For the record, I don’t consider myself a trail-to-town gear evangelist. To me there’s nothing wrong with stopping home after skiing or cycling to change before meeting friends at the bar. But there are times when I just want to head straight from the office to the trailhead without having to bring a spare pair of shoes. Even though I have a stack of shoeboxes sitting next to my desk, as my colleagues here at ϳԹ can attest, it’s often nicer to be able to just get up and go. And that means having footwear that’s handsome enough for the office but capable on trail as well. Enter the ($365).
The Horween leather upper is classy, a little less chunky than the signature style of , but still waterproof. And I’d be hard-pressed to describe how supple it is without using the word buttery. That also makes it more forgiving, which is especially appreciated by someone with wide feet like myself. Its thin profile contributes to the boot’s light weight, too, another departure from the beefiness of other Timberland shitkickers. The high top and lacing afford lock-down security, which means I don’t show any sock or skin if the cuffs of my jeans ride up.
Beneath the shoe, the Vibram outsole, which the company describes as medium soft, provides traction and grips rocks and other hard surfaces without feeling like a board strapped to the bottom of my foot.
If I boil it down to one sentence: the Timberland American Craft Moc Toe boots have technical chops and loads of comfort in a damn-fine-looking package.