Columbia Peakfreak Venture Hiking Shoe

8.7
8.7 score
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Columbia Peakfreak Venture Hiking Shoe Review Facts

The Columbia Peakfreak Venture Waterproof Hiking Shoe is just as suitable for casual wear, camping, backpacking, outdoor work, business casual in offices, and city walking as it is for hiking. It is stylish, modern, and functional and does not show signs of wear easily. The best qualities are the high comfort level and its waterproofness abilities, which are also the basic feature of water shoes for hiking. If you are interested in buying a pair for the forthcoming season, read our guide on the best water shoes for hiking.

Columbia Peakfreak is as comfortable as a sneaker since it is lightweight and has a collar and tongue that are padded. Made of leather and textile materials, this shoe model features the latest technology of Techlite for the midsole, rubber Omni-Grip for the outsole, and Omni-Tech construction for protection.

The traction is non-marking and slip-free, and the inner membrane is seam-sealed and breathable. Traditional lacing is the chosen closure for a custom fit by the user. Almost any type of outdoor job, duty, or task could be performed better wearing the Columbia Peakfreak Venture shoe model. This product has a 4.2 rating online from buyers with only a few issues of sizing and leather issues.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Does not show signs of wear easily
  • Waterproof, comfortable, and slip-free
  • Stylish, cushioned, lightweight, and functional
  • Use with dress pants for business casual at work
  • Great for those with outdoor professions
  • Terrific for work or duties for stand-up jobs
  • For casual wear, camping, city walking, and hiking
Cons
  • Sizing can be slightly too small especially if the foot is wide
  • Needs a narrow foot for best comfortable
  • White splotches can form after wearing; not real leather possibly

Comfort

The Columbia Peakfreak Venture Hiking Shoe is as comfortable as a sneaker with the cushioning to keep you satisfied all day long. It is lightweight to wear for many different conditions and occasions, such as work, sports, tasks, duties, activities, and events. For those that did not have a sizing problem with this model of footwear, the comfort was the most talked about feature. Those that bought the shoe to wear for their hiking or casual wear also wore it for work purposes because it is so enjoyable.

When you can wear footwear straight from the box for long hikes or all day at work, you know the quality is good and the build has plenty of cushioning to pamper your foot. Mobility and stability are added with the low profile because the ankle is free to flex as it needs to, plus the ankle is not hindered by any lacing or material to prevent its free motion.

Durability

Constructed of materials of the highest quality and the most modern technologies, this wonderful Columbia footwear has a 4.2 rating out of 5.0, online from happy customers who would purchase this great product again if they had a need to. It does not show signs of wear easily, but there is a concern about the leather used for the construction of this shoe. We address this in a later section in more detail.

The fastening closure is the traditional lacing for a custom fit for various foot sizes and preferences. Being able to choose how tight you want the laces is something that plenty of people prefer over such other closures as bungee lacing or Velcro straps.

These other options are adjustable but not so much as real laces that you can control much better. Real laces give you the freedom and the flexibility to chose exactly how tight or loose you need the shoe to fit the foot.

Key Features

-Closure is the traditional lacing
-Midsole shell of Techlite
-Rubber Omni-Grip outsole
-Made of leather and textile fabric
-Padded collar and tongue
-Omni-Tech construction with a membrane

Midsole

The comfortable midsole shell of EVA Techlite is the reason that this shoe model is so comfortable and well cushioned. You will feel as though you have on a favorite cozy sneaker instead of a rugged piece of outdoor footwear. It has a high return of energy, superior cushioning, and long-time comfort.

Wearing this product all day will not make you form blisters, calluses, or other common foot problems from shoes that are void of the proper cushioning. This great midsole is full-length for the best support and shock absorption. Some foot models only have the padding for some parts of the midsole but not this one.

Your whole foot can enjoy the extra support that you will need during the day or night. Included is a stone shield of Techlite for the forefront that guards against abrasions for the foot. This really comes in handy for hiking, camping, and backpacking shoe and in the most around rocky surroundings. If your foot hits upon a rock, both your foot and the shoe will be protected by this guard to protect you.

Outsole

Since the Columbia Peakfreak Waterproof Hiking Shoe is designed for the rough outdoors, it is imperative that the rubber sole be tough and strong to give the best traction possible.

This is why Columbia has incorporated the rubber Omni-Grip outsole with non-marking traction on this item. No matter what kind of terrain or surface area you need to work or play on, this Columbia Peakfreak model can handle it well. This is the reason that so many people working around water or slippery floors, such as hospital or hotel employees, wear this model for work.

It will grip rocks, twigs, sand, mud, concrete, pebbles, and other various surface areas that you could possibly encounter. It has a crash zone on the heel and traction lugs that are multidirectional for excellent traction on surfaces that are dry or wet. It does not matter exactly where the bottom of the foot is hit with adverse surface material because the traction lugs can help you handle them.

The heel crash zone gives you added protection for that part of the foot and the back of the shoe if it is hit against something.

Size

As with any type of item that must fit the human body, sizing is the main problem that buyers had with this shoe model. The Columbia Peakfreak Hiking Shoe has sizes that are true and consistent. The manufacturer even supplies potential buyers with explicit measuring directions and a sizing chart to use.

In this way, you are assured to purchase the most ideal size for your foot. Not using the chart or the directions could lead to buying footwear that is not comfortable and fitting correctly. Plenty of people obtained the right size and are pleasantly pleased with their products.

Others, who may or may not have used the chart and instructions, received shoes that did not fit them. there are plenty of suggestions about getting the regular shoe size that you wear or buying the next larger or even smaller size for the best fit. If the foot is wide, then this model will most likely not be the best one. Several people mentioned that the Columbia Peakfreak Venture is for those with narrow feet.

A narrow foot can wear these right out of the box for all-day comfort. If the foot is not narrow enough, the area where the toes join the foot will be the most compressed and painful with a tight shoe. Use the chart and sizing directions.

Upper

The upper is made of leather and mesh material for this Columbia footwear product. The upper is of leather and the collar and tongue are textile fabric. Nonetheless, both of these pieces are padded for maximum comfort when wearing. This is another good reason to ensure the sizing is correct, so you can reap the full benefit of the cushioning inside.

Just purchasing a shoe of a larger size does not solve the problem of a shoe that is not wide enough. It only makes you have more room longwise in the toe box. In our research on customer feedback and comments, we noticed a few interesting claims that were stated. Some buyers said that this footwear was made in China and is not real leather.

Other customers said something similar but with more detail on the topic. They had a white spotting substance form on the top of the shoes on the upper portions after wearing the shoes for about a day. It does not come off even with a cleaner just for leather shoes. it is possible that this becomes visible because the leather is either not real leather or it is of poor quality. We only found several of these comments with photos, but the problem was not mentioned by a lot of people.

Use

Just about anywhere that you need a waterproof and rugged shoe to wear would be an ideal reason to purchase the Columbia Peakfreak model of hiking shoe. The company made it for hiking in particular, but it can be used for so many other things and in a variety of environments. This model is waterproof, slip-free, stylish, and functional.

Due to the solid black color, this product can fit into different places well much as a chameleon would. It can handle camping and walking in the city beating the pavement, as well as business-casual at work with dress pants. We were surprised at the number of customers who are successfully using this hiking model for their business clothes on the job in offices.

It can really fit into almost any situation that you need a cushioned and comfortable shoe. If you are on your feet all day for jobs in hospitals or care facilities, this may be just the footwear you need. The added guards on the front and the rear of the shoe will be most helpful for these occupations. Those with outdoor jobs of engineering and emergency response could do well with the Peakfreak Shoe too.

Waterproof

The characteristic of being very comfortable would be reason enough to purchase this fabulous hiking shoe, but it is also waterproof. You can trust it to keep your feet and socks clean and dry even when you work in wet environments or tread in mud puddles for your outdoor activities.

It has Omni-Tech Construction with a membrane that is seam-sealed, breathable, and waterproof. This technology also makes the model easy to keep clean. Of course, because it is so protective of this quality, the footwear is not as breathable as a regular shoe. If it is to keep the water out, then it cannot be the most aerated item you could wear.

This is a trade-off that must be accepted for the waterproof abilities. Several people commented on the lack of breathability because of water protection, but they understood the delicate balance of ventilation for this product. It will provide a comfortable environment for the foot that is drier than regular shoes because of the waterproof Omni-Tech build.

Bottom Line

We have all encountered problems with sizing for shoes both online and in stores, so it is not a big shocker that some customers had problems with this aspect. It seems that more and more manufacturers are going with shoes that are increasingly narrow to fit the majority of people that happen to have this foot type.

The narrow foot is the best fit for the Columbia Peakfreak Venture Hiking Shoe, as it does not fit the wide foot well. Use of the sizing chart and specific company instructions on how to obtain the perfect size of your foot should be used before you waste time and money in ordering a product that you cannot wear and have to return.

The other issue with this hiking model is the formation of some mysterious white splotches on the upper parts of the shoe. This was noticed after wearing the item for a few hours or all day and would not come off. It seems that the footwear is made in China and it is possible that the leather is not the best quality of leather.

This would be a good reason that the white cloudy covering happens. According to the buyers, nothing unusual brought on this white film on the shoe. Considering the cost of footwear, this would not be acceptable. The final word is that the rating is good, it has some sizing concerns, and can form white splotches on the upper due to not so quality leather according to a number of customers.