Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019 - 47

Footwear / BREAD+BUTTER

If the Shoe Fits

The best way to sell footwear? Understand your customers' needs. These six trail shoes correspond
to six different characters who will come into your shop. by Doug Schnitzspahn
STABILITY

PUSHING BOUNDARIES

This is one easy boot to sell to
those seeking sure footing:
With an ankle-and-heel strap
system that you can adjust on
the fly faster than tying laces,
it's guaranteed to stay put. But
it feels as light as a trail runner.
Add to that stability the Hoka
sole, which provides protection for the ball of the foot, big
lugs for traction, and it rolls
underfoot with each step.
$200; hokaoneone.com

This approach shoe puts the
technology of climbing rubber and edging in a sleek hiker,
giving customers the ability to
ramble up to low-end technical terrain in comfort and the
confidence to make moves that
would be foolish with a mere
hiking outsole. That makes it
the ideal shoe for those who
want to go beyond the trail.
Plus, the unique lacing system
here snugs to fit like a climbing
shoe-loosen it up for the hike
down. $170; salewa.com

HOKA ONE ONE Sky Arkali

SERIOUS USE

Oboz Sawtooth II Low

This light boot was designed
for thru hikers, but that outof-the-box comfort, beefy
outsole, and ability to rack up
oodles of miles in a hurry also
makes it an easy sell to casual
hikers who just want to get out
every day, tromp in the woods,
and not worry about their feet.
$110: obozfootwear.com

Salewa Wildfire Edge

YOUNG AND HUNGRY

adidas Terrex Free Hiker

Younger customers see
outdoor as much more of a
lifestyle than a quest to bag
peaks. This boot can take the
pounding of time on the trail,
but still look at home on campus.$200; adidas.com
BIG TRIPS

Scarpa ZG Trek GTX

TRICKY FEET

Tecnica Origin LT

Have a customer who has
hard time fitting into shoes
in general and trail runners,
which need to take on blisterinducing terrain, in particular?
Tecnica has the solution in this
brand-new kick that's built to
be custom molded (the brand
previously introduced similar customizable hikers, the
Plasma and Forge). The Origin
LT not only eliminates hot
spots and conforms to the vagaries of individual anatomy, it
also makes for a shoe that performs better on loose terrain
and lessens the chance of injuries. $170; tecnica.com

Photographs by Andrew Kornylak

Here's the boot for that customer with big plans, whether
they be tackling a multi-day
backpacking jaunt in the local
peaks or a bucket-list trek in
the Alps or Himalaya. Scarpa
is serious about construction,
and this water-resistant leather beast with a Gore-Tex membrane can stand up to abuse on
mountain paths while providing plenty of support for ankles
burdened by the weight of a big
pack. But don't think they will
cramp your style. At 20 ounces
each, the boots are far lighter
than those massive leather
hiking clogs of yore. $230;
scarpa.com O.R.

Summer 2019/ OUTDOOR RETAILER 47

http://www.hokaoneone.com http://www.salewa.com http://www.adidas.com http://www.obozfootwear.com http://www.scarpa.com http://www.tecnica.com

Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019

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