Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Neeew shoooooes - product reviews




As you may have noticed above, the title rhymes and this will be a theme running through this blog as we discover the power of poetry in every one of us.



For this first blog entry, I will be reviewing 2 new shoes for summer, the Salomon XA Pro 3D XCR (yes, it's a shoe, not a microchip) and the Teva Open Toachi Sandal. Just to save any shoe fetishists writing in, yes we know the Salomon is actually not new shoe at all but we do have some wicked new colours for spring/summer and it's worth a review at any time of year. It is available in Mens and Womens (Oxide red/Black and Light Grey/Lizard green respectively).



Anyway, the first thing that you will notice about the XA Pro is that it has to be one of the most comfortable shoes you will ever put on - Salomon have gone to great lengths to get the fit of their trail running/walking shoes bang on, with a fantastic snug fit in both the heel and midfoot/arch area yet with enough room in the toebox to let your bottom fingers spread out nicely.

With a gore-tex xcr waterproof membrane throughout the shoe, you get a good level of waterproofing and enough breathability for most, even for those long days out.
The sole is stiffened up using Salomons "3D chassis" which is effectively a shaped piece of plastic developed to increase torsional stability to help stop you feet from twisting too much on rough ground. The sole also provides a surprising amount of protection from sharp stones sticking up into your plates of meat.

Overall the XA Pro 3D XCR is an exceptionally comfy shoe with great grip, just the right amount of cushioning and flexibility and has wicked looks to boot.
Teva Open Toachi Sandal.
As with the Salomon, the first thing you notice with these (apart from the cracking looks) is the fit and stability. Teva have long been known for making very durable products and this is no exception. The build quality is obvious just looking over them and they feel solid yet very comfortable. The Toachi has a "Spider Rubber" outsole, which is seriously grippy even on wet rocks, which although the blurb said it would be, surprised me as so often "blurb" is just that.
Another great idea is the "drain frame", a plastic frame built into the sole to increase stabilty and allow water to drain through the sole - this has the added bonus of increasing breathability by a fair whack. Topped off with an anti-microbial protection, this is a sweet pair of sandals/watershoes that will take a good beating, if you like it like that.
And that's it for this issues shoe reviews. goodbye.slan.a bientot.

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