Shoe(s) Review(s)

Over the past couple of years, my curiosity has lent its wares to my pocketbook; I have spent a good portion of those funds on shoes. In case any of you were curious, I decided to give my unbiased input on those shoes I chose to purchase (heads up: all of these purchases had bikepacking in mind). So, without further adieu, here is my take on three sticky rubber shoes that may, or may not work well for you:

1. La Sportive Boulder X



First, I will note that Sportive makes a variety of the Boulder X shoes (including one in Gore Tex!!), but I am only reviewing the base model here. Starting with the basics, the Vibram sticky rubber sole with rounded knobby tread does wonders for what they intended it. When I initially bought this shoe a few years ago, I wanted to use it for a slippery approach on granite in order to get to a local climbing spot. The shoe proved incredible in sticking to steep scrambles where I otherwise would have stumbled. Fit-wise, I sized down a half size (I'm 11.5 and I purchased an 11) and it did not bother me unless I thought about it too much (Sportiva tends to run a bit large anyway, so buying a smaller size was not a big surprise). I even found it worked well when I hiked up (most of) Mt. Whitney: twenty-two miles and I only felt a mild hot-spot in the shoe.
As for bikepacking, the Boulder X is a worthy contender, but not necessarily on the sticky rubber side of the issue. If terrain proves slippery and steep, the Boulder X shines, but if you are logging long miles in the saddle, I found the rounded knobby sole to pop off of the pedals somewhat frequently (and unnecessarily). The stiffness of the sole did not pose an issue at all; on the contrary, it feels amazing and, in all fairness, if one engages their pedal strokes with consistent pressure they should eliminate most of the "popping off" issue.
When it comes to durability, the jury is still out for me. I've had these shoes for over 5 years and they are still hanging in their with minimal disastrous issues. My friends' Boulder X's, however have proven to not last quite as long. I never have bouldered in mine much, nor set routes in them, but my friends who did choose to boulder in them found the leather practically destroyed after a year or so. Still, for ninety-nine bucks, most of my friends who trashed theirs say they love them and would buy another pair (and they still wear their trashed ones around)!
So, all in all, the Boulder X is pretty legit if you are on a one hundred dollar budget. Comfy, somewhat durable, and definitely sticky.


2. FiveTen Guide Tennie (low)



By far, this sticky rubber approach shoe has stolen my heart. The Stealth sole on the Guide feels the stickiest, stiffest, and burliest out of all the approach shoes I have tried thus far (I still have yet to try Scarpa). The price is a bit more burly as well (mine retailed at around $140), but I felt I definitely got what I paid for. The website claims a small bit of water resistance to the leather upper, but I have no clue how water resistant it actually is due to the fact that every time I got caught in the rain in this shoe, the rain seeped in through my socks and the very obvious opening by my ankles. I ended up using the Outdoor Research Wrapid Gators, which held most of the rain at bay and packed nicely in a small portion of my Carsick Designs Handee Randee.
As for approach, I can only share what my friends have experienced as I have only used these for biking in inclement weather. Every single individual I know who owns a pair of the Guide Tennies sings its praises. They even were pretty stoked when I told them I was ordering a pair of them and told me how incredible of a shoe they are. I can only imagine that on granite, these shoes grip like none other.
On the bike, the low profile circle design knobs on the sole prove much more appropriate for biking than the Boulder X. This shoe has yet to slip off the pedal on me. The only downside to extremely sticky rubber might be that it is difficult to position one's foot on the pedal; as soon as you place your foot down, it sticks (go figure) and you have to pick up your foot to re-position it. I won't even waste my time, however, complaining about that because it is almost a non-issue. I do remember my friend a while ago getting a bit frustrated with his downhill pedals on his MUni (Mountain Unicycle) and how he had to place his feet just right when he would mount the Uni and on dirt with obstacles, this can be a bit tricky. Nonetheless, he still rides with his FiveTens on endurance desert Uni rides and swears by them.
The shear build of this shoe is clearly durable, but not heavy. I love minimalist shoes due to the fact that I have suffered a bit from heavy shoes causing shin splints--even while biking). These shoes all around are fairly light, durable, and sticky enough to smear some mild class five steepness.

3. Evolv Cruiser (canvas)



First off, I purchased this shoe with the full knowledge that the only person I knew who had not blown this shoe to bits was my boss's wife, who wears them occasionally to work where she is mostly sitting down. I think Ultra Romance sometimes rides with this shoe and had said he has gone through seven pairs in a year and a half--yikes! I knew all this, but the minimalist design, lightweight factor, and packability intrigued me, so I bought a pair. I never like to deliberately destroy things, so I have treated these shoes somewhat gingerly as per the aforementioned destructibility awareness.
My overall take on these is fairly positive; I have not yet beaten these shoes to death. As a daily commuter shoe in fair weather, these shoes are perfect! They cost much less than their competitors (around seventy to seventy-five bucks) and are extremely comfortable with or without socks. I ride forty or more miles a day and they perform well when I hit the trails on the way to work.
Specifically, however, I just put them on right before I ride and take them off immediately when I get off the bike. I have not used them on an approach yet, but my co-worker loves them for approach. I know many course-setters who use these for forerunning routes in the climbing gym, but I can only imagine these shoes would wear out pretty quickly.
Overall, if you are looking for a lightweight, inexpensive approach shoe, or are not sure if you buy into the whole sticky rubber phenomenon, I would recommend this shoe. If you need a commuter shoe that will not completely break the budget, this is also a great option.

As noted earlier, I have yet to try the many other sticky rubber shoe brands, but if I do (because I do love trying out new sticky shoes), I will be sure to post about them.