Mountain Boots to ‘Glowing’ Shoes: Peek at Footwear for 2013

We previewed a spread of new products yesterday from the upcoming Outdoor Retailer trade show. Today, we look down at our feet to highlight 10 to-be-released footwear products, including snowshoes and ski boots, that will debut this month at the trade show and ship to stores later this year. —Stephen Regenold

Glowing Shoes — Skora is a brand set on “challenging what a running shoe can look like.” That mantra is on display with the company’s Phase X shoe, which looks like leather fashion footwear but is made to run. A bonus: Shine a light on these kicks at night and courtesy of invisible reflective covering they will glow bright white.

African Boot — Oliberte is a made-in-Ethiopia boot brand that partners with African factories, suppliers, farmers and workers to produce its footwear line. The unique Mibio model (pictured) is handmade and uses natural rubber for its outsole and has a goat-leather lining. $165.

Full Mountain — The North Face highlights the insole in these full-on mountaineering boots, which is made of Aerogel, a solid insulation product said to be “the world’s lightest solid material.” With a full gaiter and a removable liner, the Verto S8K boots are made for the planet’s highest peaks. $800.

3-Pound Ski Boot — The La Sportiva Spectre (for men, pictured) and Sparkle (for women) are sold as the lightest 4-buckle ski touring boot on the market. They weigh about 3 pounds per boot and have a lugged Vibram sole. A “rear vertebra” that’s carbon reinforced provides rigidity when charging hard heading down. $599.

Airy Snowshoe — Northern Lites’ Women’s Elite is among the lightest snowshoe on the market at 38 ounces per pair. Rated to support 175 pounds bounding ahead through the deep. $229.

Zip-Up Winter Boot — Wolverine gets sleek with its Escape model, a Thinsulate-insulated waterproof boot. Gaiter loops let you suit up and don the lightweight kicks in deep snow. Bonus: The liner is treated with “organic enzymes” to help prevent boot-stink after a long hike.

Light Hikers — ECCO slimmed one of its new flagship boots, the BIOM TERRAIN, for a lighter design and more flex on the trail. A new outsole type and bright color highlights refresh a traditional day hiker boot design.

Ultimate Traction — A good grip on frozen ground is the selling point with the Vasque Arrowhead boots. They have a dual-density rubber sole with hard, sharp lugs (to grip snow and frozen turf) while the center lugs remain pliable in cold temperatures to “conform to irregularities in terrain,” the company cites. Weight is about 2 lbs. 2 oz. per boot. Made for snowshoeing and hiking. $169.99.

Fitness Snowshoe — A new model from Atlas, the Fitness Snowshoe, has a lighter binding, flexible decking, and a steel toe crampon for grip as you run for a workout down the winter trail. $179.95

Muddy Buddies — The Salomon Fellraiser shoes are “low, lightweight and fast-drying” trail shoes made for training in muddy and wet conditions. Mesh upper. TPU toes cap. Light design gives an average shoe weight of about 10 ounces per foot. $110.

—Monitor GearJunkie’s Outdoor Retailer Channel for gear coverage, our “Best in Show” awards, and live reports from the trade show floor.