My first pair: fit my narrow feet perfectly. Served me flawlessly for 4 years of ROUGH use, including Appalachian trial hiking.
My second pair: same great fit. Same amazing performance. Left boot developed a leak after 4 years of tough use.
Here I am ashamed to say that I strayed from the Cresta. Money was tight and I bought a Vasque waterproof boot for around 100 bucks. After 1.5 years, stitching on the left boot has come apart.
CRESTA is THE ONLY boot for you IF:
You are a serious hiker who is rough on his/her boots.
You want a boot to last more than 2 years.
You have an uncommon foot width.
You don't mind a heavier boot in exchange for a great fit and world class performance.
I'm sorry for leaving you Cresta! I'll never stray again!
I have a very narrow heel (size "A") but a size "C" front of my foot. And due to required orthodic inserts, I need a high-volume boot. I ordered the narrow "B" width boot and it fit nearly perfectly, although slightly snug in the front volume-wise. And the lack of wrap-around plastic/rubber seems to be allowing the leather to stretch to the perfect size. I have never owned a boot before that did not need some custom rubber pads to keep the heel from slipping.
The all-leather boots also breath very well, much better than my prior gore-tex Vasque fabric & leather hiking boots.
I've had these boots for over three years and I love them. I wear them snowshoeing, hiking and even around town during wet/snowy weather. They are comfortable right out of the box. They're showing very little wear and have never leaked even in very wet conditions. I treat them with Nikwax a couple times/year. They're not cheap, but they're worth every penny.
I like these boots a lot! I broke them in walking around a ski jump tourney in Michigan (a lot of different terrain) and then the Chicago Auto Show. Good ankle support, the breathable Gortex is nice, and the medium width fit my size 12 foot a little big. I have to wear a mid-weight or heavy weight sock to get the best fit. The only test left to pass is the longevity of time.
