Women’s END Stumptown 12 oz
Jan 30th, 2010 by Admin 1
This is the first pair of END(Environmentally Neutral Design) shoes I have owned. I bought them from www.backcountry.com because they have a five star rating on a few different websites, they are nice looking and the price was right. I have to say I’m really liking this shoe so far.
First, it was really comfy right out of the box. I wore them around the house for hours to get used to them but there was no need. No blisters, no toe cramping or heel slipping which probably has a lot to do with the fact that there are no steel or hard plastic parts in the shoe. Second, they are very lightweight but they feel very solid and sturdy. Third, it is a nice looking shoe and I get compliments on them all the time.
A few good points about this shoe are that they run true to size, the toe box is very roomy without the appearance of a clown shoe, and the upper has very little padding. I’m sure some people like a lot of padding in a running shoe I, however, do not. In my opinion it makes for a better fit and allows for the laces to create a better support for your foot. I really liked the last pair of trail runners I had, but the collar was so thickly padded it looked like my ankle was being forced out of it and I had to lace them really tight to allow for the padding.
As far as performance I have been really happy with them so far. I have used them on and off trails. The soles have great traction, something most running shoes claim to offer, but sometimes fail to deliver. Nothing like landing on a damp wooden footbridge and turning your run into a skate! Ouch! These are just sticky enough to give you the confidence without tripping you up.
The fact that END uses a lot of recycled and low emission materials in all of their shoes so they have a low impact on the environment doesn’t hurt either.
