Oboz Traverse Hiking Shoe

www.obozfootwear.com
It’s always been a personal quest to find a lightweight, low-cut hiking shoe that’s also rugged, has a grippy sole, and fits well. So far, several dozen shoes tried and several dozen were found wanting. Enter the new Oboz Traverse. More about it momentarily. First to the company itself. Oboz is a new name to me, and, according to their website, a labor of love between a bunch of cool outdoor people who hang out around Bozeman, Montana. Great, however shoe companies and shoe designs are not casually put together by  people who know nothing about footwear except what they like. But with a bit of digging I found that a well-known “shoe dog” (that’s what longtime footwear designers and marketers call themselves) is involved in Oboz and that’s good.

Now to the Traverse. These shoes have a wonderful light weight to ruggedness ratio. The uppers feature a mesh that breathes nicely, yet proved surprisingly warm in colder conditions. The last is middle of the road, i.e. not too wide and not too narrow. This could be a problem with narrow feet like mine but thanks to a fast (and secure) lacing system, the shoes can be tightened down for a perfect fit. The shoe’s toes boxes are nice and roomy so your toes have plenty of room to wiggle.
The soles (Granite Peak) look massive (especially the heel) but don’t seem bulky in use. In fact, they provide a solid, torsionally rigid platform, and offer superb grip on any surface including ice.
Best of all, the Traverse are comfortable for short and long hikes and casual wear.
-Bob Woodward
The Traverse will be available in spring 2013

Product Type
Hiking Shoes
Good For
,
Tested In
The Pacific Northwest

Mammut Mercury Advanced GTX Hiking Boot

www.mammut.ch/, 5.4-ounces

Lightweight shoes are fine for most hiking and scrambling, but when loads and landscapes get heavy, or the weather goes psycho, then a waterproof trekking boot becomes a beautiful thing. And if said boots prove stable, comfortable, durable, lightweight—and they fit—well, you might even fall in love with ‘em. Which is how one tester feels after spending a month of serious trail time in the new version of Mammut’s all-leather Mercury boot, which has been upgraded for 2012/2013 with a taller Nubuk/Velours leather upper and a grippier, bouncier sole package.

Comfort is the most important factor with any boot, and to test that, we walked these out of the box and onto two weeks of trails in Montana’s Beaverheads, Beartooths, and the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness; a three-day off-trail backpack excursion in southern Utah’s Capitol Reef; and another two weeks on the steep trails of Zion and Bryce.

In their first 72 hours we hiked the boots 37 miles with zero hot spots in the heel pocket, forefoot crease, or tongue fold. The boots proved supple and cushy enough to pad against stony trail, and we could easily lounge around camp in them, even after a long trail day. This welcome performance came thanks to a snug heel cup and mid-foot section for secure foot positioning, combined with a high-volume toe box to allow for long-mileage swelling and foot squish under loads. The combination also proved to be a versatile last that fit several sets of tester feet, from standard D width to one tester’s EEE paddles.

The Vibram ‘Scale’ sole features lugs with a beveled forward edge, and sharp rear edges. They provided excellent forward traction and the EVA midsole gave foot-strikes a refreshing poofy, rubbery feel, even near the end of one 14-mile, 40-pound, stony-trailed day hiking to Johnson Lake in the Anaconda-Pintler. Downhill braking proved secure, even on muddy track, thanks to a pronounced heel block. At 2 pounds and 5.4-ounce per pair they’re only a half-pound heavier than many trail runners.

-Steve Howe

Product Type
Hiking Boots
Good For
, ,
Tested In
The Beaverheads, Beartooths, and Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness, MT; Capitol Reef, Zion, and Bryce, UT

Flojos Andre Slides

www.flojos.com, 12 ounces
When some people dream of winter, images of snow-laden trees, deep powder, and glistening icicles dance in their heads. But for others, cold weather signals that it’s time to flee south to white-sand beaches, sun-filled skies, and Mai Thais.  For those days when your ski boots aren’t appropriate, we recommend Flojos Andre Slides. We love the slip-on styling that is more dignified than flip-flops, and dispenses with the inevitable rubbing of the thong strap between your toes. The egg crate-style footbed not only provides that aaahhhh comfort we love, but also delivers a massage-like feeling as you walk. We not only like the Andres for the beach, but for apres ski and snowboard wear as well. The vegan-friendly footstrap is wide, which helps keep the slides from sliding off, and it provides some additional support if you’re hiking across rough terrain to the hot tub. The sole is ribbed for traction, but because of the composition, it’s suggested you don’t leave these baking in the sun while you catch a few waves.

Product Type
Sandals
Good For
, ,
Tested In
Post-hike in Tasmania, Apres in Bachelor, OR

Adidas Terrex Swift Solo Day Hikers

www.adidas.com/us
We confess to feeling some skepticism when we first saw the Adidas Terrex Swift Solo hiking shoes.  The mega-brand already makes award-winning shoes for practically every sport that requires footwear, and we worry that hiking might be their Achilles heel. Thankfully, these day hikers stride confidently into the market. After six months of testing, the shoes continue to excel.  The wear-resistant textile mesh uppers were durable and breathable during mid-summer hikes, but they offer enough warmth to work well in cooler autumn temps, especially when paired with a nice pair of merino wool hiking socks. The toe cage protects the feet from rocks and roots on the trail without adding too much stiffness, and the heel-to-toe cushioning offered out-of-the-box comfort.  We also like the molded tongue, which rested comfortably against the tendons and never slipped, even after a ten-hour slog through the trails of Shenandoah.  The tread is fairly modest compared to other day hikers, but the front outsole is climbing-specific and the proprietary Traxion grippy rubber held up well in easy rock scrambles. You won’t be doing any serious climbing in these shoes, mind you. But they may become your go-to approach shoe.
Note: we tested the early model, which had a slightly different look. But the difference between our tester and the new models are purely aesthetic.

Product Type
Hiking Shoes
Good For
,
Tested In
Hiking throughout Virginia's national and state parks, approach shoes in Smith Rock State Park, OR

Patagonia’s Advocate Program Raises Funds for Local Conservation Efforts

Gear obsession has its ugly side—as much as we always want a new jacket, bag, or an unscuffed pair of shoes, we often don’t really need them. That, of course, seldom stops us. But it does lead to clutter—and more than our fair share of recycled cardboard boxes.  But happily Patagonia is helping assuage our guilt.  Partnering with 1% for the Planet, Patagonia Shoes is hosting a variety of events this fall with both online and brick-and-mortar retailers (as well as at the online Patagonia store) in an effort to raise awareness and funds for conservation efforts.  All participating vendors will donate $10 to local initiatives for every pair of Patagonia shoes purchased. The first online event is currently live with Online Shoes, with proceeds benefiting The Conservation Alliance, and ends on October 22nd, 2012 The second runs on Zappos.com from October 23 to November 24, with proceeds to the Friends of Nevada Wilderness. A state-by-state list of brick-and-mortar retailers who are also participating (along with the specific dates and the local conservation effort that’ll benefit) can be found at Patagonia’s Advocate Weeks website.

As for which pair of shoes to buy?  We’ve already expressed our enthusiasm for the Patagonia women’s Fore Runner and the Naked Maui Mock. But we also really like their aptly-named Advocate line. These minimalist shoes boast a 20-percent recycled EVA footbed, a 15-percent recycled insole, and a durable, 20-percent recycled rubber tread.  The microfiber uppers are durable, yet soft-to-the-touch. The minimalist shoes weigh around 5.5 ounces (depending on the model) and collapse down to next to nothing for simplistic, pack-and-go travels. Of the eight models (four for men, four for women), we’re particularly drawn to the sly styling of the Lace Plaid ($75, pictured above) as well as the new Advocate Chukka ($80), a winter-friendly version with a recycled fleece collar and lining to keep your feet toasty.

Product Type
Footwear
Good For
, , ,
Tested In
Traveling from DC to San Francisco, then to Portland and Bend, OR, and then back to DC.
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