Read tons of hype regarding these boots and read countless reviews, 90% which were positive. Was geeked to get these boots. First of all the fit is probably the best I've ever had in a boot. Nice support heel cup, higher arch suport, narrows mid foot and widen at toe box. Nice ankle coverage and support. Breathability good. Just all around comfortable. Felt fantastic in the store and at home. Everything seemed perfect. That being said, field use showed some weeknesses . The soles and underfoot support are suspect. I wore these straight out of the box on an easy 3 mile day hike here in Washington carrying a 10 lbs. dayback just to take them for a test drive. One thing I noticed was when walking over rocky areas I could feel every bump and pebble under my feet. I previously owned a pair of Asolo Fugitive, which are beefier, but I also owned some Merrell Chameleons and I never noticed this flaw. Read one review stating the same thing, but no others out of the 20 or so reviews. I have read some other reviews stating concerns over durability, which I cannot speak too as I have worn them once. Sole grip appears adequate, but I think these would be better served with Vibram soles and/or a beefier underfoot. It a shame that $220 boots should have any flaws. Actually its not really a flaw, but it just depends on the use. If you hiking on decent smooth trals carrying 20lbs with no rock scrambling then they might fit your needs perfectly. However, if you are going to be hitting a trail that's a little rougher, or off-trail hiking, traversing over rocks and scrambling while carrying 25-30+ lbs I would be cautious. In my opinion, more of a nice beefier day hiker. If the underfoot were better I would give it 5/5 stars, as the fit is phenomenal, but I can't. I was debating between these and the new Asolo Morans. I'll reivest in another pair of Asolos. These will be hitting e-bay

I saw the reviews for the Illusion in Backpacker Magazine's gear guide for the past 2 years so I decided to see what all the hype was about. It has since become my favorite pack, surpassing my old Gregory Z-Pack. While it is several ounces heavier than the Z-Pack it has many more features including more pockets, access points and most of all more padding on the hip belt and back, which I feel allows for more comfort. The features/weight ratio is the best I've seen. The only thing that is left to find out is durability. I would highly recommend this pack for someone who wants to balance low weight and features. If you can get it on sale, or not...buy it!