Vasque Kota Trail Shoes : Trail Tough, City Smooth

In the annals of mountaineering, standing on top of all 50 state highpoints ranks right up there with, say, crossing America on a unicycle. It's ambitious, physically and logistically difficult, and more than a bit off the wall. When a friend and I took this project on six years ago, 58 people had climbed all 50. By the time we climbed our final highpoint (the 20,320-foot Mt. McKinley) that number had nearly doubled. To accomplish our goal, we drove approximately 12,000 miles and flew about as far again to Alaska and Hawaii. Tallying gas, motels, airfare, and food, we spent roughly $30,000 -- and 150 days -- over the course of five years. While many of the highpoints are accessible to anyone with a car and the ability to put one foot in front of the other, standing on top of all 50 is surprisingly hard. You need time, money, mountaineering skills, motivation, a good car stereo, and a versatile pair of hiking shoes.

Billed as a "multisport shoe meets day hiker," the Kota is just the ticket for such an esoteric project. That's because the Kota is a substantial shoe with plenty of cushioning and stability - the sturdy but flexible soul features hard rubber cleats and fortified toe box for superior traction - but the fitted footbed and gusseted tongue are so comfortable that I happily wear them while playing soccer with my daughter. The shoe is easy to take on and off, a nice feature after a long day on the trail, when wrestling with stubborn boots can lead to muttered profanities. The suede upper is waterproof should you misjudge the depth of a puddle on the trail.

Bottom Line: Whether you're headed to the park to walk the dog, hiking to the top of Minnesota or any but half a dozen of America's state high points, or booting the soccer ball around, the comfortable, sturdy Kota is up to the task.--J.G. (May '06)

Price: $120

Manufacturer's Site: www.vasque.com

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