Footwear

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…

Written by Stephen Regenold August 02, 2011

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…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 29, 2011

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…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 28, 2011

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…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 27, 2011

Barefoot Copycat: Vibram Suing Fila USA

Five-toed shoes are a strange phenomenon in the outdoors space. But for Vibram, the Italian maker of FiveFingers, articulated “foot gloves” are big business, and,…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 19, 2011

‘Barefoot-Style’ Shoes for Hipsters

Good-looking and minimal, a new company, Kigo Footwear, makes an attempt to distinguish itself from the myriad barefoot-style options now for sale. Gear Junkie tests…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 15, 2011

Recap: Gear Junkie’s Summer Shoe & Boot Reviews

From minimalist trail shoes to full-leather boots, Gear Junkie offers a roundup of some of this year’s most intriguing footwear makes. Pick out your optimal…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 08, 2011

Teva Zilch: ‘Most Minimal Sport Sandal’

A thin sole, a footbed, and Velcro straps are the totality of the design. This sandal promises flip-flop weight with “sport sandal” performance and fit.…

Written by Stephen Regenold July 05, 2011

Shoe Made For ‘Mountain Running’

Last summer, Gear Junkie put a made-for-the-mountains running shoe to the test on the 15-mile Jupiter Peak Steeplechase race in Utah. The shoe, La Sportiva’s…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 23, 2011

Stingrays and Pixie Dust: Columbia Sportswear 2012 Product Peek

Last night, at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, amid dinosaur bones and live stingrays undulating in a shallow pool, Columbia Sportswear previewed…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 15, 2011

Teva Launches Weight-Loss Footwear

Are you fed up with diet and exercise? Do you want to lose weight and fast? Adventure footwear brand Teva has a solution. This promotional…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 10, 2011

Test: New Balance Minimus MT10 Trail Shoe

New Balance’s light and flexible new trail runner, the Minimus Trail, is so different from most of the market that it regularly gets mistaken as…

Written by Stephen Regenold June 09, 2011

Boot up! Wolverine Leather Hiker

A waterproof liner, Vibram’s “Mutant” soles, and a spinning rubber disc in the heel area of the boot make the Fulcrums from Wolverine among the…

Written by T.C. Worley May 26, 2011

UK Gear Shoes: 1000-Mile Guarantee

Running shoes designed with aid from a British military unit and rated to go 1,000 miles? That’s the claim from UK Gear with its PT-1000…

Written by T.C. Worley May 25, 2011

Anti-Shoe: Silicone ‘Foot Glove’ with Five Toes

A new entry into the shoes-with-toes niche, the Evoskin from Inov-8 Ltd., is a direct vie for Vibram FiveFingers advocates. The pure-silicone shoe offers an…

Written by Stephen Regenold May 23, 2011

Super-Size Trail Running Shoes

Touted to have oversize geometry, copious cushioning, and a 30-percent bigger footprint overall, Tecnica’s new line of jumbo trail-running shoes turns the current “minimalist” footwear…

Written by Stephen Regenold May 09, 2011

Test: ‘Heat-Moldable’ Bike Shoes

Time to cook your shoes! Shimano shoes that heat-mold onto your foot — that’s the shtick with the M240L shoes, a mid-level mtb model that…

Written by T.C. Worley May 06, 2011

Inov-8 Road Runners

U.K.-based shoemaker known for its trail runners now has a line of shoes made for the road. Gear Junkie gets on a test, including a…

Written by Stephen Regenold April 25, 2011

Outside ‘Gear of the Year’

In its next issue, due on newsstands at the end of this month, Outside magazine will announce the Summer 2011 winners of its Gear of…

Written by Stephen Regenold April 17, 2011

Adidas Enters U.S. Outdoor Market

Athletics behemoth adidas AG is entering the U.S. outdoor marketplace with footwear, apparel, outerwear, and optics. Gear Junkie gets a Q&A with an adidas managing…

Written by March 24, 2011

Nalini ‘Winterized’ MTB Shoe

The made-in-Italy Nalini Black Rocks are touted as “winterized” mountain biking shoes. T.C. Worley gives them a month-long test in the depths of a Minnesota…

Written by T.C. Worley March 07, 2011

Merrell ‘Trail Glove’

Merrell’s go at the barefoot-footwear game includes six new models in its “Glove” line of shoes. Gear Junkie got an early pair of the trail…

Written by March 03, 2011

‘Kid-Size’ Trail Shoe

The incredibly light weight — and incredibly small! — Inov-8 X-Talon 160s are made for kids or shorter adults. Our pint-size tester gave the shoes…

Written by March 02, 2011

Women’s Winter Boots

After decades of lingering in the back alleys of fashion, winter boots made for women have hit a stride as of late with form as…

Written by February 24, 2011

FiveFingers ‘Casual Shoes’

Can you say “casual kangaroo-leather zip boots with articulated toes”? That’s just one of the out-there offerings in a new line of casual footwear from…

Written by January 27, 2011

‘Best in Show’ awards (part II)

Part II of Gear Junkie’s “Best in Show” series highlights top products from the Outdoor Retailer trade show and includes touchscreen gloves, an alpine “smock”…

Written by January 26, 2011

‘Best in Show’ awards (part I)

The twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show, held in Salt Lake City, is an exhibition of the best outdoors equipment in the world. Gear Junkie offers…

Written by January 24, 2011

OR Trade Show: 2011 Teaser

The Gear Junkie crew is off to Utah this week and the twice-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show. Here’s a quick visual tour of a few…

Written by January 17, 2011

Barefoot Running Shoe Guide

Gear Junkie presents the ‘A to Z’ on the barefoot and minimalist running shoe market, including a cursory look at 2010/2011 models and all things…

Written by December 10, 2010

Ultimate Winter Shoe

La Sportiva’s CROSSOVER GTX makes a stride toward the title of “ultimate winter shoe.” Gear Junkie gives the $150 trail runner a two-week trial run.

Written by December 06, 2010

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