, even on hours-long uphill climbs. The metal lacing eyelets are super smooth—when I pulled them tight, the uppers wrapped like a little blanket around my feet. The boots run a little big; I consistently wear a US men’s 9 in boots, but the Thyrus Gv men’s 8.5 fit me well.

 

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Asolo Thyrus Gv
Asolo Thyrus Gv

At under two-and-a-half pounds, this boot’s very light for the amount of boot structure and support you get—plus it’s $80 cheaper and only slightly more than half the weight of Asolo’s popular TPS 520 boots. The molded EVA midsole has two different densities, with a high level of shock absorption in the heel, and a thermoplastic urethane plate for stability and underfoot protection for carrying 35 pounds or more. The deep, widely spaced lugs of the Vibram Megagrip outsole delivered excellent traction in packed dirt, wet and dry rocks, mud, and scree.

Following a pedigree of high quality at Asolo, the well-built Thyrus Gv gives you the benefits of leather boots, while improving greatly on two major drawbacks of leather by making them much lighter and more breathable. For wet trips in all but really hot temperatures, I’ll take them over lightweight synthetic boots that don’t have comparably good fit, comfort, and waterproofing.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking either of these links to purchase the men’s or women’s Asolo Thyrus Gv boots at moosejaw.com or rei.com.

 

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See my “Pro Tips For Buying the Right Boots,” all of my reviews of backpacking boots and hiking shoes, and all of my reviews of backpacking gear and hiking gear.

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

 

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7 thoughts on “Gear Review: Asolo Thyrus Gv Boots”

  1. I love these boots! I bought them not expecting them to be perfect, but they are. They never ever hurt my feet and I intend to trek everywhere in them.
    I need a back up pair! Thanks for the article, glad to know more about what these foot friends can go through.

    Reply
  2. Your analysis of the Thyrus is good, however, they run 1/2 a size larger in men’s, but are a great fit for my narrow foot. I don’t think they run “big” in the width sense. Super comfortable and are possibly the best boot I’ve ever owned. I have fell sport inserts that I put in as well. Most of the insoles that come with any shoe or boot are crap. My only complaint is the high top ankle, they are flexible so what they give you in comfort takes away from the stability. I haven’t rolled my ankle yet but come close in the boot, still would take this set up any day over the lunky normal boots in REI and my standard tennis shoes. My feet have never felt so good after a full day (or 3) of hiking!

    Reply
  3. I’m potentially interested in the Asolo Thyrus and managed to stumble across your blog. I could use some advice.

    I tried on the Thyrus in store and while I really really liked it, I felt like it didn’t stop pronation very well. I intend to drop by the store again and see if switching out the insole will help (the arch with the default insole was too prominent for me), but I wanted to ask, did you notice any bias towards pronation when hiking with it? I wonder if it’s me specifically or the shoe in general.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi John, thanks for following my blog and for your question. I’m sorry, though, I’ve never had a problem with pronation, and I’m no expert on it, so I’m just not qualified to give you an answer to your question. I hope you can find the answer elsewhere. Try contacting Asolo.

      Reply