Category Guide For Summer Footwear

At CCBC, we pride ourselves on providing expert boot fitting with a wide selection of premium brands to ensure the most comfortable touring experience. Now that spring is here, our goal is to prove the same level of service and quality selection so we can leave terrible fitting shoes in the past. To simplify our offering, we divided all our footwear into there categories: Gravel Crushers (Road-to-trail/mild trail), Singletrack Slayers (Moderate Trail), and Peak Pushers (Technical/Off Trail). Read on to learn more about these categories and our favorite shoes for each!

Gravel Crushers are going to be your go-to category if you are a city-slicker spending some time checking out the goods at Wash Park, but also want a shoe that can handle a trip to the local single track from time-to-time. Built with enough cushion and flexibility to handle some road running, yet enough tread and traction to handle some light to moderate trails, Gravel Crushers are a great option if you’re looking for versatility.

Staff Favorite: Adidas Terrex Two Ultra
The Two Ultra combines Adidas’ versatile BOOST midsole with a Continental Rubber outsole and Primeblue knit upper to create a versatile road-to-trail option. The Primeblue upper has structure where you want it through the heel and midfoot, but gives in the forefoot to let those feet splay over longer runs. Bonus, it’s made with recycled sea plastic! The Boost midsole has great pop and rebound on the roads, and with a 6mm heel-to-toe drop (29-23mm stack height), feels stable on the singletrack. The Continental Rubber outsole has multidirectional lugs to grip the singletrack, but is durable enough to withstand some miles on the pavement.

If cruising along a serine switchback through a grove of aspen trees at the peak of fall colors sounds like a cup of tea you might enjoy, this is the category for you. Singletrack Slayers are going to have outsoles made of softer, grippier rubbers to help keep your feet sole side down, and some will have built in rock-plates to keep those stone bruises and zingers away. They’ll also have uppers constructed with more overlays and reinforcement to help keep your foot on the shoe, even while dancing over rocks and roots like Kilian Jornet.

The Peregrine has been a go-to for avid trail runners for the better part of a decade, and for good reason. The Peregrine strikes the perfect balance of grip, protection, cushion, and durability. The outsole is made of Saucony’s proprietary PWRTrac rubber, a soft rubber compound to help you grip anything in your track. The deep, multidirectional lugs handle just about any surface you can throw at it, and even have suggested locations for inserting ice screws, or drilling drainage holes. The midsole uses Saucony’s durable PWRRun material, protecting your foot mile after mile. With a rockplate protecting your forefoot, and a 4mm heel-to-toe drop you’ll frolic over technical terrain like never before.

Peak Pushers are individuals that aren’t afraid to get out of their comfort zone, pushing themself deeper and higher into the mountains than most people dare. These adventure seeking souls also expect their gear to be tougher than their toughened hands and sun beaten cheeks. Peak Pushers are designed to be used and abused, and then used some more. Built with uppers durable enough to be dragged across granite, tread that offers superb grip and durability, yet still light enough to move fast and efficiently through any terrain you can think up, grab a Peak Pusher for your next high alpine adventure!

The Altra Lone Peak has become a go-to for peak baggers and through-hikers alike. This new, All-Weather (AW) update keeps intact the things people love about the Lone Peak (the wide, Foot Shaped toe box, zero-drop construction, targeted forefoot protection), but adds Altra’s EGO foam for a bouncier, more durable midsole experience. The new eVent upper sheds water with ease, while being the most breathable, water-proof, upper application on the market. Add a mid-top construction and you have a shoe that will surely help get you to reach your next summit.

Not sure which shoe is right for your next backcountry adventure? Schedule a virtual or in-store appointment with a backcountry expert to ensure you get the best fitting shoe for your next mission.