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The Bottom Line: Forsake, known for manufacturing shoes that combine the style of sneakers with a durable construction meant for travel and adventure, has built their Range Vent shoe as a lightweight, breathable hiking shoe. Combining Nubuck leather uppers with a mesh lining, all on top of a Vibram Megagrip sole, the Range Vent shoe is a lightweight body meant for tackling activities ranging from everyday wear to peak bagging on the summer trails.
The Range Vent combines features of hiking shoes and sneakers. Shaun Hunter.
Living in an area with distinct seasons, come the warm weather each year we're outside at the first sign of the snow melting off the trails and squeezing in every hour of hiking the trails and hitting the beach that we can before winter rears its frigid head once again. Looking for a good everyday type of shoe that can handle a range of outdoor conditions, we went with Forsake's Range Vent model.
Being the most lightweight of Forsake's Range line, the Range Vent mixes features that are standard for hiking boots and shoes meant for the outdoors with a lightweight sneaker (each shoe weighs just over 12 ounces in a size 10).
What jumps out are the Vibram Megagrip soles. These soles use Vibram's grip technology to put together a shape that has traction to spare! Living in the Lake Tahoe area, a lot of our hikes tackle steep, rocky inclines on loose, sandy trails, and these are non-slip on any type of solid surface. They feel completely stable when handling a scree approach to mountain peaks.
The Nubuck leather uppers feel strong and durable, the reinforced stitching has remained solid throughout our use, and I like that these look sharp enough to wear out in the city without a second thought.
The main difference between the Range Vents and the other shoes in the Range line is that these have a lightweight breathable mesh lining, including the tongue. So whereas the other shoes in the Range line are waterproof, these aren't, instead making them more lightweight and quick-drying. So these are definitely a shoe for spring, summer and fall hiking when serious creek crossings and rain aren't involved.
That said, we tend to put our shoes through some abuse, and the Range Vents have held up to everything we've thrown their way so far.
There seems to be a nice fit around the ankle. The toebox feels spacious, so despite being low top height, the shoe fits well with enough room for hiking socks and a solid amount of traction. Forsake outfits their shoes to act similar to a hiking boot, but I tend to prefer shoes leaning toward the minimal side of things, making these a great fit for wanting durability and the ability to withstand aggressive wear and use while not having the typical weight and ankle restrictions of a traditional hiking boot.
Overall, Forsake's Range Vent shoes make a great outdoor shoe that can tread on demanding trails, lounge beachside on weekend days, or head out for a casual night at the brewery. Breathability, quick drying, and lightweight on top of a beefy high traction sole are the dominant features of a shoe that makes a good fit anywhere you might want to take it.
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