La Sportiva Imogene Trail Running Shoes
April 24, 2008
I think this must be a Geargals first: a sarcasm-free post. I really want to deliver the message, here, and it’s too important to be lost in smartass comments.
As you can probably tell from my other shoe posts, I am very picky about footwear. It’s really difficult for me to find shoes and boots that fit right, and most of the time I’m left with something just “okay” because I can’t find anything better. Pretty much every trip ends with foot pain, blisters, numbness, and various other discomforts. I’ve learned to live with it, because it just didn’t seem that I had a choice. And then the universe smiled upon me, and La Sportiva sent me a pair of Imogenes to review.
These shoes are incredible. I never realized that I didn’t have to finish every run with numb and tingling feet, and that trail running didn’t always have to include twisting my ankle every few steps. Thirtysomethingmumblemumble years it took me to figure this out – well, all those years and these shoes, that is. The Imogene is billed as a neutral, well cushioned shoe, and let me emphasize that I don’t think I’ve ever worn a truly neutral shoe before no matter what manufacturers have claimed. This shoe is so well balanced that I knew within a few steps of starting my run that I was in for a great experience.
It really was the most amazing feeling to run along and feel that every step resulted in a solid, flat foot placement, even on mud, snow, ice, roots, and rocks (all in one run – that is trail running in Alaska in the spring, folks). I am a high-arched underpronator, which means that my foot takes an enormous beating when I run because my arches don’t distribute the shock forces well, and being an underpronator makes me tend to run and push off of on the outsides of my feet. I twist ankles all the time, especially to the outside, and it’s kind of amazing that I’ve continued trail running all these years, because uneven surfaces are really difficult for me. Not in these shoes. They allowed my foot to actually land and push off flat, in any trail condition. This made for a very relaxing run because I didn’t have to constantly worry about twisted ankles – and this was my first real running workout after knee surgery. I actually had to make myself stop when I was done with the route, because I was having so much fun I wanted to keep running. I really didn’t have any idea that a shoe could make this much difference.
Another welcome change was that I didn’t have to mess around changing insoles. The insole that comes in the Imogene is nothing particularly groundbreaking as far as I can tell, but the design and balance of the shoe eliminates the need to replace it with a “better” insole. Also a first for me.
The incredible cushioning is no joke. It was like running on a very firm trampoline. Even on pavement the Imogene absorbed every step without feeling mushy or spongy, which I never thought could truly be accomplished in a running shoe. Other runners with high arches should take note: these shoes will change your life. I don’t know what laws of physics La Sportiva bent to create this shoe, but whatever they’re doing, they’re doing right.
Rab Latok Alpine Jacket
April 21, 2008
Rab is an established company in the UK, and is just starting a push to join the US market. If you’re not yet familiar with Rab, believe me, you will be soon. It’s pretty gutsy for Rab to go up against North American top guns like The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, and Arc’Teryx, but based on what I’ve seen so far, those jet jockeys might have a fight on their hands soon (and if I hadn’t liked the jacket, I could have said “Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full!” but as it turns out, there’s always room for one more. But that’s not as catchy a fighter pilot slogan).
I usually don’t post reviews of products until I’ve seriously beat them down for a while, but since all my adventure partners are sick of hearing about how much I love this jacket, I figure I’d better stop testing their patience and just post my review already. This won’t stop me from shoving it in everyone’s face and telling them they have to check it out, though, because this is one product that delivers.
At first blush I was impressed by the construction and design, not to mention the ridiculously light weight. Even though the sample was a wee bit on the small size for me, I refused to hand it off to a smaller tester because I liked it so much. The true-to-size fit was actually quite nice, because the warped-sizing guessing game involved in finding clothes that fit these days is pretty annoying. I have clothes in my closet ranging from size 2 to size 8. I can understand disparity between two sizes, but four? Argh. Rab also uses numerical sizing (2-4-6-8, etc.) instead of S-M-L, so you can really dial in the fit. So when buying Rab, buy your REAL size. Do not think that you can fit into a size two just because you wear a size small in The North Face. That said, I really like the trim cut of the Latok Alpine. For me it is a tad bit long, but I know that I’m practically unique in that complaint since women seem to be almost universally clamoring for longer jackets and shirts, and sadly for me, manufacturers are listening.
Best of all, the Latok is cut trim in the body but generously in the sleeves, and my readers know how much I like that. Total arm mobility is important in climbing, folks! The design is minimalist, with two big outside pockets and two smaller inside pockets. The outside pockets are huge, and the water-and-wind-proof zippers keep out the elements. If you like being close to nature but not THAT close to nature, you’ll be grateful for the weatherproofing. Those wise ladies who wear helmets to protect their noggins will appreciate the oversized hood (oversized? It’s ENORMOUS), guaranteed to fit even a full-faced motorcycle helmet, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Minor complaints are limited to the sizing of the two logos – both the rather drab yet giant Rab logo on the chest (kind of odd on an otherwise understated and elegant jacket design) and the equally obvious bright orange eVent fabrics logo on the sleeve. Did you know that eVent fabrics is owned by General Electric? I didn’t, either, until I saw the huge logo and then read the accompanying literature. My jacket and my refrigerator are made by the same company? Weird. When it comes to logos, less is more, sometimes.
Edit: I took the Latok on an ice climbing trip (remember, we’re in Alaska, we can ice climb in May) and I thought it worth mentioning that this is the best ice climbing jacket I’ve ever tried. The trim cut made it so easy to use with a climbing harness – the waist belt just buckles right over the jacket, no muss, no fuss, no folds or bulges or annoying extra fabric to bunch up under the harness. The arms have plenty of room for swinging, hooking, and, oh yeah, ice climbing too (ha!). The more things I use this jacket for, the more I like it. The eVent fabric seems impervious to water and dirt, both of which exist in abundance here in Alaska. Rab is well on its way to becoming a staple in my gear closet.
Atomic Femme Fatale skis
April 8, 2008
This is a slightly unfair review, but since it’s positive, I’ll go ahead and post it. It’s unfair because I tested a pair of Femme Fatales that were really completely unsuitable for me, the 150 cm length. That means they come up to about my collarbone. I had them while starting back to skiing after having knee surgery; I wanted short little boards that wouldn’t be too much of a strain on my tender, arthroscopic-camera-ravaged knee.
The cool thing was that I really had fun on these little shorties. They made my return to skiing really easy and uneventful, and for that I thank them. The adorable little 150 cm length got me making adorable little tiny-radius turns (my ski partner even said “look at your cute little turns!”) and were super light, just what my knee needed.
One of my favorite features of these skis was the notch for STS skin tails. LOVE. I really don’t know why all backcountry skis don’t have this notch. On the Femme, it’s part of a rubber-ish cap on the tail of the ski, and it held my skin tail securely in place and prevented the scratches I always get on my ski bases from putting my skins on and off. This feature is genius and there’s no reason why we can’t have it on all skis. Well, there might be a reason, but it’s probably some ski construction industry secret.
Unfortunately I had to part ways with my tiny companions when I graduated back to the backcountry – I just sank in the powder wearing these. I mean sank. To my waist. And stopped. Halfway down. They were also too short to deliver any real speed and I spent a few anxious days chasing the other Geargals around the mountain, unable to keep up and feeling like someone’s little sister. You know, the one that mom and dad drop off at the resort with big sis and her friends, while big sis pouts and complains that she doesn’t want to babysit all day. That is not a dynamic that I wanted to revisit at this point in my life. So, if I could test a pair of the Femmes that were suitable to my size, I would have a more thorough review for you, but I did enjoy these skis a lot, so that’s something. I actually regret selling these skis, as they were fun and I can see that they’d be useful in certain short-ski-appropriate situations, but the cute little skis went to a new home with a cute little woman who only came up to my chin. Seriously, if there is one way for a Geargal to feel beastly, it’s for normal-size her to stand next to a perfect adorable tiny size 85 pound woman. She was a perfect match for the wee little Femmes, and I’m sure they’re very happy together. And she is one lucky gal, as what is only knee deep powder for me is thigh deep for her. Hmph.
Cannondale Roam Cycling Shoes
April 2, 2008
If only I were 12 years old, so I could have an excuse to fill this review with rainbows and flowers and dot all my i’s with hearts, for that would illustrate just how much I love these shoes. A rabid clipless pedal addict, I have never been a fan of those hard plastic slipper-style, velcro-closure type of cycling shoes, so the hiking-shoe styling of the Roams really caught my eye. The idea behind the Roam (or so I gather) is for riders to be able to swap out the cleats, put a rubber sole back on, and wear these as “real” shoes when they’re not riding. Say, perhaps, you want to do a ride/hike combo. You could put the cleats on, ride out, take the cleats off and put the rubber back on, and then go hiking. Interesting idea…
I suppose if I were to do a ride/hike combo as described above, these shoes would be perfect. Frankly, though, I think that most people just either go out and ride or go out and hike. For instance, I will not ride without my padded bike shorts. However, I’ve no desire to hike in padded bike shorts. So I’d have to carry a change of clothes, AND change the cleats on the shoes, etc. etc. Too much work. Besides, I think the Roams really shine when riding, so the cleats have stayed on mine permanently (so far). They’re already perfect for riding, so why bother trying to hike in them?
For the sake of an accurate review, I did swap the cleats on and off a few times to test the process. It’s not that easy; it requires some force to push hard enough on the sole to get the screws to grip. It’s enough of a pain that I wouldn’t want to sit alongside the trail and try to change the cleats out of my shoes. Then I’d have to carry the cleats separately, and the parts might get lost, etc. etc. I’ll just keep them specifically as cycling shoes, but that’s just fine by me!
A nice, snug yet comfortable fit allows efficient power transfer to the pedals. A cool snap loop keeps the laces out of your way, and when you get off your bike, the shoes feel like regular shoes, so no hobbling around on weirdly shaped curved soles. As a matter of fact, if you didn’t already know these were bike shoes, you would think they were regular hiking shoes. Around here, people are really snobby about clipless pedals and unless you have them, you are not a real biker. So I feel even more ultra cool, because I ride with clipless pedals but the Roam gives me that stealthy, I’m-so-cool-I-don’t-have-to-show-it-off attitude. I did have an issue for a while with a pressure point in the sole of the left shoe (I figured it was from the cleat system somehow) but I swapped out the insoles for a sturdier pair and the problem was solved.
Aside from that, these shoes are so awesome that I’ve had to restrain myself from getting another pair just to HAVE another pair. If these ever wore out and I couldn’t replace them, I’d be heartbroken. So keep making the Roam, Cannondale (chances are I’ll pick up another pair this season anyway, just to be safe).
