In a bid to ditch even more PFCs from their line, Columbia extends their OutDry Extreme ECO technology to footwear for Spring 2018. Available in two models — the Conspiracy III and Daska Pass III — the new shoes are part of the company’s Titanium line of products.
The men’s and women’s Daska Pass III Titanium OutDry Extreme ECO hiking boots ($210) are wrapped in the OutDry Extreme ECO membrane, rendering them waterproof while remaining breathable — and they won’t wet out over time like traditional waterproof shoes. The upper is made up of 51% recycled content from recycled PET bottles, with no water used to color the textile and no PFCs intentionally added.
The Vibram ECOSTEP outsole is made from 30% recycled rubber and the laces made form 100% recycled polyester. Other eco-friendly benefits include a zero-waste toe box and heel counter.
The gray colored version comes from adding a bamboo charcoal powder to the membrane when it is in liquid form. This coloring processing eliminates the use of 25 liters of water or more importantly, 52 pints of beer.
The men’s and women’s Conspiracy III Titanium ECO hiking shoes ($150 — pictured top) have also been updated to ECO for Spring 2018. Almost 40% of the entire shoe comes from recycled content, including recycled polyester in the upper and laces, reground EVA in the midsoles, and recycled rubber in the outsoles. In addition, it was designed with a zero-waste toe box and heel counter and the textiles were manufactured with a dyeing process that uses less water, saving up to 15 liters of water or 32 pints of beer.
Spring 2018 sees overall improvements to Columbia’s OutDry Extreme apparel line — namely lighter, stretchier pieces with a softer hand feel and sound. And thanks to the bamboo charcoal process mentioned above, Columbia is now able to offer OutDry Extreme ECO apparel in colors other than white.
One of my favorite new outerwear pieces is the Columbia Montrail OutDry Ex Caldorado Shell. It’s super durable yet extremely lightweight at just over six ounces and packs into its own chest pocket — perfect to throw in your pack for ultra running, mountain biking, or climbing.