Meet The Nike Hiking Shoe For Adventurous Vanlifers

17 February, 2019 by Rose

Hiking goes hand in hand with living the van life, and there is some really cool van life clothing out there, including travel backpacks and other van life essentials that should definitely be in your clothes drawer. Hiking and getting out on the trail is more fashionable than ever, with more and more young people and vandwellers embarking on an off grid adventure every year. So why is the fashion industry still trailing (pun intended) behind? While hiking may be cool, some of the gear that goes with it just, well, isn’t. So today we’re looking at the new Nike Hiking Shoe trying to add some edge to the hiking clothing scene: The Nike ACG Angel’s Rest.

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Own The Trail With The Angel’s Rest Nike Hiking Shoe

nike hiking shoe - does

When you think of Nike you’re more than likely going to think of the iconic Nike tick, bright colours, and fashionable streetwear, as well as high-performance activewear for sports such as running and football. A Nike hiking shoe is unlikely to come to the forefront of your mind, so you might be surprised to find that the Nike ACG Angel’s Rest is designed specifically for off grid living. If you are an outdoorsy person you may recognise the name of the new Nike hiking shoe, as Nike have borrowed the name ‘Angel’s Rest’ from a popular hiking trail in Oregon, USA. With this in mind, this new boot could be one of the perfect campervan gifts for any youngster looking to add this route to their walking repertoire.

nike hiking shoe - side

If you know someone who is living in a van or travelling in a van, then you may have noticed that they turn up everywhere in the same pair of shoes; space is a massive commodity when living the van life. There simply isn’t enough room for multiple pairs of shoes. Many people living the off grid van life need their footwear to be practical as most vanlifers love to get outside no matter the weather- you really have no choice when living in such a small off grid home. However, vanlifers still want to look cool whil
e being practical, and we believe the Nike hiking shoe boasts the best of both worlds. This is one of the best vanlife tips that I received when moving into my van- get a really good practical pair of shoes that you also love the look of and can pair with most outfits!

Tell Us About The Shoes!

nike hiking shoe - top

Well, these Nike hiking shoes certainly look good- your eye is instantly drawn to the embroidered iconic Nike tick that runs along the side, enough to please any teenager who you’re trying to bribe to get out on the trail with you. The map topography of the side of the chunky sole on the Nike hiking shoe is also a nice touch- again paying homage to their Oregon hiking trail namesake. As with many outdoor shoes, these Nike hiking boots boast multi-coloured laces, an addition that we love as they give the otherwise fairly neutral shoes a pop of colour. All you need now is some vanlife socks to go with them too!

nike hiking shoe - sole

Aside from the colourful laces, the majority of the Nike hiking shoe is beige and, while it does look good, we’re not entirely loving it. There are so many hiking boots out there already and the majority seem to be beige, brown, black or khaki. It would have been great to see Nike go bolder and step away from the norm with their super-doozy new Nike hiking shoe. My regular complaint about outdoor clothing is that it’s all beige; Nike would have been the perfect fashion moguls to tread a fresh trail away from the overuse of such a boring colour in the outdoor clothing industry. Just because something is practical it doesn’t mean it has to be such a dull colour!

However, we do love the shape of the Nike hiking shoe which features a classic two-tone chunky sole, boasting the previously discussed topography detailing. The soles look robust enough to withstand the uneven paths that you are often led down whilst hiking, so this Nike hiking shoe does tick the practicality box. It also looks lightweight and breathable, a must have if you’re trekking in the Summer months.

It is not stated that this Nike hiking shoe is waterproof, however, so if you’re looking for something for colder, wetter climates then this might not be the correct footwear for you. This high top Nike hiking shoe could definitely be classed as a boot as it rises about your ankle, making it suitable for long distance walks. The soft back of the high top feature would make the Nike hiking shoe comfortable from the first step on the trail, with no need to break them in beforehand!

nike hiking shoe - black

Final Thoughts…

So, what do we think of the Nike hiking shoe: The Nike ACG Angel’s Rest? Overall, we like it, though next time we would love to see some bolder and brighter colour options. At $120 you’re not going to be paying over the odds for the Nike hiking shoe as this is around what you may expect to pay for a pair of good hiking boots. However, we’re not convinced that these shoes would be right for a regular hiker who tackles more difficult routes and certainly wouldn’t be ideal in wet climates. These shoes would be great for any fashion conscious hikers who want to be the coolest person out there on the trail and are a timeless staple to add to your wardrobe, but you might want to spray paint them first!