This was one of my better purchases in a while. Iceland in January can be treacherous, particularly when you’re covering ground off road. The Free Hiker had a glove-like fit right out of the box and the insulation was just enough to keep my feet warm when outside in sub-zero temperatures, but not so much that I was sweating once I came in. Additionally, the high ankle support, and simple zip closure kept the snow out and made it easy to take them off and put them back on when I went inside friends’ homes.
The aesthetic is a little space age and has a Kanye ‘Donda’ feel, but maybe that makes you cooler…? Either way, they’re super functional and extremely comfortable on and off the trail. Sizing seems true, so I’d stick with your normal tennis shoe size.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I bought these and planned on wearing a burlier hiker when I head to Pakistan in a couple of months for some long, high altitude approaches, but after wearing these for a week, I think they’ll be up to the task.