Were always interested in good double-duty travel shoes that can take you from the streets to the trail to the restaurant. These nice-looking leather shoes from Clarks appear to the naked eye like some regular street shoes youd wear to the office or the mall, but theres more to them than that.
The GTX in the name is a clue: these Clarks Street Lo shoes have a Gore-tex membrane inside, so theyll work fine with khakis at a restaurant, but theyll also keep your feet dry when you get caught in the rain. That makes them a great pair of shoes to wear in the airport on the way and then use as your main pair when youre heading to, say, anywhere between Portland and Vancouver.
I wasnt sold on the idea of Gore-tex with solid leatherno ventingso I talked to someone at Gore to get more details. Leather is naturally permeable since its skin like ours. The problem comes when its subjected to lots of processing in the tanning and coating process. Those patent leather shoes or ones treated with wax waterproofing are going to trap all the moisture inside. So Gore works with the shoe companies in recommending certain types of leather that still let moisture escape after it passes through the Gore-tex membrane. Then each type of shoe is tested extensively in their lab to make sure your feet wont get sweaty. (See 8 things you should know about Gore-tex.)
Granted, leather is not going to breathe as well as synthetic fabric in a trail runner or ski jacket, but hopefully youre not using these Clarks shoes for that kind of strenuous activity. For normal walking and hanging out, these should keep your feet dry from the outside and inside.
The thick rubber sole is great for pavement pounding and should hold up to years of heavy use. I often pull out the cheap insoles supplied with many shoes and put in my own orthodics, but the Active Air ones included with these Clarks are keepers. Theyre thicker than most, with several layers of construction, and have a little airpod system that pushes air up and onto your foot as you walk. I couldnt feel it, but the idea is that this helps the air circulate.
These shoes list for around $150, despite being made in China, but part of that premium is the Gore-tex and part of it is the quality materials and real stitching-not glue. The padding around the ankle and tongue are good and theres one big bonus factor for those with larger feet who normally have problems with Gore-tex booties making the fit too narrow: these come in a wide version too. Theyre on the heavy side and feel very substantial, so wear these as you travel and pack the wispier shoes in your bag.
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