Garmont 9.81 Escape

Summary

Really comfortable and good support, but minor quality issues and hardly any treads

After reading other reviews on these claiming them to run small, I ordered a half size up from my regular 11. They are a great fit, but I have a feeling my regular size would have worked too since there's a little extra room with the 11 1/2 for me.

Anyway, their best feature: I love the laces! You don't tie them but instead use a sliding plastic clip to tighten andloosen them. The clip holds great and the entire lace system is really easy to adjust. These were really comfortable out of the box and felt great running from the get go. They look good with a classy, fairly understated style. 

Not so enamored with the treads on these as they are very shallow (probably 1/8th-1/4 of an inch thick) and the bottoms of the soles are nearly flat as a result of the minimalistic treads. I would prefer a sole with a bit more of an aggressive tread pattern personally. The soles are, however, good and grippy.

Quality seemed good initially but one of the straps that holds the laces broke after about 4 or 5 months.  They still work with the broken lace strap, but I expected better. 

Overall a more-good-than-bad shoe that wins out on the excellent lace system and comfort.