Wow. No, really – wow.
I don't think I have ever put a more comfortable shoe on my foot. Not even big furry slippers. These fit like a glove and it feels like I'm walking on springs.
The GoLite Sun Dragons have been getting all sorts of interesting reviews – most notably for the crazy new suspension sole that was co-developed by GoLite and Timberland labs.
Check out the sole in this picture – it's quite unique:
Available from Backcountry Gear for $95.
Suprisingly REI is starting to stock GoLite gear, and has these shoes in stock. I went to the Flagship store in Seattle recently and tried a pair on – I was sold. I wore them for a week to work to try and break them in – they really didn't need it. However, I did feel quite weird walking in them for a while – it's hard to describe but somewhat loose and bouncy. I took them up Kendall Katwalk for a quick overnight this weekend and they performed really well. I submerged my feet before starting the 7mi hike down to see how well they would dry out. Not bad – they were moist still after 3 hrs, but dried reasonably well.
REI was a terrible place to buy these. The guy that sold them was clueless about how they worked (they have a special insole that adjusts to your feet that doesn't take a rocket-scientist to figure out) and was adamant that we could not possibly think of doing the WCT in these shoes.
They got quite a bad review by Raymond Estrella, as they started to fall apart after 5 days of use. So I'm curious to see how they hold up. I'll report back after the WCT trip with my findings.
I just hiked 5 days near Glacier Peak in these and loved them – They held together well and were much better for my feet (wide toe box) than the Solomon’s and Montrail shoes i’ve used in the past.
brett,
Why don’t you try out the vibram fivefingers, just 10.5oz for the pair, i’m not sure if you’re into the whole barefoot craze, but would lower worn weight at least a little.
i actually have a pair. my brother bought me some for christmas. they don’t fit my feet that well and i can’t get comfy enough in them for round-the-house use let alone on the trail 🙂
Brett,
Did I miss it or have you posted a follow up to your shoe review? How well have these held up for you? Thanks!
hey matt,
they held up way better! the pair that were replaced, definitley had some defects. my current pair have held up very well, although i’ve not really been out much this season yet (baby is taking all our attention).
i wore them for our pasayten trip last fall, and many day hikes. they probably have 110+ miles on them and have very little signs of wear at this point (other than they are dirty).
cheers,
-brett
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I just purchased my second pair of these new, from Ebay, for fear of never being able to find them again. I don’t know when you wrote this review, but I bought these shoes probably in 2006 (?) and the bottoms are coming apart. But as this is 2012, that’s not a five day deal. It’s more like a 6 year of hiking rocky terrain deal. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these shoes. I’ve never had a more comfortable shoe on my foot in my life.
Hello again Brett. These shoes are no longer available from what I can find. What are you using these days?
Yeah – they stopped making them.
I’m getting a lot of good mileage out of Salomon trail runners still. Super-comfy, but there are lighter options:
http://www.rei.com/product/807599/salomon-xa-pro-3d-ultra-2-trail-running-shoes-mens