From Hokkaido to Hawaii to Rio de Janeiro, some of the most memorable trips of my career as an editor have involved almost zero planning. Book the flight, check the weather, then show up and go where the wind blows. The key to this travel philosophy is exclusively packing adaptable, comfortable gear capable of carrying me from city streets to deserted beaches and up mountain trails. My kit changes depending on the destination, but I almost always travel with a single pair of versatile shoes. And recently, those have been the new Vans MTE Crosspath.
The weather-proof, all-terrain shoe is designed for the exact type of travel I love—where you never know what’s around the next corner and there’s no time to return to the hotel to swap shoes anyway.
My testing regimen meant errands around Field Mag hometown NYC, followed by a visit to Colorado last week. From crowded NYC airports to Denver concrete to Boulder trails and back, I put a couple dozen miles on my pair of Crosspaths, and honestly, they only got more comfortable as the test went on.
Billed as the most functional pair of shoes to bare the Vans side stripe yet, the rugged shoe boasts a technical look that’s sleek enough for city wear, too, and laden with functionality far beyond the typical Authentic or Half Cab (my preferred skate shoe).
It’s also the most sustainable build Vans can make. The MTE Crosspath features an upper made of 100% recycled ripstop PET with reinforced abrasion paneling, seamless welded construction for durability, and a PFC-free DWR water-repellent coating. The midsole is made of at least 50% bio-based EVA foam derived from plants, and the outsole is also made in part with regeneratively grown natural rubber.
As someone who owns way too many pairs of shoes, each with a specific purpose, adding a quiver killer like the MTE Crosspath to my shoe rack has been a welcomed solution to last second decision making. City errands in nasty weather? Toss ‘em on. Heading upstate? They’re a go. Work travel that might include a hike? Bingo. As the seasons shift and holiday travel ramps up, you best believe they’ll be with me in the airport, on the trail, and in the ski hill parking lot, too.
Shout out the shoe that loves a good adventure as much as I do.
Published 10-03-2024
