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Nov 7, 2024 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Alex Glades |Aaron Rice |Jon Oleson
By Alex Glades, Aaron Rice, and Jon Oleson ⋅ Nov 7, 2024 The Best Men's Barefoot Shoes for 2024For over a decade, our team has run, hiked, and trained in some of the best minimalist and barefoot shoes on the market, with the 11 top current models included in this review. Our exhaustive examination of these shoes provides expert advice with an aim to help you free your feet from the confines of restrictive shoes. The is one of our favorite barefoot shoes.
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Apr 8, 2024 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
If you've been following the bike industry over the last few years, you've probably seen some new lock designs and materials popping up. There are few who have the gall to tout their locks as resistant to angle grinder attacks. LITELOK, with their patent-pending composite material that they call "Barronium," is the latest to make a claim. They wouldn't be the first to promise the impossible and deliver a dud. So we had to test it.
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Nov 13, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
New to the barefoot scene, the Whitin Cross Trainer offers a notable barefoot experience at an affordable price. Coming in at half the price of most other barefoot offerings, these shoes don't skimp on features. The wide toe box allows the foot to spread out and feel the ground, offering good structural stability. In motion, the trail-ready tread grips both hard and soft surfaces — that is, until it becomes wet, and then river rock becomes slick.
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Nov 13, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
Of the barefoot boots that we tested, the Tracker II FG quickly proved its worth. Not only is the leather upper super durable, easily handling some hefty work days in the woods, but it also hugs the foot and ankle like a heavy work glove, lending confidence to tread into some pretty hairy conditions. This toughness has an underlying sensitivity, however.
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Nov 13, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
The Vapor Glove 6 boasts a slew of superlatives. They're the lightest weight of the shoes that we tested. They have the thinnest soles of the trail runners in our lineup. They provide the most ground feedback amongst the competition. Because of the minimalist design, this shoe is also among the least durable, incorporating minimal protection on the upper. No doubt, the Vapor Glove is for diehard fans of barefoot footwear, and if you consider yourself in that class, you won't be disappointed.
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Nov 13, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
The Primus Lite III is a uniquely-profiled flat shoe that's ready for the gym and the road. If you've been looking for something to add to your quiver for regimented workout days, this is the shoe we would point you to. Performance ComparisonWith a 7mm stack height, this isn't the lowest profile shoe around. If you want to get lower to the ground, however, you can remove the 3mm insole for more ground feel. The Primus Lite III is designed to be very flat.
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Sep 22, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
The Purifyou Premium was one of the most pleasurable bottles to drink from. Its cap has a large thread and rubber gasket, which allows it to whirl open and closed with ease. The smooth glass lip feels good on the lips, and the premium glass results in superior taste (i.e., it doesn't leach chemicals). The silicone sleeve makes it easy to grip, and it won't slip on surfaces. It also makes it relatively fumble-proof.
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Sep 22, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
Most people are familiar with the cheap plastic bike squeeze bottle. Those who are serious cyclists may know Speedfil as the name in innovative designs for cycling hydration. With the Speedflask, they aimed to make the average biking bottle more durable, insulated, and easier to chug. While it will set you back monetarily more than the average plastic bottle, it's sure to keep your liquids cool through many, many miles on the trail.
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Sep 22, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
The Iron Flask Insulated bottle stands out as being the lightest weight metal bottle that we tested, as well as having the lowest cost, although, at first glance, you wouldn't think that this is the budget option. It has a glossy, attractive finish (we tested the Pearl finish) that looks like it belongs in a classy resort spa window. One drawback of that is that they recommend hand washing so you don't diminish the finish.
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Sep 22, 2023 | 
outdoorgearlab.com | Jon Oleson
The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth with Straw earned the top spot this year because it scored in the top tier across the board. It wasn't the most insulated, but it was a close second. The easy-to-use straw cap made it our favorite bottle to carry around, and the quality materials kept the taste clean. It's virtually leak-proof and fits in our cup holders. If you're looking for a bottle to go between the house, office, and gym that will also do well in your pack on a day hike, then read on to learn more.
