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 model to test.
‘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 a thorough test.
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 Vibram FiveFingers in 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” jacket, and a GPS device that connects to your smartphone.
‘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 part I of our “Best in Show” gear list from the hundreds of new products that debuted in Utah last week.
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 new products that have already caught our eye.
‘Off-Leash’ Dog Collar
The Release N Run collar has a tiny retractable leash hidden inside. It was designed for people who frequent dog parks and natural areas where your dog can run free.
Water-Carrying ‘Vest’ Pack
Need to run or hike fast with water and little else? A hydration vest is a good option. In this column, Gear Junkie tests the new E-LITE vest from Hydrapak.
Winter Running: Unorthodox Advice
Gear Junkie is a big fan of winter running. These 10 tips reveal techniques and gear suggestions gleaned from years of running on the snow and ice.
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 burgeoning in the world of the “barefoot” shoe.
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.
‘Top 10’ Gear of 2010
Drum roll. . . GearJunkie’s annual ‘Top 10’ Gear picks award the best of the best outdoors equipment after a year of use and abuse around the world. Congrats to Rab, Inov-8 Ltd., Icebug, Garmin, Ibex, Suunto. . .
Saucony ProGrid Kinvara
Gear Junkie put 100+ miles on this shoe for a test. Conclusions? The shoe “rides a thin line between speed and support” where daily training and “race-speed minimalism” can finally meet up.
New Balance Minimus
With a lightweight build and a “barefoot”-style design, the Minimus shoe line from New Balance are set to debut in early 2011. Gear Junkie got two early-release pairs to put to the test.
Cold-Weather Dog Gear
Tips and gear considerations for keeping your dog happy, active and warm outdoors this fall and winter when the snow flies.
Newton Trail-Running Shoe
With its latest Momentum shoe, Boulder-based Newton Running strides fully into the trail-running market. Gear Junkie put a few miles on the mean, green shoes to give them a test.
Vibram gets ‘Naked’
To promote its latest FiveFingers footwear line, Vibram has captured a pair of buff naked athletes and displayed them lifelike and full-screen online.
Inov-8 ‘Evoskin’
To-be-released silicone “shoe” from Inov-8 Ltd. resembles Vibram FiveFingers. But the Evoskins are even more minimal.
Forerunner 310XT
Garmin’s uber outdoors/fitness/GPS watch tracks and quantifies a workout or an adventure like few products on the market. Gear Junkie gave the watch a multi-month test.
World’s Most Expensive Running Shoe?
ECCO’s BIOM A running shoe is made with leather from Himalayan yaks. It costs an astounding $220.
Icebug SPIRIT OLX
Low-to-the-ground fit and carbide-tip studs make these shoes among the coolest footwear introductions seen in 2010.
SCAPE Sunscreen
Outside Labs touts its SCAPE product line as the “most advanced sunblock on the planet.” Gear Junkie gives it a test.
Pearl Izumi Syncro Fuel
Contributor Stephen Krcmar puts Pearl Izumi’s Syncro Fuel XC running shoes to the test on Mammoth’s pumice trails.
Barefoot Craze
Among the more unexpected recreational trends of our time, “barefoot-style” shoes have obtained critical mass.
Giro Filter Sunglasses
Sunglasses with interchangeable lenses are nothing new. But the race to create a fast, functional and elegant execution has yet to be won. Here is Giro’s latest take.
Jupiter Peak Steeplechase
On Aug. 7, I woke around sunrise, laced up my trail-running shoes, and got to the start line for one of the more challenging events I’ll do this summer. Now in its third year of existence, the La Sportiva Mountain Cup combines. . .
Smith vs. Native
This summer, our tester pitted a pair of sunglasses from Native and Smith Optics against each other to see if one could outperform and stand out.
Hot Weather Running Tips
Summer heat waves are zapping the country this week. Here are a few hot-weather running tips from ultra athlete Pam Reed.
Keen Trail-Running Flat
Flashy and lightweight, Keen’s A86 is a major diversion from its usual stock. Gear Junkie takes an early test run.
CamelBak Antidote
Hydration stalwart CamelBak touts a “redefinition” of the water reservoir with its to-be-released Antidote line.
Vibram FiveFingers 2011 Product Line
The “barefoot revolution” sprints on! Here’s a peek at Vibram FiveFingers’ 2011 line. Vibram hopes to set the trend in fashionable footwear.