Asolo Fugitive GTX review

We recommend the Asolo Fugitive GTX as an excellent companion to:

• Hikers of all experience levels who frequently encounter rocky ascents or descents
• Backpackers looking for a supportive and stable boot for their multi-day adventures
• Those who prioritize underfoot security and want a well-cushioned and protective boot 
• Adventurers looking for a secure and grippy boot that can also tackle some light climbing

While the Fugitive GTX’s outsole rubber withstood our Dremel tests quite well, the fact that the outsole began separating from the midsole after only a handful of test hikes indicates relatively poor quality. For a more well-constructed boot, we recommend looking into the Salomon Quest 4 GTX instead. 

The Fugitive GTX’s toebox may prove to be a little too snug for those with broad feet. For a more accommodating alternative, check out the roomier Keen Targhee III Waterproof Mid instead. 

From its chunky midsole to the generous amount of outsole rubber, the Fugitive GTX could certainly use a diet. For hikers who prefer a more lightweight ride, we recommend the Hoka Trail Code GTX instead.

Also contributing to the Fugitive GTX’s heft is its gargantuan heel stack which we measured with our caliper to be 42.1 mm thick.

This is quite a bit higher than our current lab average and kept us nice and elevated from the hazards of the trail below when taking this boot out for a spin. 

The forefoot is much closer to the ground by comparison at 22.1 mm thick according to our caliper measurements.

This is on par with our current lab average and provides us with a healthy mix of protective cushioning and ground feel. 

The rather dramatic difference in the Fugitive GTX’s stack heights leaves us with a staggeringly steep offset of 20 mm. This, however, doesn’t take too long to get used to, with the elevated heel providing well-cushioned landings while the lower forefoot provides a more intuitive sense of the ground below. 

Having such a high heel drop has another advantage when it comes to backpacking. High-drop boots tend to direct more stress up to the knees and hips which puts less pressure on our ankles and Achilles tendons when carrying heavy loads over long distances.

Conversely, hikers with knee or hip issues should look into the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 2 as a comfy zero-drop alternative.

Pressing our durometer against the Fugitive GTX's PU midsole foam yields a rather firm reading of 33.5 HA.

However, the shoe’s high stack at the heel means that our landings still felt amply cushioned and protected from impact during our test hikes. 

The firmness of the midsole also makes the Fugitive GTX a great option for backpacking adventures as it feels incredibly stable even when laden with a heavy pack.

We popped the Fugitive GTX in our freezer for twenty minutes to simulate exposure to extremely cold conditions, after which we pressed our durometer against the midsole once more and got a harder-than-average reading of 42.3 HA.

However, becoming 26.1% firmer in the cold makes the Fugitive GTX only slightly less consistent than the average hiking boot. As such, it shouldn’t feel too different underfoot as the seasons change.

What’s more, that firmness will do well in offsetting the soft slushiness of snowy trails, making it a great choice for those looking to tackle the tundra.

The insole is only 4 mm thick according to our caliper measurements, making it slightly less padded than our current lab average. 

However, it sits on Asolo's proprietary Duo Asoflex lasting board which offers some added internal cushioning while still being rigid and stable. 

Using our caliper, we measured the Fugitive GTX’s toebox to be 99.2 mm wide at its widest point. This is a little bit narrower than our current lab average but should still feel comfy and secure for most people apart from those with very broad feet.

Moving up the area around the big toe, the Fugitive GTX is narrower than our current lab average by a more significant margin at 73.2 mm wide according to our caliper measurements. This doesn't give us much room to splay out naturally, especially toward the end of long and arduous hikes where our feet tend to swell up. This runs the risk of the toes butting up against the sidewalls of the boot; a surefire recipe for blisters, especially for those with broad feet. 

For those who prefer a boot with more internal real estate for their backpacking adventures, we recommend the roomier Keen Voyageur Mid instead.

Despite the boot’s massive heel stack, the Fugitive GTX feels extremely well-planted when shifting our weight from side to side. This level of stability means that we were able to scamper along the trials while toting a heavy pack confident that we weren't going to roll an ankle, even when traversing uneven terrain. 

We’ll explore how this is possible with our next series of tests. 

To assess the Fugitive GTX’s torsional rigidity, we attempted to bend and twist the boot in our hands but were barely able to get it to budge! We therefore have no choice but to give it the stiffest score of 5 out of 5 on our subjective scale. This no doubt comes as a result of the considerable amount of rubber and foam that makes up the boot’s sizeable stack, as well as the Duo Asoflex lasting board that promotes comfort and stability. 

In practical terms, this means that we had a nice and level base that ensured stable landings while we tested this boot. 

The heel counter is similarly sturdy and greatly resisted our manual manipulations, earning the Fugitive GTX another maximum stiffness score of 5 out of 5. 

As such, the boot does a good job of locking our rearfoot in place while also mitigating any excessive rolling of the foot which also enhances our sense of stability during our stride.

We measured the midsole to be 107.4 mm wide at the forefoot which is quite a bit narrower than our current lab average. Though with the stack being relatively low to the ground in this part of the shoe, this didn’t negatively impact our stability while out testing the Fugitive GTX. 

Back at the heel, we found the Fugitive GTX’s midsole to only be 76.8 mm wide which is significantly narrower than average. 

This would ordinarily be a cause for concern when found in conjunction with a high heel, though we found that the boot’s other stability features do a good job offsetting any potential imbalance. 

However, those more accustomed to boots with a wider platform at the heel for added stability should consider the Hoka Kaha 2 GTX as an alternative.

As touched upon earlier, with all that rubber and foam underfoot, not to mention the lasting board, it should come as no surprise that the Fugitive GTX is an incredibly stiff boot. We secured it to our workbench and found that a whopping 78.1N of force is required to bend the Fugitive GTX 90 degrees, making it substantially stiffer than the average hiking boot.

While this may sound rather uncomfortable and unappealing, it’s actually quite useful when tackling uneven or rocky terrains by preventing our feet from bending over every rock or tree root in our path. By helping us avoid excessive foot flexion in this way, the Fugitive GTX delays the onset of foot fatigue while also keeping us feeling surefooted and stable with every stride.

As with the midsole, we also repeated the stiffness test after letting the Fugitive GTX chill in the freezer for twenty minutes. With 85.6N of force now needed to bend the boot to the desired point, the Fugitive GTX is still much stiffer than average under similar conditions. However, with only a 9.6% difference between warm and cold conditions, the Fugitive GTX is much more consistent than average and shouldn’t feel too different in this regard as the seasons change. 

This brings us to the weigh-in and the Fugitive GTX most certainly belongs in the heavyweight division at a chunky (704g). 

This will take some getting used to for anyone coming from a more lightweight hiking boot like the aforementioned Hoka Anacapa Mid GTX. However, it does pay off when carrying a heavy pack over long distances where having all that heft underfoot gives us added confidence with every stride as we thud our way along the trails.

Waterproof shoes tend not to do very well in our smoke test, and the Fugitive GTX is no exception. As we can see from the footage, smoke is unable to escape through any part of the boot, leading us to give the Fugitive GTX the lowest breathability score of 1 out of 5. This means that it will certainly feel toasty during warmer hikes, not to mention the increased risk of becoming stinky over time. 

Compare that to how easily and evenly the smoke filters out of the Merrel Moab 3. 

The insular nature of the Fugitive GTX is further illuminated when inspecting a backlit cross-section of the boot. The upper entirely eclipses the light, further demonstrating just how impermeable the upper really is. As such, we didn’t have any issues with water penetrating the boot when crossing streams or sloshing through puddles. Conversely though, if water does get into the boot, it’s staying there until taking them off and giving them a good shake. 

Looking at it under our microscope, we can see that even the mesh portion of the upper is woven so compactly and uniformly with no gaps for airflow or water penetration to be found between the braided fibers.

First up to face our Dremel in our battery of durability tests is the Fugitive GTX’s toebox. Spinning at 5K RPM, we set the tool’s abrasive element between the boot’s rubberized toe bumper and its suede upper with 3.2N of force.

While this initially seems quite destructive, the damage left in the wake of the twelve-second test isn’t nearly as dramatic. As we can clearly see, the Fugitive GTX escaped with a mere scuff that didn’t even seem to affect the stitching around the suede. This stellar performance leads us to give the Fugitive GTX a perfect 5 out of 5 for toebox durability. 

We therefore don’t expect a catastrophic failure of the toebox to bring an early retirement to this boot, even for those regularly traversing harsher paths or blazing untamed trails. However, as a bit of spooky foreshadowing, there is a caveat to that last statement coming soon.

The Fugitive GTX’s heel counter also proved to be a worthy contender against our Dremel which was unable to do much except mangle the lining material a bit for four seconds. 

As demonstrated by our aftermath photo, the Fugitive GTX was merely left with an unsightly scuff while most of the padding material remained relatively intact within. This above-average performance leads us to give the Fugitive GTX a heel padding durability score of 4 out of 5.

We pressed our durometer against the Fugitive GTX’s outsole and got a slightly harder-than-average reading of 89 HC. This explains the outsole’s performance in our Dremel test but, as previously mentioned, that doesn’t really factor into its lackluster durability as much as the dodgy glue-job. 

For the Dremel’s final outing in our battery of durability tests, we fired up the abrasive element to a more formidable 10K RPM and set it against the Fugitive GTX’s outsole. 

Despite some rather large chunks coming loose by the end of the twenty-two-second test, we determined (using our handy tire tread gauge) that the Fugitive GTX lost only 0.7 of rubber in this demonstration of extreme wear and tear which is slightly less than average. 

While the outsole rubber is quite hardy, the Fugitive GTX’s somewhat shoddy construction lets the boot down. After only a handful of test hikes of varying difficulty, we noticed that the outsole began to unpeel from the midsole in a less-than-reassuring display of durability. So while the toebox likely won’t buckle under pressure, the same can’t be said of the Fugitive GTX’s outsole.

Using our caliper, we measured the Fugitive GTX’s outsole to be 5.6 mm thick. This is substantially more rubber than the average hiking boot boasts underfoot which, on the one hand, gives us plenty of material to wear through; given it doesn’t come unstuck of course! On the other hand, all that material does weigh the boot down quite a bit. 

Using our caliper, we measured the Fugitive GTX’s lugs to be 3.6 mm thick.

This isn’t quite as thick as our current lab average, however, their varied shapes and grooves form a tread pattern that provided us with excellent traction, even upon encountering muddy climbs or descents. 

The Fugitive GTX doesn’t feature any reflective elements, so we don’t recommend hiking along the side of a road at night without using additional high-vis gear.

The tongue stays true to the Fugitive GTX’s chunky nature at 15 mm thick according to our caliper measurements.

This is quite a bit more padding than found on the average hiking boot and provided us with luxurious levels of comfort within the boot that nicely contrasted the harshness of the terrains we traversed during testing. It also means that we were able to lace the boot tightly and securely to our foot without any hint of lace bite across the instep.

The Fugitive GTX’s tongue is fully gusseted on both sides which successfully prevented any debris from entering the boot during our test hikes. 

The Fugitive GTX has a convenient finger loop at the heel which makes sliding the boot on a little smoother and easier. 

For those in need of more specific arch support, the Fugitive GTX’s insole isn’t glued in which makes replacing it with a custom orthotic a viable option.