Footloose

But a second, more useful impression from this year’s Outdoor Retailer is this: there really are some interesting new ideas out there. For example, it looks like there’s movement afoot in the outdoor shoe industry with a little more substance than automotive brand extension. And more to the point, some of the changes in the way manufacturers are thinking about footwear may have significant implications for the lightweight backpacking community. This article features the Inov-8 Flyroc 310, Inov-8 Terroc 330, Timberland Delirium, and Vibram Five Fingers to highlight emerging trends in lightweight footwear and illustrate that lighter is better. More natural stride is better.