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evolv Men's Cruzer

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
photo: evolv Men's Cruzer approach shoe

Great for what I wanted. Not terribly stylish, they look like TOMS. I'm replacing 5.10 Guide Tennies with these. There is a lot less shoe here than the 5.10.

Pros

  • Surprising amount of cushion in the footbed
  • Sticky sole, but not too sticky for everyday wear
  • Lightweight
  • Good contact with bike pedals or rock

Cons

  • None that I can see so far, if they hold up

I ride my mountain bike to work and like to have a sticky sole to grab onto my bike pedals. But I also need something that doesn't look out of place in a tattoo shop.

These are a simple shoe that are like a very comfortable version of my climbing slippers. They give me very good control on the pedals because there's not a lot between your foot and the ground/pedals/rock. The footbed has a nice amount of padding though, which seems weird. It would seem you could have one but not both. 

The sole is sticky, but not too sticky. There's no squeak when walking on an interior floor. I have taken them out for a little bit of scrambling on some boulders near my house, and they performed more than adequately.  

If I were going to be climbing in them I would want them to lace to the toe, but this isn't a problem for my intended use. All the other reviews I read of them made me think that sizing would be a problem, I wear an 11 1/2 in most shoes and these don't do half sizes past 11 and they stop at 12. I got the 12 and they fit great.

Again if I were climbing in them I think I would want a half size smaller. 

Update 4/2016: Now that I've had these awhile I'll add more more to my initial impressions. The more I wear them, the more I love them. I started wearing them when I play the drums. I get tons of control on the kick pedal without them being too sticky. When we play shows we dress up in semi-formal attire. Because these are all black they don't look funky while wearing a suit.

On most of my outdoor shoes I change the laces to accessory cord. Because I wear these while bike commuting I end up riding on city streets at night. I found accessory cord that has silver threads. This helps make me more visible, but this cord is very stiff so they were coming untied all the time. So I cannibalized some cord locks from an old REI down jacket.

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I threaded the accessory cord through these cord locks and viōla, problem solved.  


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Some friends and I are in the process of scouting out short faces and boulders to climb (we're in a part of the country with NO known climbing since the ground is mostly clay and the closest gym is 70 miles away) find these will not be my scouting shoes; I need proper off-trail boots since we'll be hiking around in trail less acres of Missouri River bluffs. The Cruzer will be in my pack so I can throw them on and try some moves on whatever rocks we do find. 

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $75

This is a great casual shoe that also does quite well on the approach. It is very comfortable to wear all day, and very lightweight on harness or in the pack.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Minimalist look is nice for casual use

Cons

  • Marking sole
  • Stitching came undone
  • Sole wears quickly

I have used this shoe for two summers in Europe and for everyday casual use for two years. In that time I have gone through two pairs.

I got this shoe to replace Sanuks, my previous casual shoes which the sole came off of in Vidin province of Bulgaria (ie the poorest/most remote/least industrialized region of the poorest/least industrialized country in Europe). I wasn't going to let that happen again, traipsing through the Balkans in duct tape soled shoes.

I got these shoes when I returned in the 'slate' color. Evolv has been having problems with this canvas fabric changing color, and when they began turning a light-purple-going-orange type of color from a few months of Arizona sun. I returned these and got a new pair.

The new pair was the same but the color did not fade. The shoe was comfortable, (fits a little bit snug and narrow, I usually go 12 or 45.5 in Scarpa casual shoes in casual shoes for a tight fit and take a 13 in these). I picked the shoe mainly becuase of how it looks, simply and low profile. The toe rand looks a little odd and people ask what type of shoes they are, but many people compliment them. The two-part tongue design it excellent, as it doesn't go to the side like most of my other shoes. The rubber sole grips very well, but does mark and wear quickly.

The shoes have a pretty minimalist design. They are lightweight and pretty basic construction. Rubber sole, foam cushion and footbed, foam insole, lined canvas upper.

The first pair was great, but for summer 2013 I got a new pair because the old ones were getting to be pretty well used.

The new pair has also been great, but it is beefed up a little since the first model. The differences are it has a dual density insole and the lined canvas upper has a foam between the lightweight inner liner and canvas. It is slightly heavier but not noticeable, and it holds its shape better than the old model, which had little structure in the upper.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $65

Cheap, versatile, great value.

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Everyday shoe
  • Climbs well
  • Very low profile
  • Lightweight
  • Good for belaying

Cons

  • Durability
  • Canvas not for everyone
  • shoelaces are not great

A great alternative to expensive burly approach shoes. the Cruzer is great for everyday use as it isn't flashy or bad taste. It climbs quite well, including edging. It is also pretty good for belaying as the heel folds down.

Because it's so low profile and light it is perfect for descents while climbing with it on your harness. It does not last that long though, especially if you use it around town. Plus canvas isn't waterproof or anything and some people don't like it on a shoe. 

They lasted a couple of years until the sole started to come of. 

Other than that I really recommend them.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: 60$

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Specs

Price MSRP: $74.95
Historic Range: $37.48-$74.95
Reviewers Paid: $60.00-$75.00
Product Details from evolv »

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