Based on the last pair of shoes that I tried from NORTIV 8, I was honestly a bit hesitant to give these a try. I’d never tried anything from their line of boots, and the previous shoes I had didn’t work for my feet very well. But straight out of the box, these boots are quite pleasing to look at, and I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt with a true test. So, I took my teetering thoughts to the trail.
NORTIV 8 DualStride Armadillo FieldLite Mid Boots Overview
NORTIV 8 has been in the outdoor niche of the footwear industry since 2019 now, and I think it shows. They’re starting to really get their feet underneath them, notably with their growing collection of shoe styles and with each continuous improvement to the quality and experience of wearing their brand with each piece of footwear they release. With each shoe that comes out, their goal seems to become more tangible. The pursuit of high quality, comfortable shoes at an affordable price is getting better every year.
The DualStride Armadillo Boots even have the awards and accolades to prove how far the NORTIV 8 brand has come. Most recently, these particular hiking boots won the 2026 Hiking Shoe Product of the Year.
Where They Shine
Fit & Comfort
One of my biggest grievances with the last pair of shoes I tried was that the single set of metal hooks were poorly positioned for my anatomy and therefore unusable in assisting with a secure lace job. Not so with these boots! The positioning was much better; I was actually able to use them, and being able to use the hooks helped tremendously for getting the right fit, and therefore comfort level when wearing these. Since my feet are narrow and I tend to wear average width shoes, it’s important for me to be able to cinch up the laces at the top to make sure my feet don’t slide around. This prevents hot spots and achilles discomfort.
In addition to this previous concern of mine being alleviated, I was also pleasantly surprised with the all around experience of these boots. The Armadillos are incredibly comfortable and didn’t have a break in period. They have a good amount of arch support and neither feel too firm or too flimsy. They even have a taller toe box, which is great for me, and allows more room for foot swelling.
I also wanted to mention when it comes to the comfort of these boots, my previous shoes rubbed my achilles tendons raw and wearing them was uncomfortable since they would dig in and create hot spots there. But the very first time I wore these boots out on a hike, I had a healing wound on my left achilles and the boots didn’t rub or irritate it at all!
Intended Purpose
The DualStride Armadillos are designed to be a good general hiking boot at an affordable price. Not only are they affordable, but they are exceedingly comfortable. These boots have performed well and brought me through my recent 13er hike with no trouble as well.
The boots have solid traction for different types of terrain, and prevent slipping down dry dirt trails. My most recent hike included a range of about 20% to 40% graded incline and I did not have to worry about traction during my hike. NORTIV 8 advertises these boots as anti-slip and wear resistant, and they’ve held up well. These really are a more durable boot. The toe boxes have seen a little bit of scuffing with time, and the boots have become covered with dust that’s changed the color somewhat, but despite being harder on these boots than I was with the FlyLife Lifestyle shoes, the boot uppers are still solid and not worn through.
As waterproof hikers, these will be a reliable, good pair of boots for river crossings over the duration of a several mile hike. NORTIV 8 advertises these boots as only being for light rain, wet grass, and puddle splashes, so the DualStride Armadillos will be a trusty aid in most situations. Again, as a general hiking boot that is also waterproof, this is some nice quality stuff. As a fun and practical aside, normal hikes with river crossings should be fine, but I wouldn’t wear these for The Narrows at Zion National Park since they’re not meant to be a water shoe.
The only thing worth noting on the intended purpose of these boots is that because the DualStride Armadillos are all-arounder hiking boots, they won’t be the best choice for your super technical trail, or where every ounce makes or breaks a multi-day excursion. These are fairly lightweight for their size (12.7 ounces per boot that is size 6), though they may not be the ideal option for a multi-day backpacking trip across Europe as an example. And since these boots aren’t specifically designed for those purposes, that’s okay!
Style
The DualStride Armadillo FieldLite comes in 4 modern colors to suit buyer preferences. They have light pink, khaki, light grey (that comes with purple accents), and dark grey (with pale blue accents). I’ve always enjoyed my footwear making a bit of a statement, so I chose the light pink boots and found them to be a pretty shade. It’s subtle, which I like, because it’s different enough to stand out in a sea of black and grey, but it’s not so flashy or bright that I feel like they draw too much attention.
The boots are rugged in style (a classic look) and the features of these boots indicate to me that NORTIV 8 puts a lot of thought into making durable, quality boots that women actually enjoy using.
Price
NORTIV 8 shoes are hard to beat; this brand stands strong in the budget-friendly category of outdoor gear, and it seems like each line they come out with gets better and better. The prices remain low, but NORTIV 8 truly seems to want to deliver better quality for less. Right now, these boots come in at about $75 dollars. For a general hiking boot that’s also lightly waterproof that’s a good deal!
Potential Pain Points
Style & Maintenance
Both a pro and a con, the potential downside (it really depends on how much you care about maintaining pristine shoes) of these boots is the higher maintenance needs of the lighter colors. Light colors in a dry environment means that my boots get dusty and dirty fast. The arid Colorado climate really shows after I get done with a hike, as my light pink boots become beigey and yellowish after each hike I do. Now, it’s pretty easy to decently clean these up…just give them a rinse since they’re waterproof, but maintenance is maintenance. So if you don’t want to clean your hiking boots every time you’re done with your outdoor adventures, your options are limited to going with a color where dust is less visible or to not care about the dirt in the first place. And obviously for this point, this is dependent on a dry and arid climate. I can’t speak to how these boots would interact with a hot and humid environment like Florida or the Carolinas.
The only other pain point I will mention is that these boots are designed with a rugged, bulky styling, which isn’t for everyone. But the NORTIV 8 brand doesn’t fall within the fashion hiking boot style. So, this is basically a take it or leave it pain point dependent on your style preferences. These are really well designed and nice-looking rugged style boots. And for those of us that are more practically minded that enjoy the classic look, there’s no problem here!
Final Verdict
So how do these stand up to the test of the NORTIV 8 brand mission?
These boots surpassed my expectations.
These are the most comfortable and durable NORTIV 8 shoes I have worn, and I’ve quickly found myself choosing these boots over my other waterproof hiking boots (sorry Sorel) due to their comfort. While these aren’t the boots I would pick for a more technical trail, the DualStride Armadillos are hard to beat for the simple, everyday trails I frequent.
There’s little to no break-in period and you can get straight to the trail without worrying about chafing or hot spots! They’re built to be comfortable and roomy enough for foot swelling that happens during a hike, so there is no discomfort in wearing these when you start or finish your hike. Overall, I’d pick these over other hiking boots for an all-day trip, any day.
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