La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Running Shoe
March 9, 2010
Every time I think La Sportiva has created the ultimate shoe, they go and create something even better. I replaced my precious Imogenes with the Wildcats this year, and although I still love the Imogenes, I think I love the Wildcats even better (”love them better” – sounds dirty, but I’m going with it). This might be because they have a big more padding and cush, which is very noticeable in the heel. Somehow, though, they retain an impressive amount of feel for the trail beneath, and are so wonderfully neutral that it’s hard to put a foot wrong.
In my Imogene review, I mentioned that I’ve never before worn a truly neutral shoe, but now I have TWO neutral runners in my arsenal. This is unprecedented. Most of the time I have zero good shoes, and now I have TWO pairs. I really must have done something right! The running goddesses are pleased with me and have blessed me with shoes.
Most running shoe manufacturers seem to be aiming towards those with inward-rolling feet (pronators) so us high arched runners are left with “cushioned” shoes which are better than nothing, but still leave us prone to twisting ankles and having to awkwardly adjust our strides to compensate for unbalanced shoes. So I’m not sure how La Sportiva does it but they really get it right. The Wildcats are so nicely neutral that it’s easy to place one’s feet on the trail.
The Wildcats are nice and light, yet strong enough for those burly, rugged trails. They are incredibly well-ventilated; I can actually feel the breeze through the mesh. Even so, they stay put and don’t let my foot slide around. They haven’t stretched or compressed yet, though I expect with that much mesh they probably will end up stretching. One thing I’ve found about La Sportiva is that when their running shoes are done, you really feel it. You can’t tell by looking at them, because they don’t seem to ever visibly wear out, but when the sole is compressed, you can tell. Which is a good thing because it will remind you to replace your shoes when appropriate, which is also recommended by orthopedic surgeons everywhere.
The Wildcats are here to stay, in my esteemed Closet of Favorite Shoes. I don’t wear them for ANYTHING but running because I want them to last. You can ask the Gearguy; once he put a pair of shoes ON TOP of my Wildcats in the closet. Oh, let me tell ye, hell hath no fury like a Geargal whose favorite runners had some stinky old boy shoes dumped on top of them. I protect them like a mama bear, because they are equally at home pounding the pavement and climbing steep terrain, and the cushy heel makes descending at speed almost feasible for this creaky getting-older runner. As a matter of fact, the Wildcats are my favorite shoe for speed work and sprinting, because I can let it out without feeling the sting in my feet. This is a good thing because my (imaginary) competition gets younger every year and I keep getting older. But you know, that’s OK, because I keep getting faster – and I hand a portion of the credit to La Sportiva for making shoes that don’t make my feet fall asleep or make me twist my ankle all the time. I know I am supposed to be neutral, myself – I’m a gear tester and I’ll test shoes no matter who makes them – but just a warning: the bar is set high, now, indeed.
Xtra-Tuf Steel Toe Boots
October 6, 2009
Recently I got a little feedback about being negative about relationships in one of my latest posts. It was just a riff, honest! I love a good relationship, I really do. It’s just that they’re so rare. Most of them are crap, admit it. But when one good comes along, believe me, I know how to hold onto it. So I got to thinking about relationships that really have worked out well, and one of those is the one between me and my Xtra-Tuf boots. Xtra-Tufs have long been referred to as “Alaskan sneakers” because most Alaskans have and use Xtra-Tufs on a regular basis. In Southeast Alaska, if you don’t have Xtra-Tufs, you are not only uncool but you’re probably very miserable and have wet feet a lot.
I was headed out for another field assignment in which I got to destroy and burn things, so of course when I was packing I reached for my trusty Xtra-Tufs. I put them on and realized, “hey, these aren’t my Tufs. . . .” After a few phone calls I figured out that one of my girlfriends was wearing Tufs that she didn’t think were hers. Mystery solved. That’s how common Xtra-Tufs are in Alaska, you can’t even tell which ones are yours. We didn’t have time to switch back so I wore hers on the field assignment, and since they were the steel toe version, those are the ones I’ll review in this article.
I really did luck out with getting a pair of steel toes for this trip. They were a little warmer than the regular ones, with a thicker sole and the added safety of the steel toe. This was very handy while destroying structures and walking over nails and broken glass and having things fall on my feet. I guess all I can really say about that is that I never had any sole punctures and when things feel on my feet it didn’t bother me because the steel toes saved me. I never had cold feet even in freezing temps, which seems weird with chunks of metal over my toes, but I’ll go with it since it worked. The form-fitting uppers fit well under pants, though some of my colleagues wear their pants tucked into their Tufs – whichever you prefer. Now that I’ve tried the steel toe version, I highly recommend it – I don’t see the downside. Regular Tufs are great for fishing or walking, and I’ve even hiked in them a time or two. They do last a while, even if you ignore the recommendation to not fold them over. I wore mine folded over for six years and eventually they did wear through, but they are easily patched with JB Weld, or, in my case, by a good friend who builds and repairs rafts for a living.
Like most Alaskans, I reach for Xtra-Tufs when temperatures are moderate and there’s any possibility of wet ground. If you come to Alaska to visit, and want to fit in, grab yourself a pair of Tufs and no one will possibly know you’re a tourist. Unless you carry your regular shoes with you to change into later – that’s a blazing red “TOURIST!!!” neon sign if there ever was one. Suck it up and wear your Tufs at the office like an Alaskan.
Lowa Bora GTX QC Hiking Boot
September 12, 2009
All right, the boss is out of town and she left me the keys to the web site! Yep, she’s off at the Outdoor Retailer trade show and, last I heard, was too exhausted to keep tabs on the site. So, when the cat’s away….the mice do as they’re told. You see, I got back from my trek on the Kesugi Ridge the day the Head Geargal left for the show, and she told me in no uncertain terms that I was to get this review posted while she was gone. The kind folks at Lowa have been waiting long enough, she sternly admonished. And here it is, Thursday already, and I’m just now getting this done. I know HG is busy at the show, but I swear I can feel the glowering from here. So here it is! [And here I am, posting it the following Friday. ahem. -HG]
Thanks, Lowa, for being patient. Sometimes we have to find just the right trip for the gear that comes our way. HG insisted that the Kesugi Ridge trip I was taking would be perfect – and how right she was! Not only is the Ridge a great, iconic Alaskan trip, but I had these nice, lightweight, supportive boots to take along. At first I was concerned that they wouldn’t be beefy enough, since they have a flatish sole and I’m used to a more curved, lugged sole – hard to describe. I even had a little trouble adapting, and turned my ankle a few times before I got used to the soles. That sounds like a negative, but it really wasn’t – Once I got used to placing my foot flat, it wasn’t a problem.
I was actually a perfect fit for this boot as I usually wear regular running shoes for hiking – yes, I’m an outdoors infidel – and I don’t like overly engineered footwear. These boots are kind of like regular sneaks on steroids, perfect for people who want just a little more than a running shoe and a little less than a high-tech clunky backpacking boot. These boots convinced me that I am not too good to wear a hiking boot, especially one as light and comfy as these. They didn’t have any break-in time and were impressively, consistently waterproof. Even though I’m still in trouble for not getting my review in on time, I still win, because I get to abscond with the boots because it’s not as if HG is going to want them back after a week-long backpacking trip with no showers available….
Chaco Z/1 Sandal
July 5, 2009
Yep, another one of those stories in which there is a lesson to be learned. The lesson is, as it so often has been in the past: read the directions! For years I thought I couldn’t wear Chaco sandals because they were always too tight. I could never even get my toe through the toe loop some Chaco models have. Rather than develop a complex about my tubby feet, I just wore other sandals, admiring Chacos from afar. That all changed last week when I tried the Z/1 sandal and actually read the adjustment directions conveniently printed on the box. Oh hey, you can just adjust the fit any way you want! Good grief – you’d think someone could have told me that earlier. Once adjusted, I was completely stoked with the Z/1s. They are super comfortable, and because they’re essentially held on your feet with a continuous loop of fabric, they don’t have any velcro or plastic parts to rub you raw. Well, the buckle is plastic but it’s on the top of the shoe so it doesn’t rub or get in the way. The Z/1 is a model without the toe loop, which is my preference, but if you like the toe loop you can, of course, get a model with that feature.
We’ve been having this insane summer of good weather up here, perfect for sandals, so the Z/1s have been a staple. They’re so comfortable and stable on your feet that you can wear them almost anywhere – a friend just wore them up a ridiculously steep mountain, but I don’t really recommend that. Aside from the occasional rock that worked its way under my foot, I thought the Z/1s were almost as comfortable as regular footwear, and I really need them because of the ridiculous sock tan-lines I have. I need the sandals to try to even that out! I wish these sandals came in a bike version, with clips on the underside. How cool would that be? They’re not elastic so you’d still get a somewhat stable shoe, and you wouldn’t get the bike socks tan lines. I dream of such a day. Anyhow, the straps on the Z/1s don’t have to be tight to keep the sandal where it belongs, and you can adjust the straps easily even while wearing them just by tugging on them a little bit. I see these sandals everywhere, there are tons of people wearing them and I sure see why! I even love the color of mine – same as in the picture above. Very cute, and there are many matchy-matchy options if you like that sort of thing. If you eschew fashion, you can always get basic black which I’m sure can transition from daytime to evening pretty easily, at least if you live in Alaska where black Chaco sandals count as formal wear. Definitely a winner, and I’m retiring my velcro-style sandals, or at least relegating them to fishing duty.
Merrell Chameleon Arc Mary Jane Shoe
June 8, 2009
So this web site came into being because it seemed as if women had fewer gear options than men, and I wanted to change that, or at least point it out. Well, ladies, it’s our lucky day because it turns out that in some cases, we DO have more gear options than men! In the shoe department, we are pulling ahead, at least in footwear styles. Don’t get me wrong, I know there is still a huge gap in the amount of technical footwear available for women vs. that available for men, but at least we can all take some comfort in the fact that we get to wear Mary Janes and the guys don’t; that is, unless they can find these fabulous shoes in their size. See, it sucks when you want a pair of shoes but can’t find the right fit, doesn’t it, boys?
I didn’t know what to expect from the “technical Mary Jane” category, but this offering from Merrell blew me away. They are super comfortable and supportive; just like a normal hiking shoe. Plus, they are cute! Cute as a button! They are the perfect match with a pair of shorts or an outdoorsy skirt. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about hiding your callouses or lack of pedicure – and you STILL look adorable. I don’t see how we can possibly lose with this one.
No more clunky, awkward sandals, no more supportless flip flops; Mary Janes are a great compromise and the Chameleon Arcs can handle just about any type of trail – really! They fit like low hikers – you won’t even miss the laces – and feature a lugged, nicely stiff sole for bopping over rocks and scooting down screes. I constantly look for excuses to wear these fab Mary Janes. I’m tempted to make a hiking date so I can demonstrate my ability to scamper up slopes while still being just ever so adorably feminine. I know, I know; I’m being all cutesy. But look at my shoes! How can I not inject some cute here?
La Sportiva FC 1.1
June 6, 2009
Today we are celebrating our 100th post by featuring something from our tried and true La Sportiva line. I’m such a La Sportiva fan. I’m kind of surprised they keep sending me stuff, as if I’m ever not going to like it. After burning through last year’s Sandstone GTX-XCR hiking shoes, I was thrilled when they sent their new FC 1.1 (which evidently stands for Flex Control 1.1. I don’t know what the 1.1 is all about) low hiker. A solid, reasonably stiff, waterproof hiking shoe, it’s light, comfortable, and strong enough for multi-day trips. La Sportiva says this shoe has a highly adaptable fit for all types of feet, and I have to concur that it really will adapt itself to your feet, and quickly. I was kind of unsure about the FC’s when I first put them on, but an hour later I kept saying “I really like these shoes!” and they’re the ones I reach for now on reflex.
The FCs feature my favorite IBS system, too! Yes, I love IBS! I can’t stop making that joke. IBS, in La Sportiva terms, stands for Impact Brake System, and it’s meant to reduce impact forces on the legs of wearers of IBS-equipped shoes. As an impact-forces sufferer, I think it really does work. These shoes grip really well and can be counted on to descend the loosest of screes and the slickest of wet rocks. It also makes going up, as in up a mountain, much more pleasant, since it doesn’t slip on the up or the down.
Once again I’m left short on words to describe a La Sportiva offering, because there’s simply nothing else to say, other than “These are great! You’ll like them.” Sheesh, good thing I’m the boss around here, or I’d get some serious nagging about my word count.
La Sportiva Nepal EVO GTX
November 7, 2008
I looooove to go ice climbing. Something about wielding dozens of very sharp things on all of my appendages makes me feel empowered. I mean, if people give you a wide berth because you might accidentally skewer them, imagine how much room they’ll give you if they think you WANT to stab them? So I guess it’s not really ice climbing I love, it’s intimidating other people. From now on, I will refer to intimidating other people as “ice climbing”.
My love of “ice climbing” had of late been tempered by struggles with uncomfortable boots. A day in ice climbing boots meant a day of blisters and numb feet – and usually not numb with cold. Pressure points and strangely shaped boots meant to accommodate men’s strangely shaped feet would lead to nerve irritation, giving me that weird tingly sensation that seems innocuous but really is my feet crying out for mercy.
My feet ceased their whining once I got my hands (and feet) on (and in) these La Sportiva women’s specific mountaineering boots. Many people don’t truly understand the importance of making footwear women’s specific, and think that “unisex” boots should be just fine as long as they are the right size. I think most of these people are not women, because unisex boots are the bane of my existence. The Nepal EVO GTX from La Sportiva are made for women’s feet, which means they don’t shift and rub like those roomy unisex types. The ankle is slender to account for women’s smaller bone structure, eliminating the hot spot that usually develops on the back of my heel. Beefy and substantial, these boots are stiff and serious – meant for big mountain climbing and technical ice. But they’re versatile: for lack of a better boot option, I wore these boots on a 4 day shoulder-season backpacking trip. I did end up with blisters after four days, but only minor ones, and since my feet stayed warm and dry the entire time, I was seriously impressed.
For technical ice, I had a little trouble finding crampons to fit these boots. The toe bail of my regular crampons is too wide for these delicate ladies’ boots (hint: that is sarcasm) and I ended up with my boot slopping around in the crampons. Not conducive for “ice climbing” success – tripping and falling while menacingly approaching your opponent is more likely to make them point and laugh than quake in fear and run away. So make sure to find crampons that are compatible with the boots before you try your hand at my special “ice climbing” techniques.
But in all seriousness, these boots really do climb well. They are super stiff and precise, and the fit is perfect – very unusual in a big-mountain boot for women. Sportiva put some thought into this design and fit, and for that my feet thank them.
La Sportiva Sandstone GTX-XCR
August 25, 2008
La Sportiva was really asking for it when they posted an adline for these shoes reading “Built For Abuse!” I just have no choice but to abuse the hell out of them, clearly.
At first I tried to come up with some riff on abuse for this post, but I really couldn’t get it right without inevitably offending someone, somewhere, so let’s all just accept that I’m not going to make any off color abuse jokes. Accept it you must, because I limited my mistreatment of these shoes to the standard muddy, slippery trails; sharp chossy rocks; long, punishing hikes, and various other means by which to establish just how “built for abuse” they are. And I have to admit, they seem to be fairly abuse-worthy, as I couldn’t even crack the waterproofing until I’d been wearing them several times a week all spring and summer. They held out through weeks of mud holes and it seemed that they were a match for my abuse skills. Had I not worn them in a serious downpour while stomping through chest-high wet grass for three and a half hours, I think they’d still be shedding the elements. That particular trip really was tatamount to dunking the shoes in a river, so the fact that they lost their waterproofing at that point really isn’t a black mark against them.
The Sandstone XKC/YR/Magnum, PI (whatever, I haven’t cracked the code yet) low hikers feature a tread pattern that Sportiva calls Impact Brake System (note the unfortunate acronym); intended to make descending a little easier on the joints. As you may have noticed, I’m not too techy, so I didn’t bother trying to figure out how it works – but work, it does. The Sandstones won’t slip for anything, and I really do notice a difference while descending. They feel really solid and trustworthy; not too shabby for something I’ve been abusing for months. Speaking of long-term abuse, my aging joints have of late been objecting to steep descents, so every little bit helps.
Before I tried the Sandstones, I was never big on “low” hiking shoes. It was either running shoes or hiking boots for me. Hiking SHOES? What is that about? But these, I love. I love them so much I have barely even worn the hiking boots Sportiva sent me to test. Er, sorry, Sportiva, I’m a little behind. I’ll get to the boots soon, I’m sure, just wait until I’m done thoroughly abusing the shoes first. It’s not my fault you make shoes that just won’t give up!
La Sportiva Slingshot Trail Running Shoe
July 23, 2008
[Readers, you should take this tester's comments to heart. She recently went out just to "improve her time" in a marathon-length mountain running race, and instead went ahead and won the women's championship. So she knows a thing or two about mountain running. Just thought you should know. -Head Geargal]
In the garage we have a 6ft x 6ft book case filled with shoes. No, I am not Imelda Marcos, we use a lot of specific athletic footwear, like running shoes. Trail runners are really close to my heart, because I want them to fit well, last at least a month or two, and give me the sensation of light feet that can feel what is underneath them. I stumbled across La Sportiva Slingshots in my size at a sale section of local mountaineering store and, since there were a few inches of extra space on my shoe shelf, I bought them without even trying them on. It was not until the first trail running race that I realized what a treasure I had just stumbled upon. There was no heel lift, they fit like a glove (well, not literally but you know what I mean). And they weighed nothing [again, not literally - HG], yet gave enough traction and support for on mud, rocks and roots. Because I’m a bit worried that such a light race shoe won’t last through all the training miles, I have dedicated these shoes for racing only, which works out perfect since as soon as I put them on I feel like a pro of sorts. They just make you feel fast! My first Slingshots are just starting to show wear and tear after a full year of trail racing. Time to get a new pair!
Scarpa Diva A/T Boot
June 27, 2008
It’s summer! What better time for a ski boot review? Okay, so I’m a little behind on my gear review pile. But Scarpa said they won’t be making changes to the boot so this review still applies to next year’s Diva. So in a way, I got to test a prototype!
This boot was tested by two, count ‘em, TWO Geargals. One of whom (me) does the writing, and the other provides thoughtful, technical appraisals such as “I love them! They’re white, and they’re called Divas!” Hmm. Guess I’m on my own on this one.
They are pretty and have a cute name, but there are other reasons to love this boot. They’re light. They’re Dynafit compatible. They have Intuition moldable liners (heaven!). They’re nicely stiff, and even if they’re not stiff enough, they come with an extra super mega-stiff tongue that can be swapped out with the hinged, flexible touring tongue. Scarpa told me “it’s like getting two boots in one!” which I’ll just have to take their word for because not only am I a touring skier, I’m a lazy touring skier who doesn’t like to carry extra things and therefore never lugged the extra tongues up any mountains to test them out. I also didn’t want to sit in the snow trying to swap out ski boot tongues, so I never even tried to see how easy or difficult it was to do. Bad tester! I’m, er, sure they’re really nice tongues though.
So, I only skied the Divas with the flexible touring tongue, but even so, the boot was plenty stiff for me, a welcome relief after trying other mushy touring boots. The micro-adjustable four buckles made for a snug, custom fit, though with the genius instep strap, the fourth buckle almost seems superfluous. That instep strap is probably the best idea ever (except for all of the other “best ideas ever” I’ve mentioned in this blog) because it completely eliminates heel lift and lateral slop. It’s awesome! Not in the classic sense of awesome as in “inspiring awe” but awesome as in “totally rad!” Look I said I was behind on the reviews. You’re stuck with “awesome.” And awesome is how these boots ski – in all conditions they were solid and dependable. I was surprised at how well the boots performed on ice and in various other lousy ski conditions – usually a light boot means a performance trade-off, but not this time. For serious alpine touring divas, the Diva really is the holy grail. Do all rave reviews fall back on that hackneyed metaphor? Gads, I’m slipping.
The instep strap buckle itself, while an excellent design, is kind of nonintuitive and a little strange to adjust – at first look, it appears to be kind of a ratchet type of system, which I guess it is, but it doesn’t really ratchet. You just shove it through the buckle and then strap it down. It would be nicer if you could ratchet it tight when it’s already buckled, so that you don’t just have to just guess how much to shove through. My other tester reported problems with ice buildup in the buckle when she’d undo it while skinning up. I didn’t have that problem, mostly because I skin with my boots buckled, but I can see how it could happen.
The Divas shine in the uptrack, as well, in large part thanks to that very nice flexible touring tongue. I think that the hallmark of a good touring boot is that you really don’t notice it much while skinning, and the Diva fits that bill perfectly. While trudging up the mountain (otherwise known as “touring”, but come on – it’s just trudging up the mountain. No amount of sugar coating will change that), you don’t have to think about, be distracted by, or otherwise notice the Divas. If you’re coming from a heavier boot, you might notice how light the Divas are, but that is an acceptable distraction for certain.
