Review: Rogue Rippetoe Shoes - First Impressions

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Look what just arrived in the mail.

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Materials

The pictures on the Rogue website don't do these shoes any justice. I was really suprised when I saw how nicely made these shoes are. The black suede is sharp.

The Laces

The shoe laces are worthless. They are way too short, and shouldn't even have been included in the shoe. Mine are a size 9.5, and I can't imagine these things lacing all the way up on an 11 or 12. That is my biggest complaint. If you spend $115 on a pair of shoes you shouldn't have to make a trip to a store to spend another $3 to pick up laces. Small issue, but hopefully Rogue will address this for the next batch.

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Sole
A very nice non-slip pattern!



Heal

I like the heal. When I first put them on they didn't feel overly high, and my foot felt very solid and planted in them.

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Sizing

I have narrow feet, and these are tight. They are leather, and should stretch out nicely over time though. I imagine these will fit like gloves after a few months of use. If you have wide feet you may need a bigger size.

Summary

I haven't had a chance to work out in these yet, but just wearing them around the house, and doing a couple of air squats I could immediately tell I would like them. Your feet feel planted to the ground in these shoes.

I have been working out barefoot for the past 18 months. Time will tell how much of an improvement good shoes make to my lifts. I have tight hamstrings, and the heel made hitting depth a lot easier just doing air squats in the kitchen. I will post further thoughts after Friday's workout.

I really just wanted to post some decent pics of these shoes. They look like a million bucks in person, and unfortunately you don't really see the quality in the small pics on Rogue's site.

[Sal Webber]

I think these might be running a tad small. My buddy ordered his normal 9.5 size and is going to have to return them. He couldn't get his feet in them. He said he should have ordered a 10.5. Anyone else notice they are running small?

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Mine are really tight. I wear a 9.5 in most shoes, and I ordered mine in size 9.5. I think they will break in and feel really good eventually, but it is going to take some time. A size 10 may have been better I don't know.

I think they used South American Aztecs to model these on...maybe that's why they are so small?

[TartanEagle]

I have a pair, and I feel they are tight, more so than small overall (if that makes any sense). They are tight around my feet, but not in the toe. I think they will loosen up with wear, but I probably would have ordered a half size larger than I did. I typically wear a 10.5 shoe, or an 11 sneaker (running shoes or sambas). I would probably have gone with an 11 if I had tried them on in a store.

[blowdpanis]

This is going to sound weird, but for anybody who has their shoes already, see if the left shoe looks like it has a slightly bigger heel and just a teency bit more length. I ask because it kind of looks like the pictures posted in this thread have the same slight disparity that my shoes do.

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Blowdpanis,

I just checked mine, and there is a slight difference between the shoes. The heel on the left is 1/16" thicker than the right, and the sole is slightly wider.

You could drive yourself crazy thinking about this, and I don't think it really matters. These aren't mass produced like Nikes.

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Completed my first workout this morning using the shoes. It is actually my first workout using any shoes since I have been training barefoot for the last year or so.

My initial impressions are very positive. It is going to take a few workouts to get used to wearing shoes, but I felt that I was able to hit depth a lot easier with these shoes on. I do have difficulty adjusting my feet and stance since the soles provide excellent traction. I will eventually get this sorted as well.

My shoes are really snug, and I think that is going to work out really well in the long run. The shoes already started softening up after the first workout. The suede really molds to your feet.