Vans Makes A Tech Shoe That Would Genuinely Plug A Hole In My Life

Normally the way these things work is that I get asked to review a product — via Stab Top Brass — that’s come live and direct from one of our partners.

It’s a fine gig. I find something I like about whatever the product is, spin a yarn, review some of the technical details (often getting abused in the comments for the heinous crime of doing something that’s been “paid” for), but our partners generally make quality gear, so it’s a relatively authentic experience, and in the end the world keeps spinning.

This, however, isn’t one of those occasions.

This is the Vans Crosspath XC GORE-TEX, which I recently saw on Instagram, thought, ‘Ooh they’re nice and would totally plug a hole in my life.’ Then realised that I had the press release, full of nice imagery of Mikey Feb (love him), in my Spam folder. I then hit up said Top Brass myself and asked if I could whip something up and they said, “Have at it,” and here we are.

My interest in the Crosspath XC is threefold: outline, GORE-TEX, and Vibram (them coming in black helps too). I currently reside in Bangkok, a city of many splendours, but a few downsides too. Firstly, obviously being the lack of surf (although you don’t have to venture too far to whack a bit of wind swell if you’re keen), and secondly and thirdly being mucky streets and rain. Mucky streets that literally turn to black ice after said rain. In short, BKK city churns through shoes and groins equally quickly. And these puppies are a dead set antidote.

Most of my fellow city-slickers deal with the terrain by driving everywhere (thus why the traffic’s ludicrous) and wearing Salomons (seriously, Sal must make a killing in Bangkok). However, Salomons are also the uniform footwear of the ever-individualistic they/thems causing mayhems in Melbourne at present, and that’s really not my scene. So that’s why the Crosspaths hit me between the eyes on the gram.

For the uninitiated, Vibram are the OG’s of rubber soles and have been lining the best outdoor footwear for nearly 100 years. Furthermore, GORETEX, obviously, are the waterproof dons. The Crosspath XCs come in three colours (the ‘dusty olive blue‘ are real nice too) and whether you’re trying not to do the splits on the grimy streets of SE Asia, hiking Kilimanjaro or just, say, checking the surf on a rainy winter’s day, they’re fit for all occasions.

Grab yourself a pair of techy everydayers here.