Finding a hiking shoe that performs and is easy on the eyes is extremely hard to do, but the Tecnica Hermano might just fill that void for you.  We’ve been putting these shoes to the test on hikes in the Rocky Mountains and local walks in the city .  The Hermano is best suited for those who are looking for a light hiking shoe that can double as a casual shoe for around town.  We find these shoes to be best for mild to moderate trails because they are a little more lightweight than the average hiking shoe and have a lower cut that can let in some debris.  I personally like the styling of a low cut shoe as long as there is not a lot of water crossings and loose sand and stones to get into your shoes.  I think the low-cut shoes look a little better if you are to head to a friends bbq after a hike.

On to the details, the Tecnica Hermano upper is made of suede/mesh mix, giving the shoe mild structure up top and nice breathability when the temperatures rise.  On the toe box and heal cup, there is a brushed rubber that keep the shoes from wearing out in the high wear point areas, providing added longevity.  The midsole is made of a soft EVA foam that helps cushion your feet, this we found to be little too soft for our liking on our longer hikes.  We tend to hike on rocky terrain and would feel the rocks from time to time, so depending on the terrain you hike, the Hermano could be a good or bad fit for you.  The outsole provides moderate sticky traction and the lugs within the outsole are sufficient for most terrain.

With a price tag of $90 retail, we found the Tecnica Hermano to be a good buy for someone who is looking for a light low profile hiking shoe that can double as an everyday casual shoe.  For more information, please visit TecnicaUSA.com

Hiking can sometimes be one of the best activities in your day and other times you can’t wait to see the trailhead and your car because your shoes are rubbing you in the wrong place!  Having a comfy-supportive-grippy pair of hiking shoes can really make a hike a pleasant. We found that the  Salomon Tracks fit the bill on the trail.  Now we’re not going to go as far as saying that they will give you super human powers and you will be able to climb Mt. Everest, but we have put these shoes through a number of beatings and they still look and perform great.  The Salomon Tracks come with Salomon’s proprietary outsole ContraGrip that holds well on steep inclines and declines, but we at ActiveGearReview found Tracks could have used a little bigger lugs for better traction in muddy conditions.  One feature that we really appreciated in the Tracks was the toe bumper which you see a lot in bouldering shoes.  The bumper helps the toe box from wearing out too fast and it can also offer a little bit of water protection.

This shoe has a combination of leather and mesh, allowing for durability and breathability, both of which are super important in a pair of hiking shoes. The Salomon Tracks are fairly flexible, which is good for most hikers, but if you’re looking for less foot flex you may want to try them on before you buy.  If you are used to the bright and bold colors of most Salomon products, ie their trail shoe line, you will not see that carry-over into the Tracks hiking shoes.  Rather, they are available in neutral earth tones that don’t really stand out on the trail. If you are a hiking fashionado, these may not be for you. Perhaps, Salomon could add a little life to these shoes for next year. The Salomon Tracks retail for $95 which we feel is a fair price for these shoes.  Overall, we’d give the Salomon Tracks a 8 out of 10 for low top hiking shoes that will meet most hikers needs.

Hiking boots usually fall into two categories – can do… and can’t do. The latter category tends to disappoint about two hours into your day. Those comfy “get around town looking fashionable” boots are shredded, your toes hurt, and forget about carrying ANYTHING, much less a pack. La Sportiva takes the former category one step further – they created a day hiker that almost satisfies those “let’s get out in the woods and get lost for a week” cravings. Admittedly, we were skeptical at first, as the upper lacing system didn’t seem to have much support, and the heel cup felt slightly stiffer than advertised. However, after a few hours in, these boots were pleasantly surprising. The upper lacing held firm, they were supportive without cutting off circulation, and the heel cup didn’t cause chafing or blistering. This is due to La Sportiva’s new FC ECO technology – they focused on the key zones of flex in the boot, and added more forgiving materials. The goal is to add comfort and wearability without sacrificing performance, and so far they’ve lived up to the promise. Also interesting (for all you green people) is the heavy usage of recyclable materials; the outsole, midsole, upper, and liner all have varying material compositions in order to be more ECO friendly. With a Gore-Tex liner the FC 3.0 kept our feet dry while hiking in snowy and wet conditions.  Fair warning – wear some hiking socks; just because you stay dry doesn’t necessarily mean you stay warm. As for your load, go ahead and offer to carry your friend’s extra jacket ’cause he’s terrible at packing – moderate loads were no problem. Just be sure to demand his share of the beer at camp. The bottom line: a great day hiker for those six hour, car camping adventures. The La Sportiva FC ECO 3.0 GTX’s definitely fall into the “Can Do” category – be sure to check them out at Sportiva.com

After a long run, ride, hike, or any other outing, one of the best feelings is to take off your smelly kicks and slide into a pair of after sport sandals or clogs. This is where the Kuru Draft comes in to the picture.  The Draft by Kuru is an ergonomic constructed clog with a foot bed that molds and cups your foot, creating a shoe that is formed to your foot, providing personalized comfort for many years. The upper is comprised of a mix between leather and a softshell material, allowing your feet to breath while giving the Draft water repellancy powers as well.  Another plus to having a softshell upper, is that the shoe stays cleaner than a plain suede upper and is easy to clean if it becomes dirty. We ended up using these clogs after long winter runs and after hours of alpine skiing, we found them to feel a bit like heaven.  As an added bonus, every time you purchase a pair of Kuru shoes you can register them online and Kuru will donate to a charity of your choice listed on Kuru’s website.  For more information on the Draft and Kuru, please visit KuruFootwear.com

When you’re getting ready for your next great adventure, don’t forget to take your Golite Discover Lite shoes.  We’ve had the pleasure of testing out the Golite Discover Lite shoes and found them to be great performers in social settings and off the beaten path excursions.  With the Paw Pad Gripstick sole, a trail strike last, and stabilizing heal cradle, these shoes handled extremely well on uneven surfaces and light hikes, giving them credibility with both the international traveler and the outdoor enthusiast. These shoes also come with Golite’s Form Fit System, in which the insole can be adjusted for different foot volumes. For those of you that have more of a casual office atmosphere at work, the Golite Discover Lite is the perfect footwear option because it’s nubuck upper gives a nice business casual appearance that most bosses should accept.  Overall, we were very happy with the blend of performance and style the Golite Discover Lite’s offered and these shoes get our two thumbs up. For more information on the Golite Discover Lite, please visit Golite-Footwear.com

The Sorel Fairbanks have been one of our favorite shoes/boots we’ve tested out this winter.  With a leather and waterproof upper, you don’t have to worry about the snow melting into your shoes and getting your feet wet and eventually cold.  The Fairbanks come with recycled felt insulation to keep your feet warm, we’ve tested these in -20 F temperatures and while moving, our feet stayed plenty warm.    We’ve used the Sorel Fairbanks plenty of times as an after sport shoe for skiing, snowshoeing, or cold weather hiking; the roomy slipper like feel was just what the doctor ordered.  One of the downsides to the Fairbanks is that if you are walking through deeper powder, snow tends to find its way into the shoes, but this is expected in almost any low top winter shoe.  The midsole is completely removable from the inside, which allows Sorel to extend the leather down to the outsole and gives the shoe a little bit of extra fashion flair.  Overall, we found the Sorel Fairbanks to keep our feet nice and toasty while keeping a great sense of style.  For more information, please visit  Sorel.com

Keen is a known leader in ultra comfortable trail footwear, and the new Obsidian waterproof hiking/trail running shoe is no exception. The upper, composed of a seamless piece of durable canvas material with a KEEN.DRY™ waterproof breathable liner provide a great fit. In our tests, the waterproof upper also did its job, successfully keeping snow and puddles outside the shoe. The lacing system is made up of a comfortable gusseted tongue, a unique asymmetrical lacing system, and a reinforced heel support structure which we felt really locked us into the shoe. The obsidian sports Keen’s trademark toe wrap which will protect from all trail hazards. The outsole seemed like it could have had slightly higher profile lugs when we threw some seriously gnarly trails at it, but on less aggressive terrain, the Obsidian feels very sure-footed. Overall, we thought the KEEN Obsidian to be a tough, super comfortable light hiker even versatile enough for trail running. For more information, visit www.keenfootwear.com.

From Keen:
With an aptitude for off-roading the stealth Obsidian Waterproof is light, fast and full of technology for trail performance. The seamless waterproof breathable construction upper keeps feet dry and happy. Torsion stability ESS shank, S3 heel support, tri-density footbed and stone bruising plate provide stability and support and protect feet from unexpected trail hazards.

Weight: 15.88 oz/ 450 grams
Lining: Leather / Microfiber
Upper: Suede
Rubber: Non-marking rubber outsole
Fit Tip: We find this style runs about a 1/2 size small.
Activities: Trail Running
Type: Shoes, Lace Up
Weather: Wet – waterproof

- Compression molded low profile EVA midsole
- KEEN.DRY™ waterproof breathable membrane
- Metatomical tri-density footbed
- S3 Heel support structure
- Secure Metatomical strap design
- Stone bruising protection plate guards feet against rocks on the trail
- Torsion stability ESS shank

The new Oboz Teton is a great shoe for day hikes and backpacking. The shoe comes with somewhat of a stiff ride and it took a little bit to break in, though it is nice to have this stiff ride for when you are on uneven rocky surfaces all day or carrying a lot of weight in a pack. We tested these shoes in mostly dry conditions, although we were able to get them muddy and wet a few times.  Overall, we were happy with their performance. We felt that the shoes have a lot of volume to them in the toe box, which is fine for those with a normal to heavier set foot. If you have a low volume foot, we suggest getting volume inserts or orthotics that give a little extra in the foot bed. We were also happy with the look of the shoes. If you’ve ever read our other reviews, we are a big fan of products that you can multi task with. Although they are not a pair of shoes you would wear out to a white table cloth dinner per se, we feel these shoes look just fine out on the town. You can find out more about Oboz and the Teton Nubuck at ObozFootwear.com.

We’ve had the joy of testing out the Vasque Breeze Low GTX over the past few months and overall, we’ve been pretty happy with these hiking shoes. These shoes are a low cut hiking shoe, but they are a little heavier duty than most light weight hikers. The shoe has a Vibram sole which has been proven over the years to hold up over the long haul. The shoe has a mix of Suede and nylon airmesh on the outer and a Gore-Tex lining on the inner to keep your feet dry when it’s wet out. One of the features we liked on the shoe is that the outside of the toe box has a rubber mold, which helps when hitting the toebox against rocks and also keeps the outside shoe fabric from getting saturated.  We found these shoes to have enough support to support a backpacking trip as they are very supportive. Along with the supportiveness comes a little added weight, so if you are looking for a lightweight shoe, this may not be the right one for you. Although as we mentioned before, if you are looking for a shoe that can sustain a heavier backpacking trip and stand the test of the backcountry, this is a great option. For more information, visit Vasque.com

The Salomon 3D Fastpacker is a new lightweight mid hiker to Salomon’s hiking shoe line. For those of you who use Salomon shoes for trail running, this shoe has a similar feel to their trail runners with a little more ankle support and protection. We tested these shoes out in slot canyons, steep uphill climbs and descents, scrambling, water crossings and more. The 3D Fastpacker has a Gore-Tex XCR upper which keeps the shoes from getting saturated when hiking in wet conditions.We personally liked these shoes a lot while snowshoeing for they kept our feet dry and warm and were high enough to keep the snow from getting in our boots.   This shoe makes for a great lightweight day hiker for those of you looking for that shoe with ankle support, yet doesn’t weigh a ton. You can find this shoe at SalomonSports.com