DG shoe addicts, share your expertise!

[bballr4567]

Teva Riva event

Got these for my b day about a month ago. Took a bit to break in, can be really stiff, but are very comfortable. Waterproof is a must for me seeing how I play in the summer before dew lifts and during winter everything is soaking wet. They are a tad heavy but are built really well. Keep my feet pretty warm in freezing weather. Grip is pretty outstanding as to be expected with a Vibram sole
Only issue I've had was in a huge clay down slope at my home course.

I'm likely going to buy another pair when they go on sale again.

 

[wake_rider]

I'm currently rocking these Oboz Firebrand 2's, and they've been great.

Positives-

Very, very comfortable.
Good traction in all conditions, and they clear out mud very well.
Look nice.
Stabil.
Warm enough for frozen rounds, but not too hot for summer (played in 18*F up through 105*F and never felt uncomfortable in any temp)
They are wearing well.
They never look dirty for some odd reason. They are just the right texture, materials, and combinations of color that they always seem to look pretty good regardless of the terrain.
I do a lot of backpacking and these have quickly replaced my MUCH more expensive Scarpas on any haul whete I have less than a 40# pack or so. They are plenty supportive and much more comfortable for shorter journeys than my stiff Scarpa's.

Negatives-

They have a pretty thick sole that can be a little bit "clunky" at times, and the thick heel adds probably close to an additional inch to your height. This means that with a raised platform, you every once in a while find yourself beginning to roll your ankle off of sharp edges of rocks or boulders that move around while walked upon. It has not been anything more than a quick spook, but definitely something I'm possibly hyper-conscious of after ankle surgery.

They are a bit on the heavy side, but I honestly feel like the comfort level of them offsets any complaint about added weight. These things are probably the most comfortable hiking shoe/boot hybrid that I've ever had.

 

[HeavyCritters]

Picked up a pair of North Face Hedgehogs tonight at Marshall's for $40.

Pretty excited for spring to get here so I can get them on and throw!

 

[superium]

Just ordered these for $60 shipped http://www.campsaver.com/aku-matesapproachshoes-mens

 

[sprintermatt]

lots of clunky looking shoes on people's feets.

float like a butterfly, sting like a bee....

walk like a rhyno....

 

[wake_rider]

lots of clunky looking shoes on people's feets.

float like a butterfly, sting like a bee....

walk like a rhyno....

I played in Vibrams for almost 2 years, but my feet were getting tired of goatheads and bois d'arc thorn piercings. Courses in Oklahoma are not blessed with kind vegitation, and I was seriously tired of sliding on wet clay and getting regular foot piercings.

 

[dan mc]

i've posted this in other threads about shoes, check out oboz (http://obozfootwear.com/). they're a smaller company out of MT and they make some great shoes. i'm hard on shoes and i'm on my third season with a pair of Yellowstone II boots and i got a whole summer out of a pair of Sawtooth lows (something unheard of for me). fwiw i generally wear my Yellowstone's late fall through early spring when i need warmth and/or waterproof shoes and wear light hikers the rest of the year.

My exact shoe set up

 

[Three Putt]

Funny footwear story: In '97 or '98 Climo was wearing these waterproof Nike running shoes at the KC Wide Open. They were awful ugly and everybody seemed to notice them. Several St. Louis guys started wearing them after that becasue hey, they were good enough for Climo. A few months later I was at an outlet mall and they had these awful ugly shoes on clearance. I bought 5 pairs; I wore those to golf in for the next 10+ years. I still have a pair around here someplace.

I use Merrells now. I killed my Moabs this summer; got a good three seasons out of them before they died. Clunky is how I roll so I'm just going to get into another pair of Moabs. I'm just a rec guy playing in league, probably don't play enough to kill a good pair of shoes.

What kind of insoles are people using these days? I had the Red Wing insoles before, not sure if that is still the way to go though.

 

[HiFi]

Bought some Northface Ultra Guide GTX on sale for $85, anyone have experience with these? Feel great on my feet but I'm worried about the sole wearing out.

 

[Horsman]

Still Have never found a shoe that would last for more than a couple months, but a lot of it has to do with my extreme heel rotation. If you watch my 2nd form video you will see what I am talking about. I rotate on my heel and it transfers over to the side of my foot and that is where I blow my shoes out. I have tried Nikes, Adidas, Merrell and Keen and none of them last for more than a few months. So for me it just comes down to how they look and the customer service of the company. Adidas and Nike won't even look twice at a pair of shoes that got worn down in a few months. Merrell has replaced a pair of shoes for me once and I have to go back and forth with them for a week or 2 to get them to do that so because of their lack of customer service, I will never buy from them again. What Keen lacks for in their outsoles they make up for in their customer service. I have had 3 pairs replaced with no questions asked, and for that reason I am going to keep using them.

So I am also kinda limited when it comes to shoes because I have size 15 feet, so companies like Salomon are out of the picture because they do not make my size.

I currently use the Keen Tunari CNX. Im on my second pair and I like the Minimum approach to the shoe. Its super light and pretty tough for having nothing to it.

I recently bought a pair of Nike trail runners to try out since I see some of the big dogs wearing nikes so I gave it a go and it was a mistake. Shoes lasted maybe a month before the nubs on the soles were fully ground down, so I'll never buy nike again for DG.

I also just bought the New Keen DG shoes so hopefully those will be pretty nice, and if not oh well.

 

[BennettUA]

How long after you buy your shoes at REI can you still return and get $$? Mine are a couple years in and well worn, leaking water through the bottoms any time I step on wet ground.

 

[HeavyCritters]

Man, now I want to pick up a pair of NB Minimus...

 

[pmorgan1214]

I wear a pair of keen Siskiyou. They are waterproof and light weight. only issue is in high snow it can come over the top.

 

[RKelly]

How long after you buy your shoes at REI can you still return and get $$? Mine are a couple years in and well worn, leaking water through the bottoms any time I step on wet ground.

It used to be life time, but too many people abused that policy. Now it's 1year.

 

[Kodachrome]

Man, now I want to pick up a pair of NB Minimus...

I did not like the way these felt on my feet. In the vibram five fingers your feet are free to spread out across the ground. In these I felt like someone was crushing my foot on the arch and at the widest point of my foot just before the toebox. Definitely try before you buy.

Edit-that said I do have a pair of zero-drop new balance that I loved all season when I did not feel like wearing my vibrams. Very comfty and felt like wearing my vibram except comfier. Can't remember the model but they are well loved...all the way down to the white foam where the sole used to be.

 

[FriedInTheDesert]

I am pleased with the Bearpaws from Big 5. They were on sale for $25. I don't think they are waterproof. Best value hiking shoe so far but I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Sunday Mike]

I am pleased with the Bearpaws from Big 5. They were on sale for $25. I don't think they are waterproof. Best value hiking shoe so far but I'm open to suggestions.

But if you keep playing Buffalo Ridge they won't last you too long. Playing the Ridge for 10 years I've never found a pair of shoes to last me more than 8 months. The Ridge is hell on equipment.

 

[KDinIN]

I haven't read this while thread, but I have seen a number of folks talk about the sole/tread. I am a little confused, what type of tread/sole do you guys look for and why?

 

[elmexdela]

im a toe dragger and i wear out shoes so fast it sucks

 

[Cadmanic]

im a toe dragger and i wear out shoes so fast it sucks

Me too. I bought some "Boot Saver" brand toe protectors for my new warm weather shoes (cheap Avia mesh x-trainers). Will have to wait a while to see how they hold up. They are basically just thick, molded rubber toe-caps glued on your shoes. $10 on the evilbay... If they can allow the $35 Avia toes to make it to early fall or longer, I'll consider it a good investment.

I've played comfortably this winter in some reasonably priced Walmart boots... Interceptor "Canton" tactical boots. Waterproof, warm as heck.. were on sale for $50 when I picked them up before xmas. Really one of the best purchases I've made recently; can't brag on them enough.