Columbia Sportswear Conspiracy Razor OutDry Shoes

Columbia Sportswear’s Razor OutDry shoes are a lightweight waterproof multi-sport shoe designed to handle your outdoor adventures. These shoes are built for flex, traction and mobility.

How do they perform? Let’s look at the features and then get to the straight talk:

Features

• Style – low profile
• Upper:
  • Welded textile/mesh
  • OutDry waterproof technology
• Midsole:
  • Techlite – super cushion, high energy return
  • 3mm drop/offest
• Outsole:
  • Omni-Grip Rubber
• Weight: 11.1 oz per shoe
• MSRP:  $130 CAD – $110 USD

Testing:

These shoes have taken me backpacking with 50+ lb packs full of kids gear, hiking, walking, fishing and even for a week in Ecuador (in South America).

 

What do I think?

The Conspiracy Razor OutDry offers a lot in a lightweight, flexible and waterproof multi-sport shoe. It shows that brands are getting that for most of our outdoor activities we can leave the clunky hiking boots behind in favour of agility, without worrying about wet socks or poor traction.

First off, the shoe is very comfortable. It provides a great, comfortable fit that eliminated any need to break the shoe in. Even with a 50+ pound pack and steep incline I didn’t suffer sore, tired feet or blisters.

Secondly the lacing stays put. One of my pet peeves is having to re-tie laces. Even with a single knot the lacing stays secure even on long hikes.

Thirdly the traction is phenomenal. The Omni-Grip rubber and traction pattern give you multi-direction anti-slip on even smooth surfaces.

The OutDry serves its purpose well, preventing water from penetrating the textile upper. As always, there’s a compromise with some breathability. That said, I never felt like I had clammy or damp feet.

Although there are no signs of breaking yet, I worry about the single piece textile upper. The typical flex points are showing creasing after a few months. There’s no serious damage yet, so I may be over reacting, but I will be watching them for wear.

Conclusion

The Conspiracy Razor Outdry is a great lightweight shoe for all your outdoor activities from strolls in the park, to bike rides to backpacking trips and summer peak bagging. We were very pleased with the comfort of the shoe, even after long and active days. The waterproofing performed really well and the traction is very impressive. The price is on the higher end (most likely due in part to the technology in it). We’re really happy with how they performed, and look forward to wearing them through the wet season.

Have you had a chance to get out in Columbia footwear? Let us know in the comments below.

Disclaimer: Columbia Sportswear provided these shoes for review free of charge. All opinions are our own and reflect the advice we would give to family and friends.