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I haven't worked in an office for several years now (I don't count my home office, since I allow my dress code to be somewhat relaxed and my "co-workers" all have four legs). However, I was office bound for several decades and still have to fancy up now and then for visits to client sites. When it comes to business casual wear, I've always had a fondness for wearing hiking shoes instead of loafers. Hikers are often fairly conservatively styled — because they're often brown instead of white with fluorescent stripes (unlike many running shoes and sneakers), you can often get away with wearing hiking shoes without running afoul of dress codes. A good pair is light and as comfortable as a running shoe, but offers the added bonus of durability for venturing outside and walking during lunch hours or breaks. They can also do double duty for casual trail hiking. I decided to test out a trio of casual hiking shoes to see how they compare for the city dweller who wants footwear that works in the office, holds up for walking in an urban environment and can be used for weekend hikes.
Vasque Rift
Although they have a bright gold accent and a rubber toe cap, the $200 Vasque Rifts turned out to be the shoes that were my preference for the business casual look. The black contrast stitching against the light brown micro sueded leather upper looked smart. These shoes also turned out to be ideal for walking in an urban environment (i.e., on concrete) — the Vibram soles have very modest treads compared to the other hikers, but they also contain Idogrip, a compound that Vasque says was designed for fly fishing. Whatever it is, these rings stuck to wet pavement like glue (even in near freezing temperatures) and that rubber toe cap helped protect against puddles. The fit on the Rifts was as good as it gets thanks to its extended lacing, with eight sets of metal grommets extending almost to the tip of the toes (compared to five for the others).
In terms of hiking, these Rifts would be ideal for climbing around a rocky, wet area, but I'm not sure I'd be hitting a muddy trail with them. For one, the soles felt much stiffer than the other two shoes; they were plenty comfortable wearing around the "office" and on short walks, but combined with the less aggressive tread patterns, they seemed less up to the task of hitting a dirt path. The upper material — leather in what appears to be a micro-suede finish — looks great, but can get scratched up and I wouldn't want to throw these in the washing machine if they got really filthy.
Best for: Wearing to the office, wet weather, urban hiking.
Merrell Sight
When I put on the Merrells it was immediately obvious that I was wearing what is intended to be a serious hiking shoe. While they are comfortable, they also have the most aggressive tread pattern of the three shoes. The Vibram soles are equipped with a series of large lugs, including ones that wrap around the sole onto the side. While this makes the Merrell Sights excellent all-purpose trail hikers, when wearing them around on a hard, flat surface (like a wooden floors or the sidewalk) you are very much aware of the fact that you're wearing hiking shoes. They're equipped with an Ortholite anatomical foot bed, Air Cushion heel and EVA midsole, making them comfortable and supportive and when I put one on the scale it came out as the lightest of the bunch at 15 ounces (the Vasques and L.L. Bean versions were 16.6 ounces and 17.4 ounces, respectively), but the lugged sole is just a little less stable that the flatter Rift sole in urban use.
While not as clean-cut looking as the Vasques (thanks to that wraparound treaded sole and some reinforced stitching), the Merrells still pass muster for casual office wear. The upper is brown leather in a slightly distressed effect, but with the soles and extra stitching, they do stand out more than the Rifts as being designed with something more than walking from the coffee machine to your desk in mind.
Off the concrete and onto the trail, the Merrells are completely at home and those lugged treads mean they can handle pretty much any walking trail you care to tackle. They don't have the wet rock grip that the Rifts have, and if you have any plans to wear them to the office after, I'd avoid the muddier trails or the kind of scrambling that would result in scratching up the leather, but these are the all-purpose kings and with an MSRP of $110 aren't going to blow the budget either.
Best for: Fair weather hiking, urban hiking, wearing to the office.
L.L.Bean Men's Waterproof Trail Model Hikers, Low-Cut
The L.L. Bean shoes were the least expensive of the shoes tested, going for just $79.95 and while they have been great as all purpose hiking shoes, there are some compromises compared to the costlier models from Vasque and Merrell. For example, the L.L. Bean hikers were the heaviest of the group tested and instead of metal lace grommets, the laces loop through fabric (which is less durable). There's less leather used in the upper and the resulting look is much more obviously an activity shoe rather than something that belongs in an office. Depending on the color options you choose and the dress code you're dealing with, that may or may not be an issue.
The Trail Model Hikers have treads designed for the trail, but not with the depth of the Merrells. The result is the most running shoe-like experience of the three — while a tad heavy, the L.L. Beans are quite comfortable to wear.
These are my go-to hikers for general trail use. The generous use of fabric and broken up suede/fabric patterns on the upper means they don't show scratches and if they get really muddy they can be hosed off or thrown in the washing machine. The tread is good enough for the kinds of trails we take with the kids; they provide a reasonable amount of support and it takes a lot for water to soak through the uppers — if it does, extensive use of mesh fabric means they dry pretty quickly.
Best For: Casual hiking, urban hiking.
*Note: the L.L. Bean hikers as tested were a previous year's model, offered in different color options than 2013 versions.
Recommendations: I like the Vasque Rift for a dressier office look and walking around the city (especially if it's wet out). The Merrell Sight looks good in the office, performs well on the trail and is a good value, but aggressive lugs means the shoe isn't quite as natural as the Rifts for urban use. The L.L. Bean Low Cut Waterproof Trail Model Hiker is comfortable (it feels like an all-purpose athletic shoe) but is more casual looking than the other two shoes and heavier — however, it's great for trail hiking when you don't want to be worrying about wrecking shoes you might want to wear to work.
Disclosure: Merrell provided a pair of Sight hikers for review purposes. The Vasque Rift hikers were supplied by luxury sporting good retailer DJBENNETT (arriving in the coolest wooden shipping box ever), while the L.L. Bean hikers came from my closet.
