Vessi Stormburst (Honest Review): Waterproof Hiking Shoes Worth the Hype?

For years, I’ve found hiking boots off-putting. I could never bring myself to go for any particular style, let alone start the shopping process.

Luckily, I got introduced to Vessi, the company behind my all-star favorite rain shoe (the Classic Chelsea). I found that they made a waterproof and rainproof hiking sneaker-boot hybrid, and I thought that would be an easy solution for my distaste for hiking boot shopping.

In this review, check out how I’ve waded through puddles and gone on wet hikes with the Vessi Stormburst High Tops and if I recommend them.

(Also note: the Vessi Stormburst comes in a Low Top version. I tried those too, but I prefer the High Tops, and so does Dan!)

Pros and Cons

Here is a quick list of pros and cons that I have thought up in regard to rating the Vessi Stormburst.

Pros

• They are waterproof, just like Vessi’s promise about their rainproof ability. Yup, they work.
• They’re rugged, with a rubber sole, and I find they take on most types of hikes (nothing extreme-level) solidly.
• They don’t look like traditional hiking boots, so they double as a sneaker-type of shoe and make trip packing easier.
• They’re unisex! Dan has them in men’s, and we wear them together for hikes near home and when we travel.

Cons

• Vessi’s sizing particularly with these shoes is a bit different in each style, so in my experience, I’ve had to do some exchanges over the years.
• For anyone with weak ankles, I find that the laces don’t go up quite high enough.
• If you have low arches, you should know that they do not have much arch support for flat feet.

First impressions

Taking them right out of the box, as I did two years ago when I first got my Stormbursts in the High-Top version, I was not sure if I’d like them. They are kind of chunky, with a textured rubber sole, some athletic-style flashing (called “reflective hits”) and cord-like laces.

They grew on me, though (not literally). After wearing them on a regular hike (no rain that day), I thought, “Okay, I can like these.” And the real test came when rain did come, and I walked straight through a puddle in them.

As I tested them out near my house after a rainstorm, I wondered if they’d hit all the points for me to list them in my ideas of the best travel shoes for women. As it turns out, they did.

The rainproofing: do they work?

In short, yes, they do. They work very well. I have walked right through puddles in these, and they keep my feet completely dry.

I have done muddy hikes, and wet hikes, and gotten caught in the rain with them, and they keep my feet dry every time.

The only part of them that doesn’t “work,” so to speak, is the “collar” at the top of the shoe where your ankle hangs out. It doesn’t cling to your ankle, so there’s a gap. Rain could get in there.

Style

What I like about them is that they do not look like traditional brown hiking boots. They look more like sneakers, but they are sneakers that do the trick to conquer both hiking the trails, and getting wet with rain, mud or some dampness.

The laces are thick, and there are only a few lace-holes. Traditional hiking boots tend to have many more laces, and much more tightening to do.

They’re athletic-looking. I think for me, the fact that they “look like sneakers” made them less daunting than hiking boots, which I’d be happy to own, but I feel like I can use them only for hiking.

I tend to even sometimes wear my Vessi Stormburst shoes with leggings or jeans, if it’s a bit wet outside and I want to wear shoes that keep my feet dry.

They’re also perfectly fine to be your only shoe choice if you are packing for a trip when there’s a chance of rain, or when you’ll be hiking in trails near water. They go with leggings, jeans and athletic shorts. I find myself mostly wearing them with leggings, for a casual hiker style.

The fit: What to know

Having had experience with Vessi in the recent past, as I detail in my Vessi waterproof shoe brand review, which will show you ALL the styles I have tried, I know that there are some funky things to know about Vessi sizing.

In the Stormburst High Top and Low Top, I am a size 6. Incredibly, there is still a lot of room for my toes in the size 6. I want to let you know that in this Vessi style, I had to size down. I am typically a 6.5 in regular sneakers, and even a 7 in brands like Nike.

Ironically, the Vessi website for the Stormburst says to size UP, if you are in between sizes. I found that I had to size down, plain and simple.

I hope you have some easy luck the first time, and maybe it’s best to order two sizes and pick the better one of the two.

Foot bed features

If you have flat feet or low arches, I have to break it to you: Vessi shoes tend to not do well in this category.

There is no high arch to support people with flat feet like me. For that reason, I find that I couldn’t bring myself to wear these hiking boots for an entire day if I had to hike 7 miles. I would have to figure out another solution.

If you have high arches and no flat feet, and no foot pronation, you should do fine, because they are a standard foot bed like most shoes.

I would probably benefit from putting insoles in.

Quality and details

The quality on Vessi shoes is great, and in my experience (I have had the Stormburst boots for two years), they really don’t wear and tear because they’re well made.

Details like the easy-to-use laces and treads on the sole make these sneakers so multi-use.

I would also say that the price reflects both the technology used in the waterproofing (which is Vessi’s own weatherproofing technology) and the fact that Vessi shoes are pretty hard to wear down. I’ve considered them to be very good investments, especially if you like the outdoors, or if you find yourself out and about traveling.

Usage review: how they are working out

In the two years that I have had my Stormburst shoes from Vessi, I don’t have any complaints in regard to wear, tear or quality concerns.

I take them with me when we’ll be hiking and there’s a chance of rain. I take them on getaway trips where trails might be muddy, and I only have to pack one pair of shoes because they can take on everything, weather-wise.

And they still look new, incredibly. I’ve waddled through puddles, waded in muddy spots of forest trails and walked around mountain towns in them, and it must be the quality build because they look like they just came out of the box.

How does Vessi make such waterproof shoes?

When it comes to something that just works, I don’t ask questions. But lots of people want to know how Vessi developed their unique technology to make regular-looking shoes completely waterproof.

In this page about their Innovation, I read about their patented material that comes in four layers. See what you think about this!

Why you might want them

If you are like me, and you find it hard to shop for hiking boots, consider trying out the Vessi Stormburst in High Top or Low Top, according to your style preference.

In my experience, they’ve proven to be a shoe that lives many lives, from a rainy day sneaker to an all-weather athletic-vibe hiking shoe. I’m really happy about that!

Why you might not want them

Some people just want traditional hiking boots, and there are many good ones out there like the ones from well-known hiking brands Merrell and Columbia.

If you have weak ankles, or flat feet/low arches/feet that tend to pronate, you also may want to look into a hiking boot that has more ankle support, and more cushion or sturdiness in the arch area.

Comparison to other Vessi shoes

As you’ll see in my Vessi travel shoe review, I have tried quite a few Vessi shoes, and so has Dan. We have both tried the Alta High Tops (reviewed at our Alta High Top review) for winter weather.

We both think the Classic Chelsea casual rain boot-sneakers are amazing. Seriously, I even wear them with DRESSES, if it is raining out. They’re fantastic, as you’ll see in my Vessi Classic Chelsea review.

I have tried some other Vessi shoes for which I have not enjoyed the fit, though. I’ve been in between sizes for the Courtside Classic Shoe, and the Tidal Sneaker, as well as the Weekend Sneaker (reviewed here). None of those have worked out for me 100%. Dan has had some better luck, though, in the men’s versions.

Therefore, the Vessi shoes I keep in my Vessi lineup are the Stormburst High Top, the Classic Chelsea and the Alta High Tops.

The comparison with the Stormburst shoes to all of these is that they are the most rugged. The soles have the most traction, and they are built for hiking and taking on some terrain. I don’t think I’d trust nor wear any of the other Vessi shoes for trekking, days on the trails or a hiking trip.

Where to get yours

The best place to get any Vessi shoe is at the Vessi website. There, you can choose from the two Stormburst options, according to which one suits your vision of a cool rainproof hiking shoe.

• Vessi Stormburst High Top (available in both men’s and women’s)
• Vessi Stormburst Low Top (available in both men’s and women’s)