Evolv: Optimus & The Bandit

It's Not a Shoe Fetish, It's an Evolv-olution

Filed under: , , by: TRuC




In my 16 years of climbing, I’ve worn pretty much every type of climbing shoe. Five Ten’s: Galileo's, Anasazi velco and moccasym, and that random green gym shoe they make, La Sportiva’s: Focus, “I loved those shoes but the damn bastards stopped making them,” Katana, Muira’s, Trad Masters, Boreals’ Diablo and Pyros, Mad Rocks, and a lot of other companies whose name I can’t recall. Despite this veritable cornucopia of climbing shoe-phelia, a pair of Evolv shoes have never graced my foot.

If you haven’t heard of Evolv then you haven’t been paying attention. They are the shoes that Sharma’s been cranking in since he jumped ship from Five Ten a couple of years ago. Also, they are a seriously green climbing shoe company - think Patagonia of the climbing shoe world. They were the first to use recycled content in their climbing shoe rubber, dubbed Eco-Trax, and all their shoes come in a fancy post recycled box with a picture of Chris Sharma on it. With my current pair of shoes about to blow a hole in them, I decided to make the jump and check out Evolv’s selection. I wasn’t disappointed.

The first pair of shoes that caressed my footsies was the Optimus Prime.
When I received the Evolv box with Chris Sharma on it, I had visions of being transformed into an all powerful, taking my shirt off on mono finger pockets, eating 5.13 for breakfast, lucky with all the ladies, climber. Though none of this actually happened when I wore them, especially the part about the ladies, the shoes still kick some serious Decepticon ass.

This being the first pair of down cambered shoes I’ve owned, I was surprised at how much you can hook and heel with these bad boys on over hangs. Due to my European styled feet (think hobbitses with less hair and smaller heels) I’ve had problems with finding shoes that actually stay on while heel hooking. Due to the fit and the cotton liner in the heel absorbing a little moisture, these guys suffered from no such problem and allowed me to heel and toe hook on the steep’s to my heart’s content.

Another concern I’ve had with down camber shoes is how uncomfortable they tend to be. Evolv seems to have found a happy median because I could wear these guys around the gym for a good 20-30mins before my feet started screaming “Let me out of this vice grip.” This being said don’t expect these guys to feel like a foot message or pedicure from happy feet pedicure. Luckily, these are Velcro making them easy to take on/off.

I did find the rubber to be a little slick to begin with but I found this easily fixable by taking a brillo pad or sand paper to the soles before climbing. The sizing is a little different than most companies as these tend to run a little small. I’d suggest checking a pair of them out at your local retailer and using your shoe size as a marker. Evolv isn’t joking around when they say their shoes don’t stretch so size accordingly.

Bruising my femur after hitting a ledge while trad climbing, popping a finger pulley while gym climbing, and having to remove both of my big toe nails due to shoving my feet into impossibly small climbing shoes over the years convinced me that I need a break. With this being so I made my way down to Colorado to do some backpacking and alpine climbing on Wham Ridge on Vestal Peak. My weapon of choice for this moderate multi-pitch climb was the Evolv Bandits.

The Bandits are Evolv’s self proclaimed quiver of one so I was little surprised to find that the shoes have very slight camber to them. This down turn is just enough to make these a viable gym and slightly over hanging climbing shoes. This does take away a little from their slab climbing ability but then again who climbs slab anyway.

Despite the down turned toe these shoes are super comfortable. 8-9 pitches of easy fifth and fourth class climbing in the Vestal my feet never once screamed “get me the ---- out of these things,” which is surprising considering the fact that I have no big toe nails. This could be due to the supple synthratek synthetic upper, “personally I think the red strip adds sex appeal - but I believe has more to do with the crack they mix in with their micro fiber lining that makes them feel so p.l.u.s.h .

In conclusion: I’m kind of sad and happy at the same time, you know like when you get kicked in the nuts but it is by the girl you really like so it’s OK. Sad because I neglected to try Evolv shoes until now and happy that I have new shoes to go to sending with. I will say that both of these shoes are a little on the stiff side in regards to price, $130 and $110 respectively. But hey, if that’s what it takes to get a sweet pair of climbing shoes with a bonus sense of superiority cause my shoes are more environmentally friendly, then consider me sold .
Associate Blogger Jeremy Park can be found hiding in the alpine ranges of the Pacific Northwest and occasionally ditches a day of work to return from his adventures. As a crusty contradiction, he enjoys ice and rock of all types and more importantly, lives for general tomfoolery.

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Deuter Speed Lite Series Packs

The Demi Pack of Godly Proportions

Filed under: , , by: TRuC


What do Hermes, the messenger god, and backpacks have in common? Nothing, until you strap into Deuters’ Speed Lite series packs.

The Speed Lite packs are for the fleet of foot who don’t want to be burdened down while transporting their prayers to the mountain gods. My chosen method of worship was back country skiing with my chosen vessel being the Speed Lite 20L.

At first, some of the features struck me as a little odd. A front stash pouch with a sewn top confounded me because it seemed that I couldn’t put much in with only two small side access points. Luckily, Hermes showed me the errors of my ways ( for who am I to question the gods?) by proving that the pouch was a perfect fit for my skins and downhill ski equipment. This resulted in lightening fast transitions - skins on, gloves off - and allowed for some offerings of sublime Ambrosia and downhill skiing.

One thing that made perfect sense was the weight. It weights in a smidge over a pound (1.2lbs) and is about as naked as Hermes himself. This weight, in league with the well thought out, non-hindering shoulder straps and streamline tapered design means you hardly notice the pack while you're wearing it. Completing the package is Deuters patented tensioned Delron U-frame suspension system, a small zippered pouch for keys, snacks, incense and side straps that work well to compress A-frame skis. You could even strap a sacrificed goat to the outside of the pack and you’ll look and feel like a demi-god while practicing your chosen method of worship.

Pros: Lightweight and streamlined makes this pack an awesome addition for your side/back country ski pursuits as well as paying homage to the gravity gods (i.e. climbing).

Cons: The waist belt is too small and thin to be any good other then holding up your pants. No sweat though, it's easily removable. Strapping on some ice tools is limited because there's no way to securely attach the shaft of the tool to the pack.

One Note: Since this pack is so cut, you won’t be able to put anything larger then a Deploy 3 shovel inside. Didn’t see this as a Con just the nature of doing business with this pack.

Specs: 1.2lbs Capacity 20L MSRP: $79.00

Associate Blogger Jeremy Park can be found hiding in the alpine ranges of the Pacific Northwest and occasionally ditches a day of work to return from his adventures. As a crusty contradiction, he enjoys ice and rock of all types and more importantly, lives for general tomfoolery.


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The North Face Mountain Sneaker

Not Just for Hippies and Playing the Devils Advocate

Filed under: , , , , by: TRuC

The North Face (TNF), once regarded as the premier technical apparel and equipment manufacturer, has seen its fair share of trials and tribulations since its inception in 1966. They've been praised for their innovation and persistence, scorned for their tastelessly generic line designed for sororities and the general masses. However, their apocryphal strategy seems to have resulted in what has become a trendy line for both the backcountry masochist and the off-the-couch day tripper. Ask most civilians about technical apparel and you'll probably get a blank look...mention The North Face and even the most foreign person you know will most likely exclaim "Oh!!! The North Face! YES!"

I own a couple things from TNF and despite their humdrum branching, the quality still seems to be there. Just today I read a survey that the company was voted 'best vendor to do business with' by SNEWS. Still, I vomit a little in my mouth when I hear someone in a store asking "Do you have any North Faces?" - this link is a must read.

Although I haven't bought any new storm shells - or clothing for that matter - from TNF in years, I have bought a few (3) pairs of their shoes. I got my first pair at a North Face clinic when they first started making shoes circa 1998; and they haven't let me down...yet.

Case in point, enter the new Mountain Sneaker. The North Face shoe boasting the mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle. Here's what they say about their own shoes:

"The Mountain Sneaker salutes the off-mountain, outdoor lifestyle and let's its wearer leave a smaller eco-footprint thanks to the metal-free suede and cotton canvas uppers, and cork-blended midsoles. Even accents such as the Tibetan Prayer Flag motif reflect the eco-friendly theme, as it's made from recycled plastic bottles."

Features
  • The definitive, off-the-mountain shoe for outdoor athletes, built with eco-ideals in mind for those who always strive to walk the walk
  • Combination metal-free suede and cotton canvas upper
  • Crepe mudguard and heel protection
  • Plant cellulose fiber foam sockliner
  • Forty percent post consumer recycled rubber outsole
  • Cork EVA midsole with plant cellulose fiber heel cushioning
  • Bamboo shank provides midfoot support and stability

The Mountain Sneaker out of the box has some great attributes. One thing that I've found over the years is that their sizing has always been pretty dead on (read: true-to-size). I have somewhat narrow to "normal" feet and they've always fit comfortably. These sneakers were designed for casual wear and light trail use in which the form reveals the function. The only qualm I have with them is that the arch support was a little weak and a pair of superfeet were the solution. There have been some reports of these shoes being a little on the heavy side and although I did find them to weigh more than the typical shoe ([Pair] 2 lbs 2 oz (950 g) *based on Men’s 9), it wasn't significant.

The details in these shoes are obvious; from the branded bamboo shank visible through the sole, the rubber toe and heel bumpers (for all of us who kick our shoes off instead of properly untying them), the simple yet substantial lug soles to the eye-catching color accents. I found it difficult to determine my feelings on their use of the prayer flags, not because it offends me or anything, but there's definitely a cheese level to it. Fortunately, the flags are so subtle that it just adds a great accent to the otherwise neutral color of the shoes.

The rubber soles are a little slick on wet, hard surfaces - which took me by surprise compared to the 5.10 Impacts - my trusted zapatos for the last few years. So why would I want to leave the comfort of my Stealth? The high carbon content of climbing shoe rubber is infamous for one thing once it leaves the sanctuary of the climbing world, and that's leaving it's mark just about everywhere it goes. Especially on the bamboo floors and the cedar deck of my house - which was one of the reasons I got them. The Mtn. Sneaks performed great under dry and normal conditions.

Perhaps the most annoying thing about these shoes is the stigma that they've garnered from retailers labeling them as "a shoe for the hippies." When will it become NOT a hippie movement to purchase something that's better for the world? C'mon guys, is that the best marketing you can come up with?! For shame. I hate to think about how many potential buyers you might've turned off with that branding job.

All in all, these shoes are great and exactly what I was looking for in a casual pair of kicks.
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