My Review of the TS Wolf Hiking Shoe
Updated: Jul 16
TS Wolf Hiking Shoe: Product Review: The Latest and best in hiking and backpacking shoes, and boots all reviewed and tested by the best in the industry, and me.
I reviewed and tested this shoe in severe weather conditions, so I was mostly focused on water resistance, comfort, and durability.
The TS Wolf low-cut hiking shoe is not a shoe you will see as much as brands like Merrill, Keen, Oboz, Solomon, or La Sportiva. It's not that it isn't as popular or not as good as footwear made by those brands, It's actually just as popular, just not in the US. Case in point: I wore a nice, expensive pair of Merril hiking shoes on a hike this past weekend and my feet were hurting afterward like I haven't experienced in a while. Previous to this hike I wore another pair of Merrils that I own and experienced more pain in my toes than I expected going back down from the summit of the hike. I have nothing in particular against Merril footwear, I'm just writing about my own personal experiences lately.
Test Conditions:
The day I tested the TS Wolf hiking shoe there was a slight drizzle, and cold-ish, about 55 degrees. The terrain was rocky and All Trails rated my hike as Moderate. I chose that day and that terrain because the TW Wolf hiking shoe is touted as being waterproof, durable, and no-slip. When I put the shoe on one of the first things I noticed was the shoe laces. One of my pet peeves with many a hiking shoe or boot that I have purchased is when the manufacturer uses laces that easily come untied, forcing you to use a double not to keep them tied up. Then when you get home, tired and exhausted from the hike, you have to spend five minutes untying the knot just to take them off. The TS Wolf hiking shoe uses a good, grippy cotton shoe string and strong cloth hoop eyelets that stay as tight as you cinch them.
First Impressions
As soon as I got the shoes on my feet I realized (as with most other hiking shoes I've purchased) that I was going to need a shoe insert for better shock absorption. I also noticed that the shoe did not have enough arch support for my preference so I had already purchased a pair of my favorite insoles: the Walkimfy Heavy Duty Insole for people over 210 lbs. This insole has high arch support that feels great and a lot of cushioning. Once I popped them in, the shoe fit like a glove. Be careful when buying thicker inserts because some of them can lift your foot too much and make you feel like you walking out of the shoe when you start walking.
Two miles into the hike I noticed a slight pinching on the third toe on the right foot.so I stopped to investigate and found that my sock had gotten cinched so I fixed my sock and the slight discomfort in that area was gone. This is something I have experienced before because I am one of the few people whose middle toe is longer than my other toes.
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The good and the not so good
Let's start with the comfort level of these shoes. I would rate them about 7.5 out of 10. Some shoes need more wearing time to break in and this shoe was definitely one of them. Since I initially made this review, I have sufficiently broke in the shoe and they are more comfortable than when initially bought them. Sometimes how tight or loose you cinch your laces can make a difference in how they feel 4-5 miles into a hike. I understand some like their laces tight, and some like them not so tight, but the important thing is that you have a pair of laces and ringlets that allow you to tie them to your comfort level and that is where they stay. Other than foot blisters, I don't think there is anything more frustrating than having to constantly re-tie your hiking shoe or boot. The TS Wolf had very nice grip on the gravel and smaller rock which made up most of the hike. I did notice some more than usual pressure going downhill, but I have rarely found a pair of hiking shoes that can completely avoid that. Nowadays the trend in hiking shoes is toward the trail running sneaker instead of the traditional hiking shoe or boot, and with good reason. Just try on a nice pair Hokas Anacapa Low GTX and you might never buy another pair of traditional hiking shoes! However, on 20 or 30-mile hike, I would tend to want more support and durability than a trail running/hiking shoe could provide as they are more like a modified running shoe than an actual hiking shoe.
Overall Score
In all categories, including; comfort, durability, weight, traction, support, and water resistance, I would rate the TS Wolf hiking shoe about 7.0 out of 10. It's not the best shoe I've worn, but it's not the worse either. You could pay more money for one of the more popular brands of hiking shoes and not get any more quality than the TS Wolf, up to a point. I certainly would not put them up against a pair of Salomons, La Sprtiva's, or Oboz. The TS Wolf loses that battle on pretty much every front. But if you are like me and you are not an Appalachian Trail kind of hiker, and you don't have to have the top-of-the-line industry leaders who have been around for 150 years make hiking shoes, the TS Wolf is a good quality shoe at a good price.