Hurricane XLT3 Closed Toe Mountain climbing Sandal ($130)
Merle Haggard, in his 1969 hit file “Okie From Muskogee,” sneered on the considered sandals being “manly footwear.” (Speak about a much less enlightened time.) Properly, I’m right here to let you know that sandals are usually not solely manly, however {that a} strong five-mile hike isn’t out of the query.
Particularly, I’m referring to Teva’s Hurricane XLT3 closed-toe mountain climbing sandal.
Mild as a sunny spring day (12.6 ounces), the Hurricanes (for probably the most half) offered a steady, comfy experience, performing greatest on flat, clean trails.
The SpecsThe Hurricanes are an all-around mountain climbing/sport sandal, providing: – A fast-dry mesh higher with vents for breathability.– A bungee lacing system that includes FuseLock hook and loop tech.– Toothy lugs in a sample meant to reinforce traction and stability.– A nylon shank underfoot meant for stability and help.– A cushioned midsole holding 5mm extra EVA than the earlier XLT2 mannequin.– And an up to date Spider Rubber Endure Outsole.
Creatures on the FreeTo be trustworthy, it felt odd to hike in and round my house of Park Metropolis, Utah in sandals. Positive, my ft breathed higher, however I additionally felt uncovered.
The hikers made me take into consideration foot safety and my earlier mountain climbing house in Denver, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Nationwide Wildlife Refuge, a habitat filled with thick however shy bullsnakes and the occasional prairie rattler.
On my spring hikes within the Hurricanes, I noticed no snakes however did spy loads of different critters that lightened my coronary heart at the same time as these sandals lightened my hike: a juvenile male moose nosing alongside a aspect path; muskrats gliding in a creek; and antic prairie canine executing Cirque du Soleil acrobatics.
Ups and DownsOn one morning of neurotic climate – drizzle and flurries, micro-hail, rags of fog and splatters of sunshine – I gave the Hurricanes an actual exercise, mountain climbing a rocky, uneven path. The sandals did fairly properly, however I needed to tighten the laces a couple of instances on the ups-and-downs, which I didn’t need to do on flat terrain.
And the ensuing foot motion within the toebox led to small blisters on the meaty flesh beneath my massive toes. However my ft did keep dry.
Provided that, I’d say the Hurricanes are greatest fitted to simple hikes on flat, steady trails. Quick, amiable hops, slightly than lengthy, exhausting efforts.
Welcome to Birdland
However there’s nothing improper with taking it simple. On one mild romp within the Hurricanes this spring I merely ambled alongside, savoring the considerable birdlife on the Historic Union Pacific Rail Path in Park Metropolis.
I noticed and heard: dozens of geese, buffleheads, cinnamon teals, mallards and wooden geese; a flotilla of pelicans patrolling a pond; a mom goose brooding over her eggs atop an deserted beaver lodge; the “Psycho” shriek of Northern rough-winged swallows skimming low over ponds; oh, and two magpies mating.
Mountain climbing beneath the Double Eagle
After which, one sunny Sunday, as I got here up across the bend on a small hill on the Rail Path, I noticed two golden eagles perched on a barbed wire fence.
They took my breath away, gold-bronze within the morning sunshine. Once they launched, their wings appeared to stretch from horizon to horizon.
And that’s why I’m on the market on the paths most each day. You by no means know what you’re going to see, whether or not you’re sporting manly sandals, or conventional hikers.
Dana Jennings, 68, began operating in highschool and just about caught with it into his 50s, masking distances from 100 yards to the marathon. He then made the transition to mountain climbing. In 2025, he moved to Park Metropolis, Utah, after spending 4 years in Denver, the place he’s on the paths seven days per week. Sometimes, he mixes two exhausting exercises with three medium hikes and two simple days. He enhances the trailwork with gentle weights and every day stretching.
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