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Stylmartin Vertigo Shoes
Reviewed by Kyle Lawrenson
Style, function and versatility – that is definitely one way of describing these shoes. When they first came out, I was immediately intrigued. A good looking riding shoe with all the safety features and characteristics of a hiking shoe. So what makes these better than the pair of Vans I would ride with? The Vertigo WP shoes are littered with loads of features such as D30 protection impact foam, this is a soft foam that hardens on impact. This technology has been used in other industries such as the military and more.
The Vertigo shoes are full leather and are waterproof. Now I know what you must be thinking. “All shoes are waterproof, Once the water is in it doesn’t get out.” Well we tested this on an adventure ride we did on a couple of Vstroms. We walked through a low stream covering the shoes just below our ankles. Guess what, there was no water in the shoe. So yes they are waterproof. I wouldn’t go diving in them but you can confidently ride through water without getting squishy socks in your shoe.
The pattern underneath the shoe is very much a hiking pattern with more grip than a enduro tyre. They can be slightly slippery on a smooth wet surface like tiles, other than that they have good all round traction. Walking through the mud in Lesotho is where they really stood out. My feet were dry, warm and not once did I walk around like I was on an ice rink waiting for the sudden thud as I hit the floor.
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The one thing we keep saying about all these riding shoes is how versatile they are. From riding to work to dinners with the in-laws. No one really knows they are riding shoes packed with all the safety features you need for riding.
I have fairly broad feet and the sizing feels just right. Not too tight around the ankle and around the balls of my feet. The reinforced toe caps took time to wear in as they were hard on the upper parts of my feet just above my toes at first, but like all good shoes once they have been worn in, they feel great.
The high tops help a lot with the cold wind on your ankle but more importantly protect your ankle in case of a mishap. Walking around in the bush my ankles were protected and not exposed as well as no typical bush detritus found its way inside the shoes, not a grain of sand, a grass seed – NADA.
On the bikes I could feel the hiking tread/pattern as it feels spongy and soft, on the Adventure bikes with more aggressive pegs the shoes sit nicely with a firm grip. When on a sports bike with smaller thinner pegs the shoes don’t wrap themselves around the peg like normal shoes would. They hold their shape and give you good feedback on the gear even and brake pedal. The Vertigo WP shoes can most definitely be worn all day and be comfortable considering they are designed for riding and hiking.
They have become one of my favourite daily wearing shoes and work well for what we do, we spend a lot of time riding as well as walking on our photo shoots or calling on customers. They offer all the protection a rider needs without being big and bulky, as well as the comfort of a hiking or casual shoe with a muted modern look and design.
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