Well not just baby as things turned out. I've had my Vibram KSO Trek's for a little over two years, and the beagle her Ruffwear Bark'N Boots for eight (a gift from her aunt). In that time we've both logged a lot of miles on them with B's easily beating mine by six extra years. Anyways, even though you probably can't tell from the picture above they're all pretty ragged and coming apart at the seams. We all need new shoes.
I ordered Bridgette the
Ruffwear Grip Trex shoes, and really like the improvments they've made in them. The new ones have a pleat at the top which helps with keeping the shoes secure and from being loose or thrown as a result. They also added treading to the soles. The old ones had a rubber/leather kind of bottom to them and kept sharp stuff from poking thru or slippng on mossy rocks when crossing streams. The old ones look more like prototypes in comparrison. I'm looking forward to seeing them in action nonetheless.
I ordered myself the
Vibram Spiridon LS's. I picked them over getting the same pair again because they had a more aggressive tread as well as offering a bit more protection. It's not that the old pair didn't protect me so much as Texas hill country is pretty brutal on shoes. Especially if you like to go off path as I often do. They are kind of expensive, but I got them for 20% off at REI's annual dividend sale. That combined with the my dividend saved me about $40 off the total price.
I held off replacing the travel trailer tires a few weeks ago because I wanted to research the brands a bit more. The guy at the shop recommended Carlisle's stating they were a little cheaper but just as good as the leading competitor (Maxxis). I'm not saying Carlisle is a bad brand, but they're not as great as some make them out to be. I was able to get a couple of first hand accounts regarding their performance in comparrison to Maxxis tires and am glad I held off to do the homework. I'm going with Maxxis and gonna get my baby reshoed next weekend.
