See the new shoes hitting the market in 2019 from Adidas Outdoor, Merrell, Vasque, Danner, and Five Ten. From technical trail runners to burly hiking shoes, there is a lot to be excited about for next year.
Salomon, La Sportiva, Altra, and Mammut are all releasing exciting new trail shoes for 2019. The well known and loved Speedcross, Bushido, and Superior are getting updates, and a few brand new models will be making their debut.
Hoka One One is probably the fastest growing company in the light hiking and trail running world at the moment. Hoka started a few years ago with max cushioned shoes and took the industry by storm. For those already familiar with Hoka’s trail lineup, you’ll be excited to see refinements to the Speedgoat, Mafate Evo, and Challenger lineup. New for 2019, will be the burly and rugged Arkali.
The Topo Athletic Runventure 2 is a lightweight 0-drop trail shoe that’s currently the most comfortable shoe I own. Built for all-day wear, the upper is airy and breathable with a seamless socklike neoprene heel collar. The responsive midsole has a 15mm stack height that provides just enough cushioning for longer days on the trail. For the outsole, Topo uses a low profile lug design that’s best suited for hard pack and less technical outings.
Today I’m reviewing the Horizon BPF, the newest trail shoe from Under Armour. The BPF is a sub 12oz shoe with a 7mm drop that has a much more comfortable fit than it’s cage looking upper would suggest. ‘BPF’ stands for Bullet Proof Feather, which seems like a very fitting name after putting this shoe to the test over the past few months. I’ve taken the BPF on trails all over California, and will share my experience in this review.
The Arc’teryx Norvan LD is a ‘long distance’ trail shoe built for all day comfort while still providing top-notch technical performance. I’ve been wearing the Norvan LD for hiking, backpacking, and trail running over the past few months and will share my experience in this review.
I get a lot of questions about what my complete Camino gear list looks like. I just completed a hike of the Camino Portuguese this summer, and decided the time was right to answer those questions with a comprehensive look at all the gear I brought along with me.
The Scarpa Spin is a lightweight, low-profile trail shoe with a sock-like fit and an aggressive Vibram Megagrip outsole. The responsive midsole is built on a nimble 4mm drop platform that keeps the feet protected with a high density EVA rock shield. I’ve been wearing the Scarpa Spin for the past few months, and will share my experience in this review.
The Levity 45L is a superlight backpacking and hiking backpack made by Osprey. My size medium comes in at a svelte 1lb 12oz (.8kg), and is really comfortable despite its minimal design. I’ve worn the Levity 45L for the 150-miles Camino Portuguese, and on numerous hiking and backpacking outings over the past few months and will share my experience in this review.
The Julbo Aero is the most comfortable pair of sunglasses I have ever owned. The Aero has a flexible and grippy frame that wraps the contours of my face and stays put through any activity. I’ve been using the Julbo Aero for hiking, backpacking, trail running, and travel over the past year, and will share my experience in this review.