Bill, Aaron, I had the same problem with a classic hiking boot, the Danner Explorer. The seam where the lacing holes strip meets the shoe body pressed and rubbed against the tendon which runs in front of the inside of my ankle bone. Every step was painful. I badly wanted this to work out, so I tried to "break them in" (hows that for HW hiking logic). It didn't work, and now I couldn't return the boots.
I suppose my foot geometry is different than most peoples, because this is a well-selling and highly rated boot.
But that's all in the past. I use light hikers and trail runners.
One would hope that a manufacturer like Timberland could get the seams right on these Golites, but maybe not.

Edited by Brett1234 on 03/14/2007 00:04:37 MDT.

regarding my email to GoLite about the shoes on eBay -

i got a response from Coup himself, cc-ing me on a forward to another GoLite email address - someone who i assume to be their legal bulldog or something along those lines, asking him to write back and let us know if this is legit or not.

when i hear more, i'll post here.

Creating any shoe that meets the needs of the myriad foot sizes has to be the single most difficult challenge for folks producing any kind of technical garment.

I tried for so long to get a pair of Asolo boots to work for me...and to no avail. They must work great on some folks...they seem to sell so well.

Large seam ridges inside any shoe is bound to be an issue at least for some folks.

My biggest concern with sizing these shoes will be the no half sizes. I am typically a 9.5 going to a 10. I always try on both to see whether the manuf. is on the big side or not. With a sizing system like Golite's, I am concerned that a 10-10.5 will be way too big, but the 9 to 9.5 might be a bit tight given that 9.5 is the outer limit.

I am also one of the lucky people who has a difference in size between feet...which makes fitting that much more fun!

Scott,
I agree on the sizing issue. I tried the 10 - 10.5 but they seemed a bit to short. I think one of the problems is that the 11 - 11.5 is a little to big and the arch in the shoe doesn't really fit the arch on my foot. I am not sure that is the best way to say that. I will give them a few more days before they go back.

I got my shoes today, seem to be genuine Golites. It was a deal at $40, but they sent the wrong style. I think this guy raided a shoe truck, he's now selling Mions too. So until he sends the right pair, I have the Eidolons, which are the weirdest shoes ever.

First off, why do shoes need to be light if they are meant to be causal shoes? UL is great when hiking or running, but who cares when it's UL-walking-around-the-house. C'mon Golite... is that serious? At least this pair does have the heal.

Secondly, they have holes in the side, presumably to lighten them, but unless you have grey socks it looks hilarious with 4 big holes in each shoe. If you stepped in a puddle the inside would instantly be wet.

Third, the back of these are stiff plastic or something similar, and just walking around the house I could tell this would rub on my heal pretty bad. I've never had shoes rub like that before.

Forth, maybe this is a running shoe feature, but the sole curves up at the ball of my foot more than any shoe I've felt before. This makes walking awkward, but would probably be a good thing if you were running and on your toes.

Fifth, I knew they weren't amazingly lighter than other shoes (and I haven't weighed these ones yet but it's advertised at 10.9oz each I think), but my other shoes are only 1.3oz heavier each.

So, if you like to stay on your toes while around the house, these may be the shoes for you. Wear some colorful socks for a laugh too.

I am glad yours are legite. I was worried about that. Perhaps in reference to the question of why for some of these models...it may be a case of throw a bunch at the wall and see what sticks.

My primary interest with these new designs is almost exclusively with the sole. If the suspension provides more stability and even a hint of shock absorption then they might be fantastic for a knee sufferer. I am less concerened with them being the lightest offering available. I would not want to shave grams in the interest of performance when it comes to my feet. I do insist that shoes are breathable and made of fabric that is less restrictive should my feet swell...and inherently that ends up getting me into a form of shoe that is generally lighter than traditional "hiking" footwear.

I just received the Trail Flys today.
These are the same shoes from Bills review.

I really like them out of the box.
No fit issues, (even the seam from Bill's) is no problem for me. I guess my feet don't protrude in that spot.

The different fore-foot pad options are great.
There is a big difference between them to aid in the shoe fit.

My only out of the box issue with them is with the gray soft padding around it. It goes over your little toe and is almost flat, (horizontally) in that spot.
When you go to step off of your toe, the pad buckles right over the middle of the toe. I don't like it but it is only a little problem that will probably go away once worn in or take care of itself with a little self help, (a little dremmel grinder).

For Golites 1st attempt, I'll give them 2 thumbs up.

Aaron,
I am glad you got your new GoLites.

There is a lot to like about these shoes and I was not ready to give up trying to make my pair work. New insole were a good first step.

I may have solved part of my problem. I called Superfeet and talked to a CS lady. I explained my problem and my idea. In so many words she said go for it and if all failed take the Superfeet back to the store and exchange them for another pair. I expressed my concern for the store and asked what they would do with my modified insoles. She said Superfeet would give them a credit so the store would not loss anything. With nothing to lose I did some slow and careful surgery on my Superfeet. Cutting and filing the hard plastic part on the bottom. My idea was that if I could lower the arch side just a little it might take some of the outward push off my foot. If that worked my foot might not push into the seam. I would work on the insole a bit then try on the shoe. After a while it seemed to feel better.

It was now time for a 2 mile walk. On the walk, the side push, seemed to be gone and the right shoe felt much better. After being home awhile I decide I would go for a short run. I don't run much but do run a bit. I figured a 1/2 mile would be a long enough test. The run went fine and I felt like I could have gone a couple of miles. I am going to tweak the left insole a bit and then I need a good hike to see if all will work in the woods.

This evening a went for a second 2 mile walk. I am starting to feel a little better about my new shoes but time will tell.

Edited by bfornshell on 03/14/2007 21:30:13 MDT.

Aaron, they are designed and made by Timberland; and T. is just licensing the Golite name. (See a previous post if you are interested) Just thought you would want to know.

Brett,
Yes Yes, I know, but for anyone who didn't know, the shoe is badged Golite.

I definitely have to give props to Timberland for making such a fine shoe.

I got my Spike Tails in the mail yesterday (from GoLite, not eBay) and once I removed the insoles and put in my trusty SuperFeet I've been enjoying them.

The shoe is pretty minimal yet still burly. There is an elastic band that hugs the ankle which should help keep debris from getting inside the shoe - sort of like a mini-gaiter. The tread is absolutely beefy. There are monstrous 1/2" tall rubber spikes along the middle of the shoe and a series of rubber bumps at the toe. The spikes are so beefy they actually get caught in my bike pedals.

I haven't taken a real walk or run with them yet but if people are interested I'll give my impression for comparison with what we've heard so far from Fornshell.

I recieved my Trail Fly's yesterday. The composition of the shoe, including the tread/sole as well as the breathable yet tough fabric seem great. I hesitate to take them outside in the dirt for a real test. When I tried them on at the end of the day, they fit pretty tight on one foot. These shoes seem sized for narrow to med. volume feet. There is the option of upsizing to 10-10.5 and using the inserts (come with the shoes) to fill in any extra room, but I would probably have in excess of an inch of unused shoe....which does not seem ideal. It is too bad they do not offer a "wide" or half sizes.

Thanks Brett, I was giving a head's up that what's new is'nt necessarily revoluntionary, it's just 'revised'. Thanks for the pic' Brett.

I was searching for Golite and found this cool forum. My .02-

I just got mine in the mail from Golite. I work PT at a store that might sell them so I got a tryout pair N/C! The rep said they are seemless, even showed me a breakdown of the shoe. The only seam is at the heel so the person who has an annoying seam issue might have a bad pair. The insides of mine are pretty smooth. Also I've noticed in retail first releases like this usually have some quirks but overall I'm enjoying my Sun Dragons.

Its rare when hype is actually backed up, and in my opinion Timberland/GoLite has backed the hype up. There's a rocky trail out here on Lake Grapevine called Rockledge, ran that about 2 miles out and 2 back, shoes and feet felt good. Traction is there, better than my old Montrails. Balance seems a little better on the rough stuff too but I'm only a casual trail runner and haven't been doing it enough lately to really tell if it is that much better than my Hardrocks.

My only issue I guess is that I pronate some and this shoe seems to amplify that just a tad running up or downhills that are eroded from water draining down the middle.

The part i like best (besides everyone asking me about them) are the customized inserts. My right foot is slightly bigger than the left so i run with one medium width insert in the left and nothing but the insole in the right. Works for me.

GoLite Shoes - No Cigar Yet

The Golite Shoes are starting to reminding me of what a very "High Maintenance" girl friend might have been like.

I tried Superfeet insole alone - not a real fix. I next tried putting one of my old TNF insoles on top of the Superfeet. That worked a little. Next I tried a pair of insoles out of a new pair of TNF shoes. That worked but still seemed a little thin. I next tried a second new pair of TNF insoles on top of the other TNF insoles.

Using two sets of TNF insoles is the best the GoLite Shoes have felt. So much trouble.

To contrast the GoLite Shoes with my new TNF Ultra 103 XCR's or my new pair of TNF Hedgehog XCR's, The North Face shoes (for me), were trail ready out of the box.

I have been trying to break in my feet / legs to the new GoLite Shoes. I started walking 2 miles a day for about 2 weeks. Then I went to 4 miles a day for a week and this week I will increase my walks to 6 miles a day. Before I would trust the GoLite Shoes for a long hike I will see if the shoes require strengthening a different set of muscles in my legs, ankles and feet.

I mailed my 9-9.5 Trail Fly's back to Whole Earth today. Even the slightest hint of a bad fit is not worth fooling with for me.

I ordered a pair of Golite Spike Tails from REI in size 10-10.5...just to see if the larger size would be workable. No shipping charges to the store was a bonus if they also do not work out.

I also went ahead and ordered a pair of Keen Wasatch Crest trail runners from REI to check for fit.

I have a hunch the Keen's will feel awesome right out of the box and the Golite's will be a little large...especially for my smaller foot. I have had 2 pairs of Keen's (none for trail use) and they have very roomy toe boxes and never tire my feet.

I suppose the whole point is...Golite definitely has a far superior tread tech. going on. They are trying to sell the idea that they have different size inserts to take up extra room as a "custom fit" offering, but it really is a way around manufacturing half sizes. This is a definite disadvantage in the world of high-mileage shoes. If you cannot get a good/great fit...it matters little how well the rest of the shoe performs...you'll just count the seconds until you can get the darn painful things off!!!

So in the end, this consumer will probably be back in a standard tread offering from Keen or Vasque...2 manufacturers that have at least got the fitting part of shoes down for me.

Same fit problem here with the Trail Fly's
The mid and rear of the shoe just doesn't hold your foot that well.
The cushy padding around the shoe takes a lot of the breathability away from it as well

I have a blister on the bottom of each heel from my foot sliding around. Even with the lacing tight, it doesn't keep your heel or mid foot at bay.

As mentioned in my 1st report, the cushy stuff also folds right over the middle of your pinky toe.
I also have issues with the spikes in the middle. They have no return from them so while you're going from heel to toe, the center falls flat, making you have to physically lift your body and push it through the tow off.

I would love to run with this shoe up Pikes Peak, but only if I got a ride down. There is some excellent traction with them.
Until that day never comes, they've turned into very expensive around the town shoes.

Edited by awsorensen on 03/19/2007 17:55:47 MDT.

All you disappointed GoLite users, take another look at the info and reviews on Inov-8 trail runners. I own the 330s with the mesh uppers, and they are awesome. They look better than GoLites, IMO.
And REI sells them.

(I know, Im just shaking a hornet's nest; I can't help it)

http://www.inov-8.com/biomechanics.htm

Edited by Brett1234 on 03/19/2007 21:09:07 MDT.

GoLite Shoes-A 12 Mile Day

My plan for this week was 6 miles a day. I started a 4 mile walk wearing my current Wright-Socks, Double something style. After 4 miles my feet were a little warm. It was mid-day and sunny here in San Antonio, Texas. Not hot but warm.

I have some thiner SmartWool sock of some model and I thought I would wear them and see if they would be a little cooler. I did 2 more miles and the SmartWool socks were cooler but seemed a little thin. I have one pair of WrightSocks made for running that seem a bit thiner than the Double model and thought I would try them tomorrow.

I ate my super - 2 yummy cans of Ensure Plus. It was just dark and I felt good so I decided to walk 2 more miles. I put the WrightSock - Running socks on and did 2 more miles. That went so well I did 2 more miles. The WrightSocks felt good. With 10 miles down for the day and still only about 1030 PM I am going to do 2 more miles.

Tomorrow I will check out the WrightSock - Running sock at my local outfitters and see if they are lighter than the "Double" sock and if they are I am going to get another pair.

Edited by bfornshell on 03/19/2007 22:43:20 MDT.

I've now worn my Spike Tails for approximately a week including a three mile run. The shoes are supposed to come with a series of interchangeable insoles which were not included with the set I pro-dealed. After wearing them with the factory insole for half hour I had to remove them and put in my Superfeet. That was a big help.

The toe box is ultra-roomy which I like and when laced relatively tightly the heel back hugs your heel. The shoe's body is ultra-thin around the ankle and has a stretchy material designed to keep debris from getting in the shoe.

The tread on these things look like a monster truck tire and they grip snow and mud like a charm. Ice on the other hand is a bit of a problem. I have a propensity to roll my left ankle and yesterday morning on an icy run along the bike path next to Lake Superior I went and got myself a sprained ankle : (

I'm curious if I'd have been wearing my trusty Montrail Vitesse's with the super wide base if I'd have still rolled it but I don't know. I'm not going to blame the shoe on this one, but rather my stupidity for running on icy ashpalt.