"An American made shoe company will succeed when Iguana's fly..." is what Everett Carson was told when he was pitching his idea to create minimalist shoes completely in the United States... Well, we are here to tell you that these bad boys ARE flying! We'd like to introduce the Carson Footwear Iguana Racer trail running shoes. Here are some specs on these awesome looking shoes: Based on the 10/10 polyurethane sole these shoes are 100 % constructed in Milwaukie Oregon. All materials are made in the USA with the exception of some TPU used on the heel cap, toecap and logo base. -TRUE 0 drop footwear -10 mm of supple, squishy padding -VERY airy mesh upper Let me start by saying it is always exciting to see "Made in the USA" companies popping up, and it's even MORE exciting to see a minimal footwear company that's made here. The founder/CEO/owner/dude, Everett Carson is one of the most down to earth, nice guys you'll ever talk to! Based on the response time, attitude, and genuine care that Everett portrays, you should do yourself a favor and check out Carson Footwear. Ok, now let's get to how the shoes actually performed... We received these, took them out of the box, and immediately took them on a 9.5 mile hike through Hobbs State Park. I would've thought that these were my house slippers they were so comfortable right out of the box! Obviously being zero drop, they lend themselves to more comfort than a lifted heel shoe, but the 10mm of cushion is just the right amount in terms of softening the blow of sharp rocks, and keeping your feet comfy on those longer treks. The mesh upper really keeps the feet cool and paired with some Injinji Toe Socks, you won't ever have to deal with blisters! The toe box is roomy, and soft. There isn't any unnecessary support or cushion to be found anywhere in or on the shoes. The sole of the shoe seemed to hold up very well on the rocky terrain that the Ozarks offer up. I was actually surprised at how well it held up and gripped. I've gone through lots of shoes because of how rocky and rough the trails are around here. It was nice to flip the shoe over and not see chunks of sole missing... When we got back into town, I did get lots of questions and surprised looks about what kind of shoes they were. I was happy to spread the word about Carson Footwear! I've worn these on some gnarly trails, and even let a friend take them out for a spin. He came back all smiles! Absolutely fell in love with these! Carson Footwear is really setting a new standard for minimal trail shoes! The only improvement we could see being made would be the addition of a rock plate somehow. Sharp rocks really do suck and while, as a minimal shoe wearer most of the time, mis-steps DO happen. Overall, you'd be missing out if you didn't try a pair of these, and at $100, you're getting your money's worth EASILY!
Check out the rest of their designs HERE Thanks Carson Footwear for the opportunity to review and spread the word about all of the great things you're doing! *Carson footwear provided Bob's Adventure Blog a discounted pair of shoes. This did not affect the review of the shoes in any way. These are my thoughts, my words, and this is my blog.
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