The Short and Typical Journey of Wenger Footwear

And ode and a lament in one, for the world's greatest shoe (deceased) 

4 years ago, my feet were about shot.  So too my knees, and my back from time to time.  Some people advised me to buy better shoes, which I tried, but every activity still wore me down.  I came across some Swiss shoes by Wenger, the maker of the original Swiss Army knife, online only, and thought, okay I will give these a shot.  I thought hey, if they are designed and built for the Alps where well-to-do, cultured high-brow Europeans do some of the best hiking and climbing in the world, then they ought to answer for Utah.  I hesitated to buy online, as sizing and fit can be an issue, but with fingers crossed, I ordered anyway.  The shoes were new (their first year), looked great (bright reds, orange with pink, blue, green, different styles and heights, and treads), seemed extremely ambitious, carried a top name and proud logo, and displayed the kind of exuberance that youth brings- in a person or a company.  And which fades over time too often...

Well it all worked out.  I have been wearing my classic oranges for 3+ years now and they still answer for a walk of a mile or less.  I got some blistering the other day power walking 3 miles to start getting into shape for the hard summer I have planned, but they have been complimented, performed in all weathers, can be used for climbing, hiking, jogging, you name it- go great with all outfits, are tough, waterproof, and still, shake off dirt like no shoe I have ever seen.  For 2 full years they would look shot and then with a spritz of water shine like new.  Thank goodness I have another pair fresh in my closet waiting for me the last 2.5 years, because I will need them this summer.  And Wenger does not make any oranges anymore.  The model of shoe, Matterhorn, is also not available at most websites anymore.  I once checked Wenger's home site, which does not specialize in sales, and found that in Europe some bright colors were still available (are they now?  Who knows, even Europeans get boring, because for some reason they copy our fashion, and are even trying to get fat and stupider), although few.  But the specialization and craft is largely out of the company now.  Their second year in business the shoes were leaning towards being grey and black with striping of bright colors, with more traditional cuts and fewer options.  I am not sure how to take that.  At the time I thought, well I guess no one but me wanted shoes that everyone will admire and be jealous of, no one is confident enough to wear the colors of the sunset on their feet.  People are pretty boring.  And maybe some of their over-hyped claims, such as how the Albion was a hiker (I own them, and they are only a "hiker" if you consider walking to work on sidewalks "hiking".  Yes they are a fine walking shoe, made of good material, with gorgeous shape and cut, and in bright red with red laces I get a lot of compliments (quick suggestion here men: women seem to look at a man's feet more than you would think.  I have had about a dozen women of various ages begin conversations with me over my great Wenger vintage shoes.  So stop wearing the ratty old pair with holes and do yourself a favor, dress up, starting from the bottom), but I would never take them on an actual hike.  They are a gorgeous casual shoe for people who want to pretend they are sporty, like how most drivers of S.U.V.s care more about the pop down TV screen than about the extra paneling on the undercarriage to protect them from rocks on gravel roads.  They will do in a pinch if you need to jog to work.  Anyway, it does not matter, they too are discontinued.

Year 2's slightly less artisan shoe line of smaller scope (was the passion gone?  Or was the plan to see what sold and stick with only those?) with stiffer bodies that pinched the foot a little, but which still performed (I can jog on bald ice in my winter hiker pair from that year) gave over to Year 3.  An even smaller line.  Grey now the most exciting color.  Brown and tan the norm for the few cuts.  All of them more cheaply made and even the same "models" being downgraded.  (I cannot jog on bald ice in my Year 3 Winter Hikers which are theoretically the same shoe as Year 2, but in different colors, and they can still claim to be weather rated against frostbite to negative 25 Ferenheit, but my feet get cold in them near zero)  Those shoes that were constructed well, such as the Yetti, a fine winter sport hiker, with full ankle support, creative tread well suited to snow, and very sturdy toe box and heel shell molding to give a tighter, truer fit with snoeshoes (they do by the way- no slipping, which means no blisters), came with trash insoles.  The Yetti is still available, by the way, and though I have not tried the second year model, if they are comparable, are well worth the $99 price.  The boots look great, will last well to actual use (take care of them, but only after you beat them up in using them), and are not so insulated as to be unusable in summer, though in hot temperatures, you will get some steamed feet.  Still, they are as waterproof as boots come and true summer hikers in another brand make my feet sweat more, and are not even close to still being waterproof after 2 summers.  They barely remained so for one, which is typical (and yes I know that one needs to treat goretex products with a re-sealer each year, I am not an idiot, thank you).  I recommend the Yetti, though the trash insole will not even work to walk around the house in.

Again, I cut Wenger slack.  Most hikers these days are trained by REI staff members to believe they need a $40 insole and why not, there is more money to be had.  So perhaps Wenger thought, why waste the money putting in a good insole that people will discard before even trying out?  Wenger's Year 1 and 2 shoes had magnificent insoles, by the way.  I am still on the original in my Oranges, though I have had to pad them the past 2 years underneath by cutting old socks and slipping those under the insoles. This costs exactly nothing by the way, and so you will never hear anyone in the business, such as an REI staffer suggest it.  Why be resourceful in a modern capitalist country?  Why take 90 seconds making your shoes better than new for free by cutting up an old sock when you can swipe a credit card?

Ah but now we are in Year 4 and I see what Wenger's plan probably was all along.  Get some name recognition, some devoted followers, insiders who have credibility and tell everyone buy Swiss or go barefoot, and to all the time, be working on creating a product that can be mass-produced in China quickly enough to infiltrate Target.  Yes, you can now buy decent and well-designed tents, backpacks, shoes, and other gear at Target chains with that glorious Wenger red cross, as well as at Ross and TJ Maxx chains.  They are the best thing you can buy- at those stores- and are still a better deal than most products you can buy at R.E.I.  or similar stores, where backpacks cost an astonishing $200!  And may last, but are so pretty that you will feel the need to buy a new one after taking it out once, because for $200, the thing ought to shine and sparkle you know?  But in no way can I now say that I will never buy anything but Wenger again.  They saved my feet, and maybe even my life, (melodrama?), but the product they are putting out now does not pass The Still Wild West 5 second flex test.  I can pick up a shoe and tell you in 5 seconds if it is worth buying.  If it feels like it was made by hand with leather the way my vintage Wengers still do after 2 and 3 years (I kept buying new models; I get teased by the same women who compliment me; "oh you have more shoes than I do.  Every day a new color."), then it is worth almost any price.  Sadly, I don't know of any company that makes such a shoe now.  Salomon only works for narrow feet and I lost some toenails trying them on steep hills in Utah.  Though maybe I could size up.  I just hate looking like another yuppy you know?  Wearing Salomon to me makes a simple statement: look at me, I like to look like I do this all the time!

I haven't liked the few other major brands I have tried either.  Wenger was one brand not building in arch support, which only works if you have, you know, high arches.  Otherwise it causes problems.  So good luck.  If you find the perfect shoe let me know.  I have about 3 years left with my new oranges, and maybe with new insoles, I can make the 2 sets of Matterhorns I have last forever.  If not, who knows.  If only I had had the foresight to buy 3 pairs of Matterhorns, but that seemed too ridiculous.  Who buys shoes more than 2 years in advance really?  And had I known they were good for 3 years each, I'd have said, well, I'm covered until I am 30, and by then, I may be sick of having fun or will have been struck by lightning.  Oh well.