Columbia Facet 75 OutDry Review

We really like the Facet 75 OutDry. It is very well cushioned, has good underfoot support for most hikers' needs, and is grippy and waterproof. It's also lightweight, but best of all, it is affordable.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

Comfort is the name of the game when it comes to the Facet 75 shoes. Feeling much more like a trail runner than a hiking shoe, the upper on this model is mostly mesh, with some small patches of more durable overlay in key locations, making it feel light and airy on foot. One thing that really sets this shoe apart is the Techlite PLUSH midsole, an incredibly cushioned layer sandwiched between the foot and the outsole that helps provide a balanced and comfortable walking stride and protect the foot from trail impacts. We think the included Ortholite insole is quite good and did not feel the need to replace it with an aftermarket insole immediately. The lacing system is simple and allows for a snug fit from the toe box to the ankle.

On the flip side, the material that makes up the ankle cuff can feel sharp and rigid and sometimes unpleasantly bit into our ankle. We will continue to test these shoes to see how they break in over a longer period of time. We're curious if they will become more comfortable and whether this might have been isolated to the pair we tested.

Support

The Facet is a moderately supportive shoe due to its weight, materials, and structure. While other models we tested had much better results in this metric, we feel that the Facet does an impressive job providing the support it does for its weight class. With an upper made almost entirely from mesh, there is not a lot of natural support from the material itself, so ensuring a tight fit through lacing gives an approximation of support. The midsole has a TPU insert, making it a more capable hiker than your average trail runner, though it is not stiff enough to kick steps in a hillside or edge well in technical terrain. We found that the wider 4.75-inch forefoot width really did help us feel more stable while bounding around in loose, off-trail travel, and even though this is a low-cut shoe, we felt less likely to roll our ankle with this added width.

Traction

We were impressed by the traction offered by the Facet 75 in most types of terrain. These shoes use an in-house Adapt Trax outsole that does a great job gripping in both dry and wet surface conditions. The rubber compound is soft enough to smear on smooth rock while firm enough to provide bite in mud and loose sediment. The flexibility of the outsole, while potentially a reason for an average score in support, ends up allowing the foot to shape and contour along surfaces ensuring more contact and, thus, more traction. The lug pattern on these shoes is much like a mountain bike tire — they are tall (five millimeters) and sharp, with alternating long and short lugs. This provides a good, solid grip on up-and-down travel. We did find that the lack of much patterning on the lugs allows for the shoe to slip sideways a bit more frequently when side-hilling, and since these lack much of a stiff edging platform, cross-slope travel, especially in steep or loose conditions, was impacted.

Water Resistance

The Facet 75 does pretty well at keeping water on the outside of the shoe, thanks to an OutDry waterproof/breathable fabric that is sewn in. We tested these shoes by standing in a water bath and walking through streams and puddles, and the waterproof membrane worked as it should, not allowing any moisture inside. The Facet 75 has a flood height of 3 inches, which is average for shoes in this category. Some shoes have flood heights of as much as 4.75 inches, though they weigh more and don't have as low of an ankle cuff. One thing this shoe does have going for it is its ease of drying. With so much mesh and other light, synthetic materials, even if the Facet is inundated while fording a deep waterway, they'll dry very fast on your feet.

Weight

The Facet 75 is a pretty lightweight shoe and occupies a space on the lighter end of the spectrum compared to the competition. We weighed these shoes on our own scale and verified them at 1.86 pounds for a size 11 US. These shoes provide good quality and above-average performance for their weight, although other award-winning models scored higher in all metrics while maintaining a lighter weight. Those shoes cost more, though, so we feel that the Facet is one of the better lightweight hikers for the price.

Durability

As with all shoes made of lightweight construction, the Facet 75 OutDry will have a more limited lifespan than shoes made with heavier and more durable fabrics such as leather. The mesh upper is protected in key locations by TPU coatings, though because they are not sewn in, some delamination is to be expected. The Techlite PLUSH midsole is made of foam which will begin to have chunks taken out of it from abrasion in rocky terrain, a common occurrence in hiking shoes that use these large and exposed midsoles. However, we want to continue to point out that durability concerns will always be a trade-off with shoes of this style that are more reminiscent of running shoes than hiking shoes. These will likely last a full season or more of moderate use or a single long and involved trail, such as the JMT, before needing to be retired.

Should You Buy the Columbia Facet 75 OutDry?

The Facet showcases a lot of quality attributes, has good overall performance, is lightweight, and is offered at a reasonable price. We think it's a great value and recommend it to those looking for an affordable and lightweight hiking shoe.

What Other Hiking Shoes Should You Consider?