LIGHT BUT SUPPORTIVE
Take a closer look and you can see it: One solid, continuous piece of polyurethane forms the midsole and sidewall supports on the awkwardly named AL-T. Because fewer materials are needed to brace the shoe, it’s very light but still sturdy enough to wear on technical trails—or with a heavy pack. Backed by a Gore-Tex membrane, the tough upper shields feet from the elements, but thanks to its mesh panels, it also breathes as well as any waterproof shoe we tested. Though the sole has shallow lugs, it’s made with tacky rubber, which one tester put to the limit scrambling in Colorado’s Indian Peaks Wilderness. 1.1 lbs; lowaboots.com