People love to call certain pieces of gear a 鈥渜uiver of one.鈥� I call bullshit. There鈥檚 no such thing. There鈥檚 no one ski that can handle all conditions equally. There鈥檚 no one mountain bike that tackles听every trail perfectly. There鈥檚 no one pair of sunglasses听equally suited for the Tour de France and dinner out. You get the point.
However, as design and outdoor-material technology gets better, we are approaching a point where one piece of gear can indeed do a lot of basic things pretty damn well, allowing you to declutter your garage, your closet, and your life. Case in point:听the new ($125) from Lems (also available in ), which sit at the intersection between a runner, a travel slipper, a water shoe, and a low-cut hiking boot.
The upper is made from a breathable, stretchy knit construction鈥攕imilar to the one used in Nike鈥檚 Flyknit technology鈥攖hat vents well on a hot day, dries fast after getting wet, and wraps your foot for immediate comfort. Lems also built in a wider-than-normal toe box, so there鈥檚 never any squish, even when your feet are swollen from a 12-hour day of traveling.
A TPU cage surrounds the midsection for added support, which is听handy听when scrambling over rocks. The medium-aggressive tread鈥攎atched with a cushioned EVA midsole鈥攈andles the chunky, variable, loose terrain you find on trail as well as cushions against the foot-busting asphalt of听city streets. The sole is听also flexible enough to bend in half, so the shoe听packs well in a carry-on suitcase.
With all that functionality, the Mesa听has听quickly become my favorite everyday summer shoe. I wear it听to work, out to lunch walks, on weekend hikes, and with my kiddos at the river, and it鈥檒l be the only shoe I need for an upcoming weekend trip to California. The Mesa has听replaced at least three other pairs I used to rotate through (flip-flops, hiking boots, and work shoes)听and looks mostly new even after a couple beatings.
To be clear, I鈥檓 not kidding myself. The Mesa听will not replace my favorite backpacking boot. Nor will it听work for a marathon听or a nice date with my wife. And yes, I will need to replace these shoes听in a year if I wear them every single day. That said, I鈥檓 still a fan鈥攁nd will buy a new pair next year鈥� thanks to the simplicity it鈥檚听created in my life.