The Nike ACG Talaria Boot Review, Trail Hybrids At Their Finest
Before the Meriwether boot, there was the Talaria. Butt ugly to some, but glorious to me. Of course, at the time of release I was too focused on Jordans and other retro Nikes to shell out the cash to buy them. In my old age I’ve let off the pedal in terms of buying fashionable shoes and mostly go on the hunt for performance based shoes at a discount and the Talarias came at a great price point. While they won’t win any awards for simple aesthetics, something caught my eye for some reason. The re-release brought about different colors, and I opted for the grey/purple/neon green/black (Cannon/Club Purple – Black). First thing that ran through my mind was “Why So Serious?”
The upper is constructed of different materials but the integrated tongue gives the shoe an overall sock-like feel with a little breathing room on the interior. They don’t fit as snug as basketball shoes would, but still feel pretty locked down once I’m laced in. There’s no chafing on the inside of the shoe thus far and the break in period seemed nonexistent. Big plus on the metal eyelets too. As shown by the side shot, cushioning is more than ample while still maintaining a good amount of flexibility unlike some of the harder bottomed trail shoes available.
The soles are running inspired for a solid grip. Even though there’s not a ton of nub placement, I haven’t slipped on any rocky areas or anything like that. I’ve actually found this sole to be more convenient in terms of not getting rocks stuck on the bottom of my kicks. While these may not work for super rocky terrain, the trails I travel on aren’t as jagged. I like the print of tendons and whatnot beneath the outsole too. Cool design concept that Nike’s perfected over the years in their other limited release shoes.
One of my favorite aspects of the Talaria boots is the rubberized toecap. While providing a contrast to the wild colors already on the shoe, the toecap provides extra protection against wear and scuffs if and when you have to haul ass. While the design is old by performance standards, I feel like Nike went the extra mile in creating a damn good trail shoe with outdoor athletes in mind. Aside from possibly wanting more ankle support for uneven terrain, these are now my ideal trail shoe when I’m doing some running in the wilderness. If you can call the outskirts of my county the wilderness that is. You can find the Nike Talaria Boot at Nike outlets nationwide or on eBay for way less than the suggested retail of $120. Swoop them up!
