Vasque Venturist $110

Vasque.com

The Good: Wide and supportive heel, stylish design.

The Bad: Gel insoles take a while to soften up, not a fast drying shoe.

The Awesome: Wearing a shoe from office to trail means I can travel lighter.

This durable adventure shoe makes following that trail into the wilderness feel like a walk in the park. The shoe features a wide, stable beefed up sole, and a durable outer shell of leather and breathable mesh.  I took this shoe along on trail hikes in Northern California, running on the beach in Monterey, and wore them for a few weeks into the office and out for light field work. The Venturist held up as a durable and versatile adventure shoe, perfect for light hikes and short distance runs (3-7 miles).   Lately, I have been running with a few minimalist shoes, so even though these shoes only weigh in at 15oz, they did feel a bit heavy to me for longer runs. Of course the gel insole and extra EVA padding did feel kinda nice after running on uber-thin soles for the past few months. The burly tread of the Venturist performed well on uneven terrain and slick surfaces, with very little slipping, and the wide heel felt solid and stable for scrambling off the path. The ventilating mesh upper kept my feet cool during hikes, but don’t expect a fast drying shoe that drains quickly.  The padding stayed wet for at least an hour after puddle stomping.

What I like about this shoe is the toned down style that allows it to be a lot more versatile than the bright contrasting runners I see so often in the market today.  It is a shoe that can be easily worn in a casual situation but it also performs well when the rubber meets the mud. One of the interesting features of this shoe is the gel insole, that warms up with body heat and molds to your foot for a really comfortable fit.  Keep in mind that the insole will feel hard when first put on until the gel has time to thaw a bit, but this only takes a few minutes.

Overall, if you want a versatile trail shoe that can hold fast during a day hike, I say the venturist is a solid pick; and with the unassuming exterior style, it can tag along to the pub afterwards as well. Just be sure to avoid creeks and puddles if you don’t like that “squish” noise when you walk.