Companion forum thread to:

2008 Lightweight Footwear Roundup (Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2008)

Thank you Carol!

I have been using a pair of SpikeTails this summer and love them. They do wear faster than my last pair(s) of shoes but they have been the most comfortable pair of shoes I have had for backpacking in the last 15 years.
I became worried that GoLite was giving up on the shoes because it has been difficult to find my next pair (Storm Dragons). I usually wear gaiters to keep crud out of the shoes so these fill the bill (so far).
I just hope the new company, New England Footwear, has a better distribution than before (GoLites are impossible to find in southern california).

thank you again Carol for the update, I thought that was going to have to go into "hoard mode". My favorite shoe of all-time was the Nike LavaDomes so now I know there will be a supply of GoLites for a while!

Randy

Edited by rbrissey on 08/19/2008 23:24:28 MDT.

This post adds nothing of substance, but I want to tell you, it made my heart glad to read those words, Nike Lava Domes. A bit of reliving the loss when they were taken off the market, but... Until being pushed into going lightweight, I considered myself a gearaholic in recovery- choosing and amassing ultralight gear was a brief and perhaps justifiable relapse, and now I am trying to once again just say No to new gear. But your mentioning Lava Domes pulled me back to those earlier, happier times when I was young and lithe and worked at a gear shop and read catalogs like p*rn and used my wholesale privileges to the max-- and hoarded Lava Domes. Maybe my first experience with the truism that well-designed, long-lasting gear is destined to be discontinued.

Ditto Patagonia stand-up shorts. sigh.

Thanks for the memories. Now to research these cool new shoes of which you speak.........

the filter thinks that the word 'p*rn' is a profanity. That is seriously Wrong. The rise of the Puritan conspiracy...

> especially for traversing, but a good fitting and supportive heel cup also gives a lot of stability in a low-cut trail runner.

Actually, with really light footwear I find that I don't use my heels all that much on rough terrain. The heel cup is not so important for me. More often I am on the ball of my foot.

My KT-26s have a soft sole compared to some joggers, but I don't mind a little bit of stiffness around the forefoot area. Not 'real stiff' mind you. When the sole is too stiff I can't 'feel' the ground enough, and I can't make my feet conform to the rocks etc when scrambling over rough terrain.

But things are looking up with all these new models. Thanks Will.

Uh, maybe it's just me, but it seems like the most practical application for a waterproof material that does not deteriorate breathability would be a rain jacket.

I'm referring to Hi-Tec / Ion Mask technology. Apply the nano plasma ion process to a breathable wind jacket or wind pant and should be good to go... maybe I'm just missing something here???

Edited by gmoney on 08/20/2008 09:30:02 MDT.

I see that the Hardrock wide is being discontinued. What shoes do people with wide feet use?

I wear the trail version of the Nike Pegasus but GoLite and Inov8 have options that work for wider feet. I usually get a 10.5 EEEE but an 11 in the Nike works.

Edited by simplespirit on 08/20/2008 11:01:00 MDT.

i use Asolo Fugitive GTX. I have a really hard time finding wide boots that are in my size (short feet), and these fit great. They are heavier than the lightest availble boots though. My prior boot was the Nike ACG Air Tallac that was BP editor's choice a few years ago. It was much lighter (2 lbs/pair vs 3 lbs) but fell apart fairly rapidly. Some reviews...

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/asolo/fugitive-gtx/

I've got EEs. Not super wide, but I have difficulty fitting in normal width shoes.

I have been very happy with new balance trail runners sine I got rid of my boots 10 years ago. They come in EE and EEEE. Will always recommends the 87x series, but I find the 90x series works better for me. The 90x seems a little bit more sturdy with longer lasting cushioning at the cost of an extra ounce.

I've also used the hardrock wides and prefer the less stiff new balance.

I wish there were more options in trail runners for us widefoots but I'm not aware of any.

p.s. checking the specs, the NB908 is a fraction lighter than the 874.

Edited by nschmald on 08/20/2008 11:03:23 MDT.

Thanks to all of you for an

excellent lightweight footwear roundup!

Impeccable timing for me.

Thanks for the replies. As long as I'm on the topic, does anyone make a wide mountaineering boot?

The shoes that agree best with my wide feet are New Balance, Vasque Velocity (available in wide), and Keen shoes.

Best,
Will

Nice round up. I've got the Inov8 Roclite 370s on test here in the UK, nice boots, very grippy.

I'm looking forward to seeing the new Hardrock Mid from Montrail. The Namche is still a favourite of mine, and the Stratos and Cirrus weren't quite there.
The brand has suffered since it's takeover, I hope that this is part of a resurgence.

I saw the New Balance 908 at the OR Show and was impressed with it. It looks supportive,rugged, and grippy. It goes to the 909 this fall.

Best,
Will

Hi Gdinero. Yes, I agree that Ion Mask could help manufacturers create really light rainwear, and it will be really exciting when it arrives.

But footwear is also a promising application. Look at the test numbers in the Ion Mask information sheet. Ion Mask is equal in waterproofness compared to membranes and is 18 times more breathable.

The key question is how durable is it? The treatment can apparently make a mesh shoe waterproof by greatly increasing its water repellancey, but how long does it last?

Best,
Will

"Apply the nano plasma ion process to a breathable wind jacket or wind pant and should be good to go... maybe I'm just missing something here???"

Thanks for the overview, Will. I particularly liked the review of the mids. My brand is Montrail because no other brand I have tried fits my feet as well as they do. I would like to see a version of the Hardrock Mid with waterproof/breathable technology for winter and rainy weather use. I am excited by the Ion Mask technology. I trust I will see a test and evaluation of this new technology on BPL soon.

Rain gear, shoes, packs, tents, sleeping bags, bivies, gloves, hats... I guess it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put together a short list of items that we use and could benefit from a technology that adds waterproof without impacting breathability. Durability and realiability are obviously considerations.

Looking forward to learning more about the range of use for the Ion Mask technology.

Imagine wool socks that can't hold water!

I would love a pair of treated socks and shoes where I could just splash through streams and after 100 yards of so late they are 95% dry.

No pack cover.

Ponchos made of .8 Pertex Quantum.

A 6 ounce set of rainwear

The real questions will be "how fast will manufacturers get the fabrics in their hands? Will we see product by next summer?"

let the dreaming begin! Randy

It would be great if one of these manufacturers interested in Ion Mask also runs a quarterly color magazine ...