Bota Kopec Mid GTX Hombre

As a fan of Arc'teryx footwear I have had the Aerios FL, Aerios AR, Aerios FL2, Norvan LD3 and now the new Kopec. I've hiked hundreds of miles in each of these shoes from the Canadian Rockies, Washington Cascades, Californian Sierras, Costa Rican Jungles, Guatemalan Volcanoes to everything in between. Arc' makes some serious footwear that is always lightweight, comfortable, and performs exceptionally. Every detail is thought out (whether you agree with the details or not) and from my experience the shoes quality, construction and durability have steadily increased over time. I see the Kopec as an improved version of the older Aerios FL line with the same lightweight feel but a more durable exterior and a more true supportive "mid" ankle. I give 5 five stars for performance and construction minus the sole could benefit from a more aggressive tread. I love all my hiking shoes in the all black versions and this one with the now embroidered Arc logo just look sharp. However, my one complaint is the overall inconsistency of sizing between all Arc' shoes. I am solidly a US 11 in every shoe brand from Salomon, Adidas, Nike, Salewa, Scarpa, OnCloud etc. In the original Aerios FL2, Aerios AR, and Norvan LD3 I was a US 11. However in the Aerios FL2 and now the Kopec the 11's are just way too big. I have to tighten the shoes to an uncomfortable degree in order to feel like they are connected onto my foot in a way that inspires confidence in varied terrain. Thus I have settled on the US 10.5 which is just a tad bit too snug out of the box. I am hoping the shoes will mold to my foot over time in a positive way. My advice is try this shoe on in person or order a couple different sizes, don't just assume your standard shoe size will be the best fit. One last note to the people at Arc'teryx- get better colors. Most people I talk to are fans of clean looks, less flashy contrasty shoes when they're outdoors, more solid shoes- dark greens, navy blues, and burnt orange/brown.