First Action Hero Assignment-Ahnu Hiking Boots

Well I had a super fun weekend full of lots of good eats, good beers, running and sunshine! I'll recap the Sole of the City 10K that I ran Saturday tomorrow! 

As I had mentioned before, I was chosen to be a Women's Health Magazine Action Hero 2014, and today I have my first assignment to share with you! I was really excited to receive some new hiking sneakers from Ahnu Footwear. With the temperatures warming up in the city, I really want to do more outdoorsy weekend activities like hiking so these boots are a perfect incentive to get moving on it.  I was sent the Ahnu Sugarpine Air Mesh shoes and immediately fell in love with the purple/maroon color (named anemone on the site!). These are some pretty stylish hiking shoes! 

 

I'm definitely an amateur hiker but love these shoes athletic style. Some of the various features (according to the website) include: 

•  waterproof leather and suede upper
•  a gusseted tongue to help keep dirt out
• a moisture-wicking mesh lining
• rubber toe cap
• Dual denisty EVA which provides extra shock absorption with heel and arch support
• shock dispersal plate in forefoot for bruising protection
• self-cleaning lugs
• Numentum™ Hike technology with a lateral to medial TPU heel clip for neutral positioning and stability
• Integrated nylon shank and arch support provide torsional rigidity and mid foot support

That's a lot of technology packed into one shoe! I thought the coolest part was that the shoes use Vibram® non-marking outsole which provides great traction.

The Sugarpine Air Mesh shoe comes in 5 different colors: the anemone (the purple,maroon one I received), dark citron (lime green), astral aura (a deep indigo color), dark blue, and dark grey.  There is even a one-year warranty on the shoes which is awesome. 

The biggest test for me was how they feel.  As a runner, I know that no matter how great the shoes looks, the feel is the most important!  Before I received my shoes I had this picture in my mind that they would be sort of plain and boring looking while also being heavy and uncomfortable. However I was surprised at how light they felt for hiking shoes! The website says they weigh around 1 lb 3.8 oz. When I walked around in them my feet felt very supportive, but not like the shoes were dragging me down.

 I was worried they would be a bit clunky to walk around in, but I felt very comfortable when walking and had a smooth stride. I haven't had a chance to go hiking yet but did take them to the park where I felt they were very supportive and the breathable mesh keep my foot cool.  I also love that they are  slip-resistant and have the waterproof upper which make them a must-pack item for my next camping trip!

I love the support and how they look so much that I even wore them to the city farmer's market this weekend. 

You can purchase the Ahnu shoes on their website online or at stores like REI.  I'll definitely report back when I take them on some non-city hiking adventures, but overall they fit great, look cute, and seem very durable.   

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Ahnu Sugarpine Air Mesh shoes  to review on my blog as part of my partnership with Women's Health Magazine as a 2014 Women's Health Action Hero. I received no compensation for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always. 

Do you own hiking shoes? Is there any outdoor activity you are looking forward to this spring/summer?