The Ridgemont Outback is a versatile and stylish shoe that has the build to tackle the outdoors or the urban jungle. Constructed of durable 2mm waxed full grain leather, waxed cotton canvas, a bespoke Ortholite innersole and a hi-density 100% rubber, lugged vulcanized outsole. It’s designed to stand up to anything a man can throw at it. It will perform on the trail or a night on the town. Make sure you wash off the mud, though.
Ridgemont Styling
The Ridgemont Outback will catch your eye; style is everything with this shoe. When they first popped into our office I seriously thought I might be too old to pull off such a fashion-forward shoe. They actually sat on my desk for several weeks. Once I tried them on and realized how comfortable they were, I wore them three to four days a week, easily. Toss them on with a pair of jeans and you are good to go.
The Uppers
You wouldn’t wear the Outback for a serious overnight outing with a pack, but as an all around day hiker, cover-the-town, good-looking shoe for everyday use they’re a pretty solid choice. The upper is made from a waterproof oiled full grain leather that protects from the puddles, light snow and more and still lets your feet breath a bit. The full grain leather will definitely protect your feet against rocks, roots or what ever the woods or urban jungle can throw at you. For comfort, the insole is a removable Ortholite footbed and features a nice, comfy padded collar.
The Sole
The sole on the Outback is the 100% rubber, lugged vulcanized outsole. Although heavy, it feels as solid as your traditional hiking boots with a much more refined look and smooth feel. Due to the dense rubber and lugged outsole, we found these shoes to withstand more abuse than expected. Over rocky terrain the Outback offered a fairly decent grip on wet terrain and rocks, and of course performed like a champ on dry surfaces. We aren’t talking approach shoes here but for the style and intent, they are pretty solid. It would take some pretty tricky terrain for me to back down while sporting the Outback.
The Outback is one of several shoes in Ridgemont’s lineup. With a name like “Outback” you expect it to be billed as a casual hiking shoe or something designed for off the beaten trail, and 98% of the time it is going to live up to it.
Of course, the folks at Outside Magazine point out that the Outback is stylish as hell, and that’s the whole point: you’ll be dressed for the occasion whether you’re out splitting fire wood or sitting down for tapas at a fancy restaurant.
$125, ridgemontoutfitters.com
