Merrell Womens Diva Opti Wick Skort, by Angel Garbarino
I recently purchased a Merrell Women’s Diva Opti Wick Skort with a Merrell gift certificate I had won at a Big Blue Adventure event. I will admit that purchasing a skort was in part a joke. I have long doubted the skort look for females in athletic apparel. However, my guy friend had just purchase an outdoors skort made for guys and I figured I would jab back with my own. I also figured it might help add a touch of femininity to my near daily spandex attire. Needless to say, my purchase of the skort had more to do with it being a skort than its functionality. As such, I was presently surprised to find that the skort has more than style, but offers a lot in the way of functionality. The Merrell skort uses the Opti Wick nyloneastane blend fabric, which does an amazing job at wicking away moister. Additionally, the skort cut provides a wide range of motion, more so in my opinion then traditional running shorts. So though you may at first be hesitant to sport the skort look ladies, if anything give it a try for its functionality.
Salomon Running Shoes Rock, by Jen Klafin
As an adventure racer gear is as much a part of our addiction as is racing... and as a trail runner my feet come first. Combine these two traits and Salomon has come through time and again in the shoe department. The cut is consistent across every shoe and feels as though I have a custom foot bed in the shoe off the shelf. Moving outward... the toe box reinforcement and seams are in perfect position to protect and never rub or create blisters... plus the quick draw laces are lightening fast and have never broken. Going down under Matey... the tread is the perfect mix of durable and sticky. They stick to rocky trails and excel at bushwhacking while lasting me an entire season without wearing through. Ok, and I have to say they come in cool colors... thanks to the used car sales man I notice. On the flip side these shoes tend to fit narrow feet best and are fairly light which is great, but means less padding so I suggest using them primarily on trail and limiting road running which will also accelerate tread wear. As with any shoe try it on and try it out! I am loyal to my 6 (really) pairs of Salomon shoes and can't wait until they come out with mountain biking shoes. Don't start a rumor... as far as I know they're sticking to running shoes which they have perfected.
