Water Shoe Brand Dives Into Thru-Hiking: Astral Nosobo Hiking Shoe Review

When Grandma Gatewood became the first female to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 1955, she wore a simple pair of Keds sneakers to get the job done. At the time, her strategy to opt for a lightweight shoe was considered outlandish — or even comical. Everyone else who hiked long miles in the wilderness adopted a pair of heavy leather boots that were slow to dry and tough on the feet. But Gatewood was onto something. 

Eventually, hikers traded heavy boots for highly technical trail running shoes. Instead of lugging 4 pounds on their feet, they wanted more agile footwear. Yet until recently, very few shoes were designed for thru-hiking.

Putting hundreds of miles on a pair of trail runners or lightweight hikers wears the shoes down, and packs them out. The demands of thru-hiking are inherently hard on most light footwear.

The Astral Nosobo is the latest iteration of a thru-hiking shoe, and the brand’s first foray into long-distance hiking shoes. It claims to take both grip and durability to the next level. It has a replaceable midsole to extend the life of a shoe, so thru-hikers don’t have to trash them as often.

While Astral is best known for its water-oriented shoes, the Nosobo marks the brand’s entry into high-performance hiking footwear. While it’s not a perfect shoe, it does manage to fill a void in the world of long-distance backpacking.

In short: The Astral Nosobo Hiking Shoe ($160) prioritizes traction, a barefoot feel, and a durable design to accommodate people who like to walk a lot. The zero-drop style and wide toebox enhance comfort and balance, and the quick-drying materials are great for ever-changing environments. The sizing is a little large, and the brand is vague about how to replace the “Rechargeable” midsole. But for anyone looking for a long-distance hiking/backpacking shoe, this thru-hiker is a solid option.

Check out GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Hiking Shoes and the Best Hiking Shoes for Women.

Astral Nosobo Hiking Review 

Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked thousands of miles and worn dozens of different shoe styles. During that time, I learned that the most important features of a long-distance backpacking shoe are comfort and fit, support, and breathability.

Opting for a shoe without these qualities is likely to result in hot spots, blisters, and foot pain. So as I approached testing Astral’s first long-distance hiking shoe, those were the qualities I was looking for.

Materials

Using sustainably sourced and eco-friendly materials is part of Astral’s brand identity. The Astral Nosobo is designed with 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPet) and ultrafine ripstop mesh. It’s made from things like recycled drinking bottles and food containers. The result is a lightweight, quick-drying, and relatively breathable material.

If you live in a dry climate like me, quick-drying capability matters a little less. But, on many long-distance trails (like the Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian Trail), having shoes designed to dry out quickly is a huge benefit. Wet footwear creates blisters and can be the bane of thru-hikers.

Fit

I found the sizing of the Astral Nosobo to be about half a size too generous. That can be good for thru-hikers since most of our feet swell over the course of the journey. But it’s something you should definitely consider when purchasing. If you have the opportunity to try these shoes on in person, I would recommend doing so.

Astral Nosobo Hiking Shoe: In the Field

The first time I slipped the Astral Nosobo Hiking Shoe on, I walked to the bathroom and dribbled water all over my shoes. Without reading the technical information about the shoes, I was curious to see how a brand best known for its water shoes would approach a thru-hiking shoe. Would they be entirely waterproof? Partially? Or not at all?

To my surprise, the droplets of water that cascaded onto the fabric quickly saturated it. But they didn’t stay wet for long. Minutes later, I headed to a local hiking trail to evaluate real-life performance (instead of bathroom lab testing).

I noticed pretty quickly that the Nosobo shoes felt a little heavier than my everyday hiking shoes. At 1 pound, 6 ounces per pair, they are lighter than all but one of the shoes on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Hiking Shoes. However, compared to anything in our guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes, these are heavyweights. Buyers should expect something in the middle.

As I rounded a corner that was notoriously slick and covered in fine gravel, I didn’t slip at all in these shoes. Until that point, I hadn’t been sure if these were going to end up in the back of my closet with the rest of my rejects. But after that initial hike, the Nosobo proved it was worth further testing.

Midsole and Insole

One area in which many trail running shoes fail thru-hikers is their construction. A lightweight, high-performance shoe is great for a while. But after weeks of rock hopping, traipsing through mud canals, and carrying a heavy pack, the breakdown process is inevitable. Or so we thought.

The Astral Nosobo comes with a “rechargeable drop-in midsole” that can be replaced. Astral claims that this allows hikers to extend the life of their shoes so they don’t have to go in the trash at the end of every season (or hike!). It’s one of the main marketing hooks the brand uses on its webpage for these shoes.

However, nowhere on the Astral Nosobo webpage does the brand explain how customers can do this. There is no option to purchase replaceable Rechargeable drop-in insoles. The warranty and FAQ pages don’t provide info on the process, either. While it’s not immediately obvious to me where or how you’d replace the midsole, I like the idea that you can. 

I was also pleasantly surprised to find the insoles to be extra-cushioned and oddly thick (Helloooo, geriatric shoes!). In fact, I’ve only ever seen custom orthotics that can compare in girth and height.

For someone with high arches like me, they still lacked support in the area where it counts the most. But the shoe is spacious enough to accommodate my own custom orthotics. 

Outsole

A quick trip to the foothills of Colorado convinced me that these shoes’ outsoles were ultra sticky. The Trail Grip 2 outsole and nonmarking G.15 rubber felt nearly like the rubber on an approach shoe. It allowed me to traipse easily across slick rock and other sometimes slippery surfaces. This quality is essential when it comes to wet or polished rock surfaces. 

Miles-to-Dollar Math

Admittedly, I haven’t reached the 500-mile mark on these shoes yet. So, it’s difficult to say how they’ll stand up to the demands of an extended thru-hike. I’m skeptical of any trail runner or similar shoe that claims to last more than 500 miles.

But if material choice is an indicator of longevity, I have hope for the Nosobo. They already feel fairly impervious to common trail obstacles. As a consequence, I think the Nosobo’s $160 price is competitive. A high-quality shoe that’s designed to support your feet in rugged environments will seldom cost less. 

Take a look at GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Hiking Shoes, or our guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes, and you’ll see what I mean.

Astral Nosobo Hiking Shoe: Who Is It For?

The Astral Nosobo is what it claims to be: dynamic, great in technical environments, and probably long-lasting. These qualities cater to the mountain athlete who wants a shoe that can accommodate both hiking and running. Although, personally, I wouldn’t make this my dedicated trail running shoe because of its larger size, weight, and medium level of arch support.

The zero-drop style and wide toebox enhance comfort and offer space. Hikers who prefer the zero-drop, natural feel of shoes like Altras will love the Astral Nosobo. The spacious footbox and generous size support long excursions like thru-hikes that cause swelling to the feet. 

The Astral Nosobo Hiking Shoe is comfortable if you find the right fit (size down!). It’s moderately supportive. And it is super quick-drying, which helps reduce the odds of ending up with blisters.