‘Barefoot Boots’ new Trend at Merrell
The barefoot craze has made its way to hiking boots. Merrell will offer multiple “barefoot-influenced” boot models with lighter weights and low-drop, flexible builds beginning in 2013.
‘Exotic Creature’ Trail Shoe Woos Longtime Latent Runner
Says our correspondent, “In a former life, I was a runner. Then the Caribbean happened.” After a decade hiatus from the sport while living on an island, our writer jumps fully back into running, and he’s testing a few “exotic” shoes along the way. . .
Factory Tour: Leather Boots, Made in USA, at Danner
Founded in 1932, Danner Boots of Portland, Ore., still makes footwear in the USA like it has for decades. Our editor got a look inside the factory on a tour last month.
‘Ultimate Ultra-Light, Semi-Oversized’ (Yep, that’s what they call ’em)
Beefy and padded but still ultra-light? That’s the premise put out by Tecnica with its new Inferno X-LITE trail-running shoe.
New VFF Shoe Touted as ‘Fashion Conscious’
The unlikely footwear phenomenon rages on! Vibram FiveFingers this week announced a new “foot glove” model to debut this fall that’s advertised as a “stylish streetwear cross trainer,” whatever that exactly means.
Boot Test! Hike to High Falls in Iceland
In Iceland last week, a GearJunkie editor laced into a new pair of hiking boots and trekked uphill to a high falls. Here’s a look at the trip plus a few first impressions of a to-be-released ECCO boot.
Fast, Light ‘Mountain Slipper’ Shoe
In a lineup of minimal shoes, the Vertical Ks from La Sportiva are unique. They offer a flexible, lightweight build plus a low heel-to-toe drop spec. But the cushy shoe has more protection underfoot than true “barefoot” stock.
Best OfView All
Illuminated Feet: Test of ‘Glow in the Dark’ Sandals
Teva came out with its light-equipped Illum sandals last year. We test a new model, the Illum 2, and give them a try in the Colorado desert during the day as well as the dark of night.
Beefy ‘Zero Drop’ Shoe is Crusher on Trails
A retro look and a deliberately under-engineered design set Altra Running’s Lone Peak shoes apart. We give the zero-drop running shoes a trail test.
Toe-Shoes with Tread: Vibram FiveFingers ‘Spyridon’ Test
Vibram adds tread to sole and a rock guard to protect on FiveFingers shoe, markets the result to trail runners. We give it a test this spring on hardpack, mud and loose dirt.
Goat Leather, Minimal Build set Running Shoes Apart
A minimal athletic shoe made with goat leather? A $195 price tag? Yep, meet Skora Inc. of Portland, Ore., a startup looking to build a better, different type of running shoe.
Swanky Vibram ‘Barefoot Boutique’ to open in Boston
Vibram’s ubiquitous FiveFingers “foot gloves” have sold like mad in recent years. This weekend, the company opens its first and flagship store dedicated to FiveFingers and “the benefits of minimalist footwear and training.” We get an early peek inside the front door. . .
Flip-Flop Sandal has ‘Five Fingers’
Breed a flip-flop sandal with a Vibram FiveFingers shoe and you might get something like the Sazzi. This new line of sandals have straps that segment your toes for “incredible agility and freedom of movement,” as the company markets it.
Yaktrax and Frankenspikes: Gear for Running Uphill on Snow
Footwear for running uphill on snow — that’s the topic of this post, which highlights a GearJunkie editor’s equipment picks and overall experience in a unique mountain-running event earlier this month in Colorado.
Street-Legal ‘Bootmobile’ to Tour USA in Celebration of 100 Yrs. in Business
To commemorate 100 years in business, L.L. Bean will tour the USA in a boot. Oh, and the Maine brand is running free outdoor programs as well as giving away $1million to the National Park Foundation.
Salomon Uma Trois Boots are ‘Sporty, Sexy, Sleek’
The problem: A boot that can brave the winter elements as well as look good out on the town. The solution: Salomon’s Uma Trois women’s boot. Our writer gives this hybrid footwear a test.
Coming in 2012: Amorphous Rubber Boots!
Neoprene and rubber are main ingredients for a new type of winter boot coming to market from multiple brands. Here we look at to-be-released rubber boots from Hi-Tec and Bogs.
Tour de Herzogenaurach: Peek inside Adidas HQ
This fall a GearJunkie reporter traveled to Herzogenaurach, Germany, and the headquarters of the Adidas Group to gain perspective on the athletics giant’s big move within the U.S. outdoor market. Among the findings, almost all Americans pronounce “Adidas” wrong.
Fellcross ‘Ultra-Light’ Mountain Shoe
A cinch-on lacing system and an aggressive design identify the S-LAB Fellcross as a distinctly Salomon shoe. But the Fellcross is a new breed for the French brand, a beast with extra-toothy tread that’s advertised as “low profile and ultra-light.”
1000 Retail Stores for ECCO
Did you know that Danish brand ECCO is the fifth largest shoe company in the world? We didn’t either. Today, in Minnesota, the company hits a milestone by opening its 1,000th retail store.
Adidas acquires Five Ten USA
The international athletic juggernaut that is Adidas has acquired Five Ten, a Redlands, Calif., brand known most for its rock climbing shoes. For $25 million, Adidas snapped up the small, core company to bolster its place in the outdoor industry, which it hopes to dominate by 2015.
Weird Foot Forward: Mesh Shoe with ‘Metatarsal Lugs’
Equipped with five tiny rubber pads on the sole said to align with the foot’s metatarsal bones, the MV2 from Newton Running is a different beast. The new model, released this month, is also lightweight, flexible, and made to appeal to runners in search of a fast, minimal shoe.
Adidas Jumping into ‘Toe-Shoe’ Game
Footwear giant Adidas launched a “toe shoe” this week and subsequently jumped into the ring with Vibram FiveFingers in a weird niche of a market that continues to gain momentum.
Zoo Penguin Wears Custom Teva Shoe
So, did you hear the one about the penguin who wears a custom shoe developed by Teva? No joke. See the video here for the story of a custom piece of footwear Teva made for a compromised little water bird named Lucky at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Puretoes ‘Not-a-Sock’ Foot Coverings
“It’s not a sock, it’s a foot-cover!” That’s the tagline for Puretoes, a new sock-like product with holes for toes and grip material on the soles.
FiveFingers go Casual, For Kids
Vibram has announced a line of “lifestyle” models for spring 2012, including FiveFingers shoes made for daily wear and two small toe-shoe models for kids.
Split-Toe, Minimalist ‘Octopus’ Adventure Shoe
A mesh upper, a split-toe design, and “octopus tentacle”-inspired detailing on the sole make the to-be-released Maliko from OluKai Inc. one of the most unique water shoes we’ve ever seen.
Top U.S. Climber Signed to Endorse Fila ‘Toe Shoes’
In another example of the main-streaming of the toe-shoe genre, this week Fila USA signed Alex Puccio, a rising bouldering star, to a multi-year endorsement agreement.
Lycra-Wrapped, Sticky-Sole ‘Mountain-Running’ Shoe
It won’t be for sale until 2012. But the just-announced Vertical K shoe from La Sportiva undoubtedly has fanatics of running steep mountain trails drooling already.
Fold-in-Half, Zip-up Backpacking Shoe
This built-for-backpacking shoe offers a zip-in-half option for maximum packability. Gear Junkie takes the modular footwear, which converts to a “shoe pod” during transit, on a trail test.
Primer on ‘Toe Shoes’
The phenomenon of shoes with articulated toes is one of the strangest product trends in recent years, if not ever. This article provides a baseline look at the small industry surrounding the growing genre of footwear made with slots for toes.
