Most people are probably really excited to get a new pair of boots. Not me. Retiring my old, worn-out leather friends felt like a funeral. No. More like cheating on a lover. I had to put them in the closet before cautiously opening the box with my new Vasque Taku GTXs. Somehow it just didn't feel right having them in the same room.

Those old boots hoofed it with me through a decade of journeys. Bhutan, the Wind Rivers, Utah's narrows, Alaska, the Skellig Islands, the Scottish Highlands, and a thousand other places that, over the last 10 years, have shaped my very existence one step at a time. It might not have been fair, but the new Vasques had a bittersweet homecoming.

It's been a few months now, with enough miles to have them nicely broken in, and to finally dispel my nostalgia. The Taku are surprisingly light weight, with a lace system that makes it very easy to get a comfortable, snug fit. Despite their feather weight, the soles are stiff enough to carry a heavy backpack a long way. They even seem durable enough to last for the next decade. (I promise to update this review in 2022... if the world is still here... and let you know how they're doing.)

So far we've only been to our favorite haunts on Colorado's Front Range, but next week we're going to the faraway land of Ohio. Pretty sure before too long there will be some more exotic travels than Cleveland, but for now I'm thankful to have them along for the Midwest cold and snow.

Best of all, though, now there's a whole fresh decade in front of me and the Vasque Taku GTX, full of possibilities, adventures and memories to look forward to building. (MSRP $170)