Shoes
1. Oboz Sawtooth – EDITORS CHOICE
This shoe felt comfy the moment we slipped it on out of the box. The soft upper breathes and the stable sole grips. And even though it’s a low cut, it had the guts to run up Shadow Canyon in Boulder’s Flatirons.
Best For: everything from travel to hiking to scrambling
$100; obozfootwear.com
2. Wolverine Fulcrum
A classic, solid hiker with plenty of ankle support the Fulcrum is far more comfy than the typical backpacking boot. It features something called ICS (Individual Comfort System), a gel-disk in the heel that can be adjusted to accommodate pronation or suppenation.
Best For: backacking, foot support
$200; wolverine.com
3. Newton Terra Momentus All-Terrain
Using flat or natural soles, Newton has garnered a cult following with its road shoes. Count us in—we find them comfy and think that they improve the mechanics of our running. At last, the brand has introduced a trail runner with the guts to handle rough terrain.
Best For: barefoot, Chi, natural and other New Age runners
$139; newtonrunning.com
4. Chaco Z1 Yampa
It may have straps and open toes, but we find it tough to call this baby a sandal. The lug sole is grippy and drains water and the insole molded to our feet more comfortably than most hikers. It proved its worth on multi-day trips exploring Escalante slot canyons.
Best For: canyon hikes, chilling, camping
$95; chacos.com
5. Scarpa Blitz Boa
Boa lacing makes this trail runner snug on your foot. It became our go-to shoe for daily runs in the Flatirons and day hikes in the Indian Peaks.
Best For: tral runs, shoelace haters
$115; scarpa.com
