The Gear Junkie Scoop: Icebug SPIRIT OLX Shoe

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Thursday, August 26, 2010 1

They come from Sweden. They are set with gridpatterns of carbide-tip studs. Their job is to conquer the gnarliest terrain arunner may ever see.

The Icebug SPIRIT OLX, an aggressive yet fabulouslynimble sports car of a shoe, is among the coolest footwear introductions I'veseen this year. The company, a small brand that launched in 2001, unveiled theSPIRIT OLX this summer along with a new push on the North Americantrail-running market.

With its design roots in sports like orienteering andfell running, the SPIRIT OLX may strike as an extremely niche product. But theshoe, which has the feel of a trail-oriented racing flat, is adaptable andspeedy. Serious trail runners looking to gain significant speed -- whilesacrificing some comfort and foot-protection features -- could easily fall inlove with the OLX.

I sure did. On the shoes' maiden trail run last week, Itackled a leafy singletrack that angled uphill for 200 feet. The Icebug studs-- 14 fixed carbide tips per shoe -- ate into the dirt, piercing leaves andgripping so well that my feet never slipped.

In addition to great grip, the OLX is made to strike abalance between support and low-to-the-ground control. It has a "foot-shaped"anatomical last. Its sole is flexible, accommodating metatarsal movement andallowing your anatomy -- not engineered components in a bulky midsole -- toabsorb, react, and rebound in fast cadence to the terrain underfoot.

It is a lightweight shoe, too. A men's size 9 weighs justless than 10 ounces. My test shoe, a size 12, measures 11.7 ounces on my scale.This is a couple ounces lighter than an average trail-running shoe, and on thefeet the difference is noticeable.

The shoes were developed in coordination with PeterOberg, a rock star of the Swedish orienteering world. Materials used on the OLXare smart and thought through. The company (http://www.icebug.se) employsnon-absorbing materials throughout, meaning the OLX shoes will not retain muchwater, even if you stomp through a stream.

The uppers are rip-stop nylon reinforced byhigh-frequency welded straps. The midsole is a lightweight EVA foam with justenough support.

Overall, in my trail tests so far, the OLX shoes get a bigthumbs up. The shoe successfully combines great fit, light weight, exceptionalgrip, and a nimble design that engages a natural running gait. For what it'sworth, they look cool, too.

But, alas, a sports car of a shoe must come with asports-car-type price tag. The OLX shoes retail for $159, making them among thepricier products in their class.

If you can afford them -- and if you need maximum gripfrom a nimble trail shoe -- Icebug's fully-studded runners might be the shoefor you.

--Stephen Regenold is founder and editor ofwww.gearjunkie.com.

Comments

1

AO the Swede
09/09/10 5:24:AM

I´ve been running with the stud-free version (Celeritas) all summer long. It is the F1 car of trailrunning, super fast and nimble. Its lighter than Inov-8 X-talon (not on papper but in reality). I use Spirit OLX when wet and you never lose the grip! Look out for the 2011 model Anima. "More Shoe" if your not racing and witn non-absorbing materials.

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