Salewa wildfire edge mid gtx climbing shoes - Salewa Wildfire Edge Mid GTX Climbing Shoes - Men's

This is my second pair of the Wildfire Mid GTX boots purchased March 2024. First, this latest pair is working out great and come with improvements. Hiked 2 trails of 5 miles each with around 1500 ft elevation gain since purchase. Shoes performed just as I wouldve wanted. Light weight, good support, traction and water proof. Did around 2 miles in 1-2 inches of a shallow stream and feet were perfectly dry. One big improvement over my first pair purchased in 2021, the built in "gaiter" now has a velcro tab which opens to allow easy on and off of these boots. The older generation did not have this velcro opening making putting on and taking off these boots a real pain. Many people shared this frustration. This problem is now solved with the new opening. This also allows for a somewhat custom fit to accomodate different ankle girths. I also dont recall the earlier generation having a second pair of inserts for a more narrow fit like this new gen includes. Seems like they took a great boot and made it better. In my experience these run a half size small. I am an 11.5, my first pair was an 11.5 and they were quite snug with pressure on my big toe, so no added insoles or thick socks. My new pair are a 12.5, these allow for my thick Darn Tough full cushion socks and a nice amount of room for swelling throughout a long day of hiking and the option for thicker insoles if I want. Other than those needs a 12 would have been the right size for daily life/everyday use.