Questions on footwear

[Eric O]

Disc Golf is TOUGH on shoes. I forked over over $100 for a pair of North Face Arnuva Trail Shoes with BOA lacing. Love the lacing, but my shoes have only lasted about a month on conrete tees and already the soles are starting to seperate. Some of the cosmetic pieces are falling off, and the soles near big toe are getting shredded.

TNF has a good warranty policy for shoes less than a year old. I'm on my 3rd pair of Hedgehog XCR, and I think they are great. The first pair is almost 2 yrs old and they are thrashed but I still wear them, there is some tread left. They went near 18 months before looking worse for the wear. Second pair started looking unusually ratty after 8 months, so I mailed them to the warranty dept. Now I have a brand new pair of the updated design. They made a few tweaks to the uppers to address all the issues the last model had. They are great.

Oh yeah, the BOA lacing kind of sucks. I'd go for something with more traditional lacing:
http://www.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=AX4R&language=en

 

[BenKrishman]

To those of you who have had salomon shoes. I purchased a pair of the pro 3d xcr in the fall and I love them. They've taken some abuse however. On my right foot the sole has been worn down and torn up a bit, and the laces on both of my shoes snapped close to the toe. I was able to tie a knot at the end and still wear them regularly though I'd like to see about getting them repaired/replaced under warranty. Do I contact salomon directly about this or should I go through the store I purchased them at?

 

[AirMaxVang]

I have tried many different types of shoes for disc golf. I've had the Salomon Comp 3 XRC, the Salomon Pro 3D XRC, The North Face Hedgehog XRC, The North Face BOA XRC. I love the lacing system that the Salomon's have. You just pull on them to tighten. The Salomons have also lasted the longest. I had a problem with the Salomon Comp 3s. The sole came apart after only two rounds in one week. I exchanged them for another pair and the same thing happend again. I upgraded to the Pro 3D and haven't had an issue since. I really didn't like the North Face BOA lacing system too much. It was really a cool concept at first but then, the wheel starts to not turn too well and the rubber around the ring came off. Right now, REI has the Salomon XA Pro 3D XCR Trail on sale for 84.99. I am currently wearing the Nike Wildedge GTX. I was looking for a nice looking shoe from nike that was gore tex. These also are made with the nike no sew technology. We'll see how long they last. I would love for Nike to release this shoe but, as of right now they will not be released. These have a built in goretex sock liner. I was hoping to get a pair of these in one of my tests but, I received a different shoe.

 

[AirMaxVang]

You can buy replacement laces for the Salomons. I don't know about how you would go about returning them though. If you bought them through REI you could probably exchange them. I would just check the return policy of the store where you bought them. I'm sure you could find a phone number on Salomon's website.

 

[Eric O]

To those of you who have had salomon shoes. I purchased a pair of the pro 3d xcr in the fall and I love them. They've taken some abuse however. On my right foot the sole has been worn down and torn up a bit, and the laces on both of my shoes snapped close to the toe. I was able to tie a knot at the end and still wear them regularly though I'd like to see about getting them repaired/replaced under warranty. Do I contact salomon directly about this or should I go through the store I purchased them at?

If you call Salomon's warranty dept and tell them your laces failed, and that your shoes are <1 yr old, I'm sure they would be happy to send you a new pair of laces straight away. I have done this with other manufacturers since laces often seem to be the first to go, and they are generally happy to do it.

 

[BenKrishman]

Thanks eric, i'll give them a call.

 

[Steady 26542]

Do I contact salomon directly about this or should I go through the store I purchased them at?

I had a pair that only lasted 6 months. I took them back to where I bought them and they sent them in. If I were to do it over I would send them in myself. They tend to react faster if a customer sends them in.

 

[Midnightbiker]

I just bought these a month ago. These are called "Hi-Tec Sierra Hiking Boots" I only paid $30 for them at my local sporting goods store, and they are extremely comfortable. The work great on all kinds of surfaces, and concrete tees don't hurt them. If you have an "Academy Sports And Outdoors" store near you, check them out, or see if you can order them online. You don't have to spend a ton to have some great Disc Golf shoes.

 

[disctribution]

FYI I bought the TNF shoes from BackCountry.com. Turns out they have a lifetime unlimited warranty, so my shoes are already on their way back! I also found a pair of Merrell Chameleon II Stretch shoes for $70 and they're on the way to me! Anyone try these shoes?

The BackCountry guy was trying to sell me the newer The North Face Plasma Goretex shoes with BOA, which are ridiculously priced at $149.99. I wonder if they're worth it.

 

[Eric O]

FYI I bought the TNF shoes from BackCountry.com. Turns out they have a lifetime unlimited warranty, so my shoes are already on their way back!

Nice. backcountry.com and their sister sites have about the best customer service I've come across from an online retailer. Also the fastest shipping.

 

[RS39]

The New Balance All-Terrain running shoes have been great for me. Light, supportive, tread has enough 'cleat' for most of times I need to work to get to a bad throw, and enough side support to handle the throwing motion. Love the 810, but just got a 708 on sale for $40 at Finishline.

 

[disctribution]

Just saw that on www.REI.com they have a Salomon replacement lace kit for only $8. That's a good deal, considering it comes with a lot more than just kevlar laces.
http://www.rei.com/product/773375?ext_cat=undefined

 

[Solbo]

Brooks are the most comfortable shoes I have ever put on my feet.

I used to work at an EMS part time, and I tried on EVERYTHING.

1. Salomons have a serious arch.. Not for fred flinstone feet.. aka wide and flat.
2. Merrell's are real nice, ecsp. the Chameleons Stretch, the goretex ones are a little hot in the summer though.
3. Vasque makes good discin shoes, less pronounced arch than Salomon.

In the end I go Brooks in dry conditions, actually now all conditons, Ive started to wear goretex socks so I can wear comfortable shoes.

 

[TeeRexJJ]

i wear a pair of really comfortable running shoes with seal skins. works great!!!

 

[Jaysus]

I've been meaning to pick up some seal skins for a while now....

 

[disctribution]

well i got my merrell cham stretch II's today. im about to go play a tournament. ill let you know how they feel and if they can withstand the punishments of disc golf!

 

[jerrod]

Awesome! I have been looking at these for a while and look forward to your review.

 

[mark12b]

yesterday i picked up a pair of merrell ventilators for play in hot weather this weekend... i am wearing them with some thin smartwool socks. very comfy so far and definitely drier than any other boot-type shoe/sneaker i've had (especially my goretex winter dg shoes).

 

[thechamp]

I've got my second pair of ventilators and they are awsome. I've got a pair of continuums that I wear when It's cold or wet and they feel stiff and heavy. They never broke in .

 

[Shaolintrained]

Has anyone used both Goretex Salomons AND upper-end Merrells? Which do you prefer and why? I am on my second pair of Salomons and I really like them, but I go through shoes pretty quick and was wondering if Merrells were worth a try.