About the Episode

Episode Components

• What is the Golite Spike Tail
  • Golite, through a partnership with Timberland, just recently got into the footwear market.
  • Decided to make a significant departure from typical "light hiking" or "trail running" shoes.
  • Divided into three categories: Speed, Endurance, and Recovery.
  • Spike Tail is marketed as their Endurance member of the line.
• Why the Spike Tail?
  • Not waterproof. Philosophy -- little to no water absorbing materials. To keep your feet dry, use a waterproof sock.
  • Uses Golite's Isomorphic Suspension[tm].
    • Hard inner sole
    • Soft outer sole "Trail claws"
    • Flipped from all other shoes.
  • Seamless Upper
  • Asymmetric sole layout
• Experiment Results
  • Golite Spike Tail absorbed 2oz of water after trudging around in the water and then walking around for 2 minutes.
• Alternatives
  • The only manufacturer that is trying to bring change to the industry is a company out of England named Inov-8∞. They are taking things in a completely different direction again as Golite∞. Inov-8 is fighting the age-old myth that we need big, supportive shoes. Instead, we should take advantage of the design of our foot and all the adaptations that have been made over the millenia. As a result, Inov-8's shoes allow free range of foot movement and offer support to strategic areas of the foot.
  • Wouldn't it be nice if someone would make a shoe that offered us both the flexibility of Inov-8 and the flipped insole/outsole and low-absorbing materials of the Golite?
• Pros
  • Traction on most terrain, especially loose, snowy, or muddy terrain is excellent.
  • Water drains incredibly quick.
  • One piece upper doesn't slip around, move to the side, or potentially rub like a typical two piece shoe upper.
  • Comes with a good insole that has three different volume adjusters for getting a just-right fit.
• Cons
  • Somewhat difficult to find. REI no longer carries them, but Zappos.com seems to carry most of their models.
  • Traction on smooth and slick surfaces is lacking due to lower surface area.
• Grade
  • Very Nice could live without it if I had to but would rather not.
    • Usability/Usefulness (4/5) - No more or less usable or useful than any other pair of hiking shoes.
    • Price (4/5) - The new technology is awesome, but you pay for it. Expect to pay over $100.
    • Quality (5/5) - I was initially worried about the durability of the soft outsole. I have since had my worries nullified. Overall workmanship is excellent.
    • Competition (5/5) - There are absolutely no competitors that offer anything close.