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Buyer's Guide

Roa Andreas Review & Sizing Guide

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Buy Andreas for an outfit-leading Italian hiking-shaped boot at a luxury price; avoid it as a real hiking boot, accept the brand-wide QC inconsistency, and only pay full retail if your specific colorway is selling out — otherwise wait for the seasonal sale that has burned several ROA owners got a new pair this July during their sale and wow, dollar store quality.

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Key facts

Form
Italian mid-cut hiking boot; leather upper, oversized eyelets, contrast laces, Vibram sole.
Fit
Run roomy in the toe box; many owners size down from sneakers, closer to Doc Martens fit.
Use case
Fashion-first hiking-shaped boot for urban wear; not for serious hiking or technical terrain.
Build
Made in China at this price tier; older releases had more hand-finished detailing.
Resoleable
Some Vibram outsoles are resoleable, but quality of repairs depends on cobbler experience.
Watch-out
Brand-wide QC inconsistency; recent owners report outsole separation and stained uppers.

Full breakdown

ROA Andreas is the Italian brand's flagship hiking boot: mid-cut leather upper, oversized speed-lacing eyelets, contrast laces, and a thick Vibram sole. It is a fashion-first hiking boot in the gorpcore lane, with the broader ROA community treating the brand as "a fashion brand first, hiking second" they're a fashion brand first, hiking second. Buy Andreas for outfit weight and Italian-leather presence; do not buy it as a real hiking boot.

FAQ

How should ROA Andreas fit, and should I size down from my sneakers?

Most owners size down from their typical sneaker size, closer to their Doc Martens size, because Andreas runs roomy. The cleanest sizing line in the gorpcore Andreas sizing thread came from a US9/EU42 sneaker wearer who runs US8/EU41 in Docs and was asking what to size in Andreas I am a US9/EU42 in sneakers but a US8/EU41 in doc martens, what size should i get for my pair of ROA Andreas Hiking. If you wear US10 sneakers but US9 in Docs, try US9 in Andreas; the roomy last makes oversizing worse than undersizing.

Can I actually hike in ROA Andreas?

No — treat them as a fashion boot, not a hiking boot. The gorpcore community's general ROA assessment lands directly on this point they're a fashion brand first, hiking second, and even owners who like ROA Neals (a related model) specifically say "wouldn't use them for actual hiking though" I have one pair of Neals and I'm happy with them, they're sturdy and look great, wouldn't use them for actual hiking. Buy a Salomon X Ultra 5 GTX, La Sportiva, or Scarpa for committed hiking; save Andreas for urban gorpcore outfits.

How is the build quality on Andreas, and what should I inspect on arrival?

Quality has gotten inconsistent across recent production runs; multiple owners across the broader ROA family report sole separation, stained uppers, and finishing issues. The brand-wide cautionary thread documents this clearly got a new pair this July during their sale, the outsole came off within a week, the upper is also stained and creased after light country walks. On arrival, check the vulcanized rubber join around the welt, look for clean stitching, and return immediately if anything looks off — return windows are short.

Are ROA Andreas worth the price, or should I wait for sale?

Wait for sale on Andreas unless your specific colorway is selling out. Even the sale-priced pair has burned owners with QC issues paying that much for shoes made in China? Ridiculous, imo, so paying full retail (~$450-$550) is a much bigger gamble. Buy at 30%+ off at end-of-season, or pick up a second-hand pair from a verified seller (Andreas is faked, so authenticate carefully).

Are Vibram soles on Andreas resoleable when they wear out?

Some Andreas models use Vibram outsoles that a skilled cobbler can resole, but the join between sole and upper on Andreas is the limiting factor and adds real risk to any repair quote. A potential Andreas Kudu buyer asked this exact question and was generally told a lot of Vibram soles are resoleable but it depends on the construction a lot of vibram soles are resole-able but I haven't seen these soles on any other boot. Choose your cobbler before assuming a full resole is possible; budget a $80-$150 retail resole price if the outsole still bonds to the upper, otherwise treat the boot as end-of-life.