This is the first time I've bought shoes on the Internet and it turned out how I imagined. I normally wear between a 10.5 to 11, and I ordered a 10.5 but these ran a little small. I had to exchange them for a size 11 which turned out to be a perfect fit. Oh well, even with the extra shipping these shoes are more than worth it.

I backpack with a base weight of around eleven pounds, so I was looking for a lightweight pair of comfortable shoes. It seems I found my match! It's hard to describe what makes a good shoe, but mainly I like these because I don't notice them. They're lighter than any of my previous hiking shoes and offer what seems to be the perfect fit to my foot. They aren't bulky like my others, so I don't feel embarrassed wearing them with shorts. I can't comment on their traction because I don't climb mountains or anything, but the pattern is deep and they seem like they'd do well in mud and probably sand.

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Cotton is about the worst material to make clothes out of. It soaks up water and leaves you cold. This led me to buy these nylon convertible pants.

Whoever thought up pants that can convert into shorts had a good deal of sense. You save weight and pack size. The integration of a belt is another genius move. My old belt got in the way of my backpack's hip belt and was extremely uncomfortable. Of course once I would take off my belt my old jeans would begin falling down! The belt on these pants is infinitely adjustable and very thin so it doesn't conflict with my backpack.

The zippers that hold the legs together are durable and slide easily. The bottoms of the legs are wide enough to slip over my shoes so it's a quick and painless process to convert them.

The problem with these (for me) is the styling. Immediately after putting them on I was impressed with their lightweightness and comfortability. However, they are a bit too tight around my thighs and a little too loose around my calves (but really only from a fashion perspective). I'm 5'11 at 145lbs and ordered the small size. It's more noticeable when I sit down. Also, the legs look a little too narrow when they're in shorts mode, but I suppose that would be an issue with any convertible non-baggy pants.

I don't think I'll be wearing these to work any time soon, but I don't mind looking a little silly in lieu of comfort in front of my family and friends when I'm in the back country.

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