obsolescence is alive and well

A SHOE MADE FOR PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE

The following is reprinted from SNEWS online publication for the outdoor industry. The company Xero Shoes is new to me. But they clearly represent the direction of the outdoor industry in my opinion.

Elevator Pitch | Xero Shoes DayLite Hiker

Ride the elevator with CEO Steven Sashen. For a casual dayhike, a heavy, stiff, technical hiking boot is overkill. The new DayLite Hiker weighs just 10.2 ounces for a men's 9, and only 9 ounces for a women's 7. We made the shoe with the same foot-first, natural movement philosophy

I am assuming the weights noted are for each shoe, but as you will read I am wrong.

For a casual dayhike, a heavy, stiff, technical hiking boot is overkill. The new DayLite Hiker weighs just 10.2 ounces for a men's 9, and only 9 ounces for a women's 7.

I really believe they are gearing this boot towards people who are more inclined to hike in urban areas versus out in the bush.

We made the shoe with the same foot-first, natural movement philosophy of all our shoes and sandals. This shoe has a wide toebox, zero-drop, and is low-to-the-ground for balance and agility. The super-flexible sole lets your foot move naturally, and there is an eye-catching lacing system to secure both your heel and midfoot.

I thought the statement “and is low to the ground for balance and agility” very interesting. Maybe the next model will be on the ground versus close to it. They do not shy away from pointing out that they see the lacing system as eye catching. So obviously they are fashion oriented. With the close to the ground activity they might be able to be on television.

The DayLite Hiker is designed to handle the kind of hikes that make up most of what we do. It works best with non-technical trails where a thick, heavy, stiff boot is way more than you need.

Now they are saying what this boot is made for “non-technical trails” such as 5^th avenue in N.Y.C.

It’s designed to let you “feel the world” and connect with your environment, thanks to its light weight and flexible sole.

The “let you feel the world” statement is also correct. As light as these boots are I am quite sure you will feel every pebble you step on, so you are feeling the world.

The cost for this boot is $110.00 and I imaging they will break down very quickly and since the sole is molded they will be ripe for the trash bin in short order as they fit into the category of “planned obsolescence”.

I weighed a size 9 Wiggy all leather with vibram sole chukka boot and it is 7.44 ounces so I suspect the weight of the zero boots are 10.2 ounces per pair. I really do not see them lasting very long.

However if you were to spend $210.00 for a pair of Wiggy’s chukka boots you could wear them in the field as well as in the urban jungle and know whenever you happen to wear out the vibram sole it can be replaced with a new vibram sole. These boots are NOT made with planned obsolescence in mind.

Please note this company is probably proud of the fact that they have a boot with a very light weight. This only goes along with the garment makers specifically the companies that sell what they think of (if they think at all) as winter insulated jackets. They are always referencing the lightness of weight. So you can understand that they are ALL striving for the lightest weight product that they can make, even though the product doesn’t do what they say or as in the case of zero boots last very long. Maybe they chose the name since it represents the products lack of durability it is zero!

Also consider the lack of support that these boots represent, I mean how structurally sound can they be? Not very, so the chances of turning an ankle IF you go on one of the non- technical trails you may get stuck for a while.

It seems to me the entirety of the outdoor industry is fixated on fashion and how light I can make a product; that is their collective mantra.