Posts Tagged Gore-tex
Casual Leather Shoes With Gore-tex: Clarks GTX Street Lo
We’re always interested in good double-duty travel shoes that can take you from the streets to the trail to the restaurant. These nice-looking leather shoes from Clarks appear to the naked eye like some regular street shoes you’d wear to the office or the mall, but there’s more to them than that.
The GTX in the name is a clue: these Clarks Street Lo shoes have a Gore-tex membrane inside, so they’ll work fine with khakis at a restaurant, but they’ll also keep your feet dry when you get caught in the rain. That makes them a great pair of shoes to wear in the airport on the way and then use as your main pair when you’re heading to, say, anywhere between Portland and Vancouver.
I wasn’t sold on the idea of Gore-tex with solid leather—no venting—so I talked to someone at Gore to get more details. Leather is naturally permeable since it’s skin like ours. The problem comes when it’s subjected to lots of processing in the tanning and coating process. Those patent leather shoes or ones treated with wax waterproofing are going to trap all the moisture inside. So Gore works with the shoe companies in recommending certain types of leather that still let moisture escape after it passes through the Gore-tex membrane. Then each type of shoe is tested extensively in their lab to make sure your feet won’t get sweaty. (See 8 things you should know about Gore-tex.)
Granted, leather is not going to breathe as well as synthetic fabric in a trail runner or ski jacket, but hopefully you’re not using these Clarks shoes for that kind of strenuous activity. For normal walking and hanging out, these should keep your feet dry from the outside and inside.
The thick rubber sole is great for pavement pounding and should hold up to years of heavy use. I often pull out the cheap insoles supplied with many shoes and put in my own orthodics, but the “Active Air” ones included with these Clarks are keepers. They’re thicker than most, with several layers of construction, and have a little airpod system that pushes air up and onto your foot as you walk. I couldn’t feel it, but the idea is that this helps the air circulate.
These shoes list for around $150, despite being made in China, but part of that premium is the Gore-tex and part of it is the quality materials and real stitching—-not glue. The padding around the ankle and tongue are good and there’s one big bonus factor for those with larger feet who normally have problems with Gore-tex booties making the fit too narrow: these come in a wide version too. They’re on the heavy side and feel very substantial, so wear these as you travel and pack the wispier shoes in your bag.
Get the Clarks GTX Street Lo at Endless.com or PlanetShoes.
See other reviews of travel shoes and items with Gore-tex from our archives.
Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear on November 17th, 2011
Rockport Zenacity Unique Waterproof Shoes
When the walking shoe company Rockport sent me a pair of their bold-looking Zenacity shoes and told me they were Gore-tex waterproof, I don’t think they expected me to drag them through the mud and muck for four hours. But hey, that’s how we roll here at Practical Travel Gear.
So the photo above is how they looked through most of the hike through the jungle in Chiapas, where days of solid rain had turned the trail into a big mess and the streams were lapping over the footbridges. (Below you can see a picture of what these fine shoes look like when not subjected so heavily to the elements.)
Until the water got too high at one point and sloshed inside, these lightweight Zenacity shoes were performing great. My socks stayed dry the whole time and my feet stayed cool. These being Rockports, they were quite comfortable for all-day wear. We review a lot of travel shoes here, but I haven’t seen any that look quite like these and I enjoyed wearing something around that stood out in a sea of sneakers and hiking boots from the others in my group.
The usual Gore-tex properties apply here: waterproof on the outside, but sweat molecules can escape from the inside. Adidas is also in the mix on these, with their technology built into the cushioning. They were using an old typewriter with a sticky caps lock button apparently to come up with adiPRENE, geoFIT, and truWALK names to brand the various contributions. It’s basically shock absorption, cushioning around the edge, and full-range motion enabling in your stride. Silly names aside, these are very comfortable shoes straight out of the box. No wide size though—only regular—but they’re not very narrow.
Like Superman faced with kryptonite though, these shoes lost their powers when they got wet inside. The inserts fell apart and both they and the shoes themselves literally took days to dry in humid San Cristobal de las Casas. They were fine after drying and I was going to stick my own orthodics in to replace the inserts anyway eventually, so no biggie. But just be advised: these are meant more for a stroll down sidewalks in the rain than they are for rough conditions. I should have known that: they’re too pretty for the jungle.
If you use them in normal travel conditions instead of extreme ones, these should be great shoes for the long haul. If they hadn’t gotten wet inside, all would have been fine and I plan to keep using them on trips where the walks will be more sedate. They come in three colors and all of them look good. There are also two modifications of this Zenacity design, but I like this “molded” one the best.
The Rockport Zenacity molded shoes with Gore-tex don’t come cheap. They list for $160 and for now anyway, they’re not discounted anywhere that I can see. You can find them in department stores like Dillard’s and on the Rockport site, but follow this link to search Rockport Zenacity prices online
See more travel shoes reviews from this gear blog.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on October 27th, 2011
Enigma Gore-Tex Pants from Outdoor Research
I had the good fortune, a few years back, to visit the Outdoor Research (OR) test lab here in Seattle. They had a machine for repeatedly poking holes in fabric, and a washer full of golf balls, and a number of other things to test the durability of the clothing they make and the materials they make it out of. I was impressed and inspired to do my own testing. That’s why when I got my Enigma Gore-Tex pants from OR, I put on my wellies and stomped around in the choppy, knee deep waters of Puget Sound. The result? I was a little damp around the edges, but that’s all. The rest of me stayed warm and dry.
OR doesn’t skimp on the detailing — this shows in the Enigma pants from the ankles to the waist. There are zip out gaiters (though I’d probably lose them if I took them out) that keep snow and water out of your boots. They’ve got rubber grippy stuff to keep them in place, too, and double velcro closures that make room for bulk if you need it. There ankles cinch up, nice if you’re short, like me, so your pants don’t drag or get caught under your heels. The inner ankle area has tough reinforced fabric to minimize wear from friction. And oddly, there’s a little zippered pocket at the ankle on one side, a good place for that emergency cash for milkshakes after your hike.
The pants have extra fabric where you need it for movement — gussets in the crotch and articulated knees. The waist is super adjustable, there are tabs at each side and a built in belt in the front for more — or less — room as you need it. The zips are all taped for waterproofing — on the legs they run from waist to ankle so you can get in and out of them without taking your boots off. OR throws the ladies a bone by putting flowers on the buttons and detailing the hip and ankle, but they don’t skimp on any of the toughness.
This is a great pair of outerwear pants to add to your travel kit if you’re going to be outdoors in windy or wet conditions. If you add an insulating base layer, you’re good for just about anything — hiking, camping, a walking tour of Seattle in March… They don’t take up a lot of space in your bag and bonus, they’re light weight, so if you need to be prepared for less than ideal conditions, OR’s Enigma pants are a fine addition to your kit.
Want your own? Check OR’s dealer list, do a search at Sierra Trading Post or see what the latest prices are on Amazon.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear on April 1st, 2011
Aspire Jacket from Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research is a Seattle based company, so it seems appropriate that they get rain gear right. 
Their Aspire jacket is a great addition to your travel wardrobe if you’re planning to go somewhere wet — warm or cold. I really like this coat, I’ve been wearing it outside since I got it — though I did have to send it back to exchange it for one size larger.
The jacket has a feature I wish more outdoor wear had — side vents that go all the way down. They’re calling this feature “TorsoFlo” — essentially, this means you can open up the sides of the jacket all the way to your underarms, giving you lots of ventilation and extra room to move. All the zippers open from the top or the bottom — another feature I wish was standard — and they’re taped and waterproofed. They’re a little hard to work with gloves on — I tried! — but erring on the side of dry in a raincoat is the right choice. The jacket has some built in adjustment features for fit: Velcro on the cuffs to tighten then around your gloves, elastic pulls to make the hood fit just right and to close the bottom of the jacket against drafts.
I traded mine for one size larger because I wanted to be able to wear a down sweater underneath it. Combining the Aspire jacket with a compatible insulation layer has given me all kinds of versatility in my outdoors in changeable weather wardrobe. A good rain jacket is an essential part of any traveler’s gear, and here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s essential at home, too. The Aspire jacket is a winner for our weather — and for all those wet places in the world.
The jacket comes in turquoise, red, black, and eggplant (a nice purple, that’s what I’ve got) and it’s made from lightweight GORE-TEX. There’s a similar jacket for men, the Foray, Both are about 200 USD.
Get yours from Amazon.
Get the Outdoor Research Aspire Jacket at REI or at Backcountry.com.
Posted by Pam in Adventure Gear on February 11th, 2011
Vasque Mantra All-around Crossover Travel Shoes
Sure, I like to wear pretty, sleek-looking shoes now and then, like these Cushe Groove ones. But when I’m traveling I am far more concerned about how well my travel footwear will hold up after full day of walking. That may not make my kind popular in Italy, but my feet are happier as a result.
A while back I reviewed the Vasque Breeze Low shoes with Gore-tex. The past few months I’ve been tromping around Mexico in these Vasque Mantra shoes, which come in versions for men, women, and kids. I like the look of these a bit better and they’re also more supple. They’re still clearly not going to be welcome in a fancy restaurant though: these are serious shoes for serious travelers and cross trainers.
The Mantra didn’t become Vasque’s best-selling model for nothing. These are rugged, comfortable, well-made shoes that work for conquering the summit or navigating rustic villages. They’ve got a tough Vibram sole and uppers that are a mix of Nubuck leather and breathable mesh. They come in medium and wide versions (Yea!) and the women’s version weighs in at a pound and a half for the pair—not bad. For the men it’s 1 pound, 13 ounces.
There are subtle touches that make these shoes a pleasure for traveling. The tongue has thick cushioning and I like the little loop on the bottom for slipping them on—plus it could also be used to hang them from a pack or to dry. Every place where the laces meet the shoes is made of leather, adding stability and strength.
If you notice vastly different prices when shopping though, it’s mainly due to one factor: like many other Vasque models they come with Gore-tex, or without. The former has GTX in the model name and is more water resistant. In general they range from around $80 to $120, with the kids’ versions well under $50. In general the Mantra is one of the better values on the rack.
I’ve been wearing these hard for several months now, through all kinds of surface conditions and weather. They’re holding up extremely well and would probably be close to “good as new” if they weren’t so dirty. I’ve been especially impressed with how well the sole has held up, with almost no deterioration in the tread, even though I’ve walked about a hundred miles on cobblestones, concrete pavement, and stone stairs.
Get the scoop on Gore-tex and Gore-less versions for men, women, and kids at the manufacturer’s site: Vasque Mantra crossover shoes.
Men’s Vasque Mantra Gore-Tex XCR Cross-Training Shoes at REI
Women’s Vasque Mantra Cross-Training Shoes at REI
Get the Men’s version, the Kid’s version or Women’s version at Backcountry.com
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on September 8th, 2010
