Reviews by User: Matthew K (3)

Purchased a pair for last winter and was very pleased how well they kept my feet dry and warm. The tongue of the shoe fits very snug on my feet and takes about a week to break in. Put about 300 miles on these over the winter and never had any problems with blisters. Just last weekend I ran a 15k race in them (due to rainy weather) and they were quite comfortable, however after the race I noticed I got a blister on the top of my left foot from the liner. The liners wore out and rubbed on the top of my foot. In defense though, these shoes were really beat up from all of the mileage I have on them and they still kept my feet dry which was the most important thing. As the weather heats up I don't use these shoes because they tend not to breath as well as non-Gore-Tex Running shoes. In the cold of winter though you will appreciate the warmth of the Gore-Tex-XCR. The bottoms tend to wear down, but I spent a lot of time running on cold hard concrete and city roads. They probably hold up better on trails.

The Smartwool mini crews are my favorite running socks. I run between 25 - 30 miles a week and they have kept my feet dry and blister-free. I have tried other brands of running socks and these remain my favorite due to comfort and durability. I have been wearing these socks for about two years and they still show very little signs of wear and tear.

I have owned this jacket for more than a year and it has been very useful to have for those cold Wisconsin winters. It not only keeps you warm in cold arctic temperatures but also blocks the wind very well. What I find most amazing is that the coat has minimum bulk, but it still keeps you very warm. Patagonia has been able to reduce the excess bulk by creating a very dense jacket with high quality materials to protect you from the harsh elements. It came in very useful for spring fishing in Canada where the winds were very bone-chilling. It also comes in very handy after a winter trail run. It is very well made and I expect it to last a very long time.