Eight models in all, including boots and shoes in men’s and women’s models, next year Canadian brand Arc’teryx will jump full into high-end performance footwear.
Known for its premium outerwear and climbing gear, the footwear looks to be cut from a similar cloth.
These are not your average hiking boots, including removable booties, rubberized textiles, injected EVA midsoles, custom pattern Vibram soles, and models with no tongues.
At $320, boots like the Bora2 Mid are sold as “new generation” footwear that have removable liners similar to high-altitude mountaineering boots.
The take-out booties are stretchy and made with a GORE–TEX liner to be breathable and waterproof.
An approach shoe, the Alpha2, has a removable inner shoe that looks like a neoprene moccasin. Like the Bora2 there is no tongue, letting the GORE–TEX liner fill in the outer in full.
This footwear is interesting because it’s based on a two-part design, which includes the bootie and the durable outer shoe shell.
Arc’teryx notes the design “leaves a minute air space between the shell and liner, acting as a conduit for air exchange and moisture dispersion, greatly enhancing performance, comfort, and optimizing the ability for the liner to dry quickly.”
What’s with the lack of a tongue? Arc’teryx explains the absence of a tongue “gives the liner a larger breathable surface area and increased waterproof coverage.”
Arc’teryx will debut the footwear at the summer Outdoor Retailer trade show in Utah next month. They ship to stores for sale and delivery in spring 2015. —Stephen Regenold
